THERE can’t be many more challenging jobs in racing than being the clerk of a course. The role is often thankless, and pleasing everyone seems virtually impossible. No sensible person in the game underestimates the key piece of the raceday jigsaw the clerks deliver, and the difficulties that come with trying to get it right. It is far from simple.

All that said, however, the feedback received from a number of trainers and jockeys in contact with The Irish Field in recent weeks is that many National Hunt connections would simply much rather over-watered ground than some of the quicker surfaces that have been presented at some tracks of late. Trainers have been voting with their feet too. Just look at some of the field sizes, and key non-runners; especially in graded jumps races recently.