Officials at Hereford racecourse say the rain of the past week means they should have perfect going for their meeting on Sunday 8 November.

Clerk of the Course Katie Stephens said the dry October had been threatening to cause them problems.

"It has been absolutely bizarre as up until about 10 days ago I thought we were going to have to irrigate.

"Thankfully we were treated to half an inch of rain last weekend and showers since mean it is good, good-to-soft."

The return of racing at Hereford has clearly found favour with trainers as there were 251 entries for the seven-race card.

Stephens admitted those numbers were likely to come down at the declaration stage as there are two other jump meetings on Sunday, but she felt it was a highly encouraging sign.

It's just nice winter jumping ground at the moment Clerk of the course Katie Stephens

"We have a couple of steeple-chases and hurdle races with a national hunt flat race to finish," she said.

"We will probably have a high level of declarations as is generally always the case here.

"But those were good entries so it should make for good racing," she added.

The meeting will centre on Hereford's annual beer and cider day which will include the wife-carrying race that has become a feature of the past few years.

This event has its origins in Estonia but has become a firm favourite with the crowds as volunteers race a 100-metre stretch of the home straight carrying their spouses with the winners winning their combined weight in beer.

Katie Stephens has competed in this bizarre event herself in years gone by but insists she will be focusing firmly on her clerk of the course role this year.

Her main priority is to ensure optimum conditions for horses, jockeys and trainers, as well as wife-carriers.

"It's what I would call winter good ground rather than summer good ground," she told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"It's just nice winter jumping ground at the moment.

"If the forecast proves correct we won't be far off racing on that on Sunday," she added.

The first race of the seven on the card is due off at 1300 GMT on Sunday 8 November.

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