The long dry summer has not lent itself to a flush of runners during autumn Jump racing, and Ludlow’s free-draining soil means that it was a somewhat inauspicious start to the new campaign, with just 33 runners competing for the 7 race card, without each-way betting in any of them.

Nevertheless, trainers James Owen and Fergal O’Brien both made the most of the opportunity, each bagging a brace, albeit Owen’s first was a rare walkover. No way for us to start our season.

On a day sponsored by the Ludlow Brewing Company, guests might have hoped to see double in the opener after just two were declared overnight, reduced to one after Maldini Milano left his feed in the morning. Rules have now changed in walkovers, meaning horses don’t have to canter past the post any more. Owen’s runners had already set off for Ludlow, but he collected the opening novices’ hurdle bloodlessly, and doesn’t pick up a penalty next time around.

The Gredley family is building quite a profile in Jump circles after a lifetime on the Flat, and their second winner this week after one at Stratford on Monday made up the second leg of the Newmarket double, when Kate O’Riley had only to be shaken up by Sam Twiston-Davies to score on debut by 4l in the juvenile hurdle. Owen reported Derby second Ambiente Friendly jumping for fun at home, which promises an interesting winter among the juvenile division.

O’Brien has enjoyed a quieter summer than in recent seasons, even if this translates to over 20 winners. Today, it was the turn of daughter Fern to score on the two runners despatched to Shropshire, first on the 8yo Kingston Sunflower in the Conditional Riders handicap Hurdle, then on Snatch A Glance in the bumper.

Kingston Sunflower is owned by Ravenswell landlord Rupert Lowe, now an independent MP for Yarmouth in the Commons, but living in Gloucestershire. He had enough reserve to outjump his higher-rated rivals to win by 6l, putting the mockers on favourite backers of the second.

Five went to post for the feature Ludlow Brewing Company Handicap Chase over 3m, Almazhar Garde taken out on account of the ground. The race was slated to produce a winning return to race riding for Jonjo O’Neill Jnr with his father’s Yes Day, but a winner back from injury will have to wait another day after a fall 4 out. The race turned into a procession from the turn in, when leader Hold Your Fort slipped but recovered. Challenger Straw Fan Jack’s chance was gone before he made a hash of the last, and he was brought home in his own time, a 25l second. Hold Your Fort has produced 2 of Debra Hamer’s 3 wins this summer, earning his keep this time around under Callum Pritchard.

The other remaining chase, a novices handicap over 2m 4f, also went the way of the Welsh, this time to Sheila Lewis in Brecon, with Gris Majeur, who took the lead 3 out and was never headed thereafter, winning by a comfortable 9l from Redbridge Rambler, under Ben Jones. James Best, rider of the runner-up, has an altogether more interesting assignment on Sunday, when his two mounts at Pardubice include a runner in the 135th Velka Pardubicka, the autumn’s most valuable race yet at 500,000 Cz kr (€200,000). Once again there are no British runners, which seems anomalous in a sport where low prize money is regularly decried.

The largest field of the day turned out for the Remembering Margaret Roberts Mares Handicap Hurdle over 2m5f in which the Neil Mulholland – trained Of Course You Can performed well above her previous best to beat Diplomatie and Porter In The Park a half and 2 3/4l.

Let us hope the second half of October brings more rainfall to top up the water table. The weather patterns of recent years are doing nothing to sustain our sport.