A shorter season on a reduced number of tracks and the Grand National Hurdle and Steeplechase races relocated from Flemington to Sandown in August instead of July highlight a revamped jumps program for next year.There will be 94 jumps races programmed on 43 days compared to 123 on 76 days this year and all jumps events will be run on dead tracks.Race fields will be limited to 14 runners, the minimum weight raised to 64kg and 3200 metres will be the minimum distance for a hurdle race.Warrnambool,

A shorter season on a reduced number of tracks and the Grand National Hurdle and Steeplechase races relocated from Flemington to Sandown in August instead of July highlight a revamped jumps program for next year.

There will be 94 jumps races programmed on 43 days compared to 123 on 76 days this year and all jumps events will be run on dead tracks.

Race fields will be limited to 14 runners, the minimum weight raised to 64kg and 3200 metres will be the minimum distance for a hurdle race.

Warrnambool, the home of the time-honoured Grand Annual Steeplechase, has been identified as the premier jumps venue hosting 22 jumps races in 10 meetings while Mornington is next with 13 jumps races in five meetings.

The jumps program has been modified following Racing Victoria Limited's decision to retain jumps racing in the state following an independent Jumps Racing Review completed by Judge David Jones.

RVL chief executive Rob Hines said the refined program should help to alleviate the safety issues associated with jumps racing raised in the Jumps Review.

"We are working with the clubs and stakeholders to ensure that we can make a significant improvement on the safety of riders and horses in jumps races," Hines said.

"The season has been shortened to ensure we can properly accommodate the necessary changes, but we will now see jumps racing more focused at venues that compliment this type of racing."

The 2009 season is two months shorter and will open at Pakenham on March 1 and finish with a Coleraine meeting on September 27.

Only 10 clubs compared to 15 last season will host jumps races.

Sandown and Moonee Valley will be only the city jumps venues with 14 jumps races in eight meetings between them while Casterton, Coleraine, Hamilton, Moe, Mornington, Pakenham, Warrnambool and Yarra Valley will be the country venues.

The Grand National Hurdle and Grand Steeplechase races carry prizemoney of $202,000 each, $50,000 less than this year and will be run over 4350 metres on Sunday August 30 along with Houlahan Hurdle (3300m).

The George Watson Hurdle, Crisp Steeplechase and Lachal Hurdle will run at Sandown on August 16 which is also a Sunday.

Other key changes to the program include Yarra Valley hosting a feature jumps meeting with three races programmed on April 26 as a lead-in to the three-day Warrnambool May Carnival which starts May 5.

The Mornington meeting on May 24 will feature three jumps races in the lead-up to the Australian Hurdle and Steeplechase meeting at Sandown on June 13 while Mornington's Great Southern Steeplechase is the last feature of the jumps season on September 26.

Moonee Valley's prestigious Hiskens Steeplechase remains on its usual date on the last Saturday of July which next year is July 25.

Australian Jumping Racing Association president Rodney Rae said he endorsed the new program and that it would form a base for the future of the sport.

"We have done a lot of work with RVL and the clubs and we are happy with the program and fully support it," Rae said.

"We will use this as a base year and we can start growing it from there when people get a bit more confidence back.

"We can only take things one season at a time but if our horse numbers exceed expectations then RVL has agreed they will divide races."