The Whitehaven Area hosted their Classic trails on Saturday and what a great day of entertainment it provided.
The Whitehaven Classic usually take place in the height of the summer months but this year it was decided to move the trails forward and it proved a great success. Indeed it was a throwback to the golden days of trailing.
The majority of the association’s hounds turned out to support the meeting and it turned out to be a great day – hound trailing for everyone.
Similar to Helton the weekend before there were over hundred and fifty hounds taking part which resulted in some great finishes.
All five trails had £100 prize money and trophies, while in addition Sophie Steele had donated rosettes, hand-made dog jackets, and bags of treats for all the ticketing hounds.
The senior hounds got things underway and there was a good slip of 20. Reigning champion Winterfell was running but there was no Rodney Raider, the current table leader.
The canny Dearham owners were probably looking to keep him fresh for Tuesday at West Woodburn, perhaps taking a more strategic approach and looking towards the long game when it comes to winning the Championship title.
As the hounds ran the course three hounds looked as though they got away early on and they maintained that lead throughout.
As they came onto the finish it was a cracking race between Foxparke Beep Beep, Strawberry Mick and Cautious.
Foxparke Beep Beep for Nicola, Robyn, Ellie, Grace Napier and Brook Butler just came away and finished well to take first place.
Strawberry Mick, for Graham Reid, could make no impression on Foxparke Beep Beep and had to settle for second with Cautious for Isla Hetherington and Stephen Riley finishing in a respectable third place. Likewise she hadn’t been able to make any ground up on the finish to catch Strawberry Mick.
James and Ava McClelland’s Duchess Ava brought home the final three hounds and finished well in fourth from Alan Blacklock’s Busy Again and Silver Dream for Darren and Julie McMaster.
Foxparke Beep Beep had been gambled in to favourite before they finally showed on the finish.
Winterfell was just out of the ticketing hounds. It wasn’t his day but no doubt he will be out again on Tuesday at West Woodburn.
Next up were the senior maidens with a really good slip of 37 hounds with no clear favourite in the bookies ring, suggesting it was going to be an open race.
As they showed on the finish two hounds had established a lead and it was a neck and neck race up to the line.
Carole and Stanley Jackson’s Croft Lass just made a last minute surge to cross the line in front of Isla Hetherington and Stephen Riley’s Ruby, who just seemed to be easing down as she approached the line.
There was a gap to the third hound and it was one of three Foxparkes who claimed third ticket with Foxparke Dealer.
Next home were Glenis and Raymond Farren’s Huntsman’s Rally followed by the other two kennel-mates Foxparke Mysteriously and Foxparke Whoosh.
With the great viewing on this trail the punters had been backing Croft Lass and it ended up the favourite in the bookies ring.
With both winners of the seniors and the maidens being backed to favouritism it was turning out not to be a good day for the bookies.
There was a slightly smaller field of pups but it was a good class of runners with Huntsman’s Time the odd’s on favourite with the bookies.
As the hounds came onto the finish any one of four hounds had the chance of wining the race and as the hounds crossed the line it was a tight affair and made judging difficult with some hounds slowing and others finishing fast.
However, Huntsman’s Time got the final verdict for Denise and Jenny Bland, Graeme Little and Lisa Crosby taking the little Irish hound to five wins, two in front of her nearest rival, Countess Ava.
It was also another bad result for the bookies as she had gone off favourite.
In a tight scarp for the minors second place went to Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough’s Snowfell who seems to have a preference for second place with this one being her fifth.
In third was Countess Ava for James and Ava McClelland and again she perhaps lacks a little when it comes to finishing which may improve as the season progresses.
In fourth place was Lassie for Tom, Sarah and Ryan Bell, with Gillian Bulman-Brown and Mickey O’Brien’s Peggy Sue in fifth. She’s another Irish pup who only came initially on a holiday and was planning to return but ended up staying to run in the HTA. The last ticket went to Brian and Erin Rowlandson and Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker.
The puppy maidens slipped next with 35 runners and again another open race ensued with any number of hounds in with a chance of winning.
Yet again it was another exciting finish with five hounds battling for the line.
In the end it was Laura Steele, Andrew Bulman and Billy Birkett’s Sonny Bill who just stretched out to cross the line in first place from a close finishing Ben for Tom, Sarah and Ryan Bell.
Ben has been knocking on the door for his first win but will have to try again – so close but yet so far.
In third place was Foxparke Elliot’s Lad, notching up another ticket for the kennel. Thornton finished in fourth place for Darren McMaster, Anthony Skelton and Sadie Wilson with James and Ava McClelland taking their third ticket of the day with Baroness Ava.
The last ticket went to Debbie and Lana McGee’s Apache Brave.
The last race of the day was for the open restricted race with a massive slip of 56 runners. What a sight to behold on the line as they waited to be slipped – hound trailing as it used to be on a regular basis.
Again, with the number of runners, it was really an open race.
As the hounds showed there was plenty in with a chance but it was Foxparke Honk Honk who showed first and was a few yards in front of Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Pop.
As they approached the line Foxparke Honk Honk strode out to win by a few lengths with Thorn Pop happy to finish in second place. No wonder she won the Open Restricted title last year as finishing in second place seems to be her thing.
The win gave the Foxparke team a double on the day but they weren’t finished there, as they also claimed third ticket with Foxparke Side Kick and sixth ticket with Foxparke Fair Lady so a total of seven tickets.
David Clifford’s Eden Rayna finished in fourth place with Sarah Jane for Nicola McMaster and Sadie Wilson collecting fifth.
Foxparke Honk Honk had been 8/1 in the bookies ring and the last couple of races improved the day for the hard-pressed bookies.
The Whitehaven Area were pleased with the day’s events and the support they had from everyone. Thanks were expressed to all who had helped put on the trails.
Action moves back to West Woodburn on Tuesday night with a four-card meeting and the first trail slips at 5.30pm.
April 27 – Cold Fell (Whitehaven Classic)
- Hounds – 1. Foxparke Beep Beep; 2. Strawberry Mick; 3. Cautious; 4. Duchess Ava; 5. Busy Again; 6. Silver Dream. 20 ran, time 28.46.
- Maidens – 1. Croft Lass; 2. Ruby; 3. Foxparke Dealer; 4. Huntsman’s Rally; 5. Foxparke Mysteriously; 6. Foxparke Whoosh. 37 ran, time 30.08.
- Pups – 1. Huntsman’s Time; 2. Snowfell; 3. Countess Ava; 4. Lassie; 5. Peggy Sue; 6. Blue Striker. 15 ran, time 20.45.
- Puppy Maiden – 1. Sonny Bill; 2. Ben; 3. Foxparke Elliot’s Lad; 4. Thornton; 5. Baroness Ava; 6. Apache Brave. 35 ran, time 21.21.
- Open Restricted – 1. Foxparke Honk Honk; 2. Thorn Pop; 3. Foxparke Side Kick; 4. Eden Rayna; 5. Sarah Jane; 6. Foxparke Fair Lady. 56 ran, time 18.32.