The HTA’s traditional May Day trails – the first major meeting of the new season – produced some good racing for the sports enthusiasts.
They were held at Helton which now is one of the few places where the HTA is able to get permission at this time of year as many venues cannot be accessed due to lambing.
The weather held up and, for Helton, it was quite a pleasant day which kept dry and the sun managed to get out now and again.
Toward the end of the trails it was turning cold but in hound trailing terms it was a good day for the punters and for the dogs. The underfoot conditions were good to soft which made it pleasant for the hounds to run and compete.
The number of hounds taking part were just about the same as for the meeting on April 22 when everyone was given a chance to have a look round prior to the actual event.
There were 19 entries for the opening senior trail and it was a competitive field. Winterfell, Kirkhead Rebel and Silver Streak battled it out for favouritism with the bookies.
All three hounds looked a picture as they went to the slip, having been newly clipped and washed and were ready for the job in hand.
As they showed a number of hounds were altogether but as they came down the fell and on to the trod three broke away and put a little distance between themselves and the other hounds in the race.
The finish at Helton uses a trod which comes up from the bottom to the finishing line and sometimes it depends on which hound gets on the trod in front as it can determine if they win or lose the race.
Coming off the trod makes it hard running and difficult to keep up with the hounds who are running along it.
All three were together when they went out of sight in the bottom but when they came back into view Winterfell had gained a few yards from Kirkhead Rebel and Silver Streak had dropped back.
As they pushed up to the finish Kirkhead Rebel couldn’t make any headway on his brother Winterfell who went on to win for Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough with Roy Laidler’s Kirkhead Rebel finishing second.
The number of runners may have been down slightly in the senior hounds but some of them who ran on April 22 might have fancied their chances better in the senior maiden race this time round.
There were 31 hounds slipped and any one of them could have won the race as they came into view on the top of the fell. The majority of hounds were there or thereabouts.
However two of them had gained a little lead coming up from the bottoms and it was Mark, Josh and Georgina Bryden and Linda Neal’s Eagle Rock and Tony Jackson, Ian Rudd and Sophie Steel’s Kinniside Bobby who were neck and neck coming to the line.
Just a few yards before the line Kinniside Bobby seemed to ease and Eagle Rock powered through to take the win. The remaining four places were tight with just a couple of dog lengths between all four hounds.
The numbers were down for the Open Puppy race but the quality of hounds remained high with the majority of the top ticketing hounds running against each other.
In the bookies box were Embrace, Rodney Raider and Silver Dream, while Huntsman’s Sparkle and Mel were also short prices.
The key to winning the race would be which of the youngsters could get in front of the others on the trod coming up the hill.
All the leading fancies were in with a chance as they went out of sight in the bottom but it was Embrace and Rodney Raider who showed first as they reappeared.
It was Embrace who managed to get on the trod in front and although Rodney Raider was right behind couldn’t get past.
As the ground opened up Embrace still had half a length and managed to cross the line first for the win – although Rodney Raider was first into the bait tin.
That win took Embrace one point clear in the puppy championship for Laura Steel, Andrew and Joel Bulman and Ian Rumney.
Nicola McMaster and David Todhunter had to make do with second place for Rodney Raider as litter brother Embrace just seems to be getting the upper hand, at least at Helton anyway.
Darren McMaster’s charge Silver Dream finished in third place and Graham Reid’s Mel finished in fourth place.
The Puppy Maiden’s saw thirty hounds entered and again there was nothing in them as they all came over the top of the fell more or less together.
However, by the time they got to the bottom, crossed the road and the beck and started to climb up there were a few that had broken away much to the relief of the judge.
Paul Airey and Joanne Hodgson’s Artisan, newly acquired from Reg Smith, came on the finish with Nicola McMasters other hound Sarah Jane.
All Sarah Jane had to do was run in a straight line for another yard and cross the finish, but for some reason she decided to step to the left and by doing so Artisan crossed the line in first place. Martin and Molly Burrow’s hound Thorn Bear finished in third place.
The last race of the day was the Open Restricted and it had the biggest field with forty eight hounds slipped.
It was Alan Blacklock’s Busy Again which powered to the front to take the win from Joseph Abraham and Sally Wilson’s Maverick. Tesla who is top of the Open Restricted points competition finished third which maintains his position in the table.
The HTA now takes a short break until the next trails which will be held at Lowther Park, Cold Fell on Saturday, slipping time noon.
The next major trails will be the Bitch Produce on June 3.
Championship trails – April 1-October 31
May 1 – HTA May Day Trails – Helton
- Hounds – 1. Winterfell; 2. Kirkhead Rebel; 3. Silver Streak; 4. Foxparke Beep Beep; 5. Rex The Rocket; 6. Reebok, 19 ran, time 30.20.
- Maidens – 1. Eagle Rock; 2. Kinniside Bobby; 3. Persian Gold; 4. Foxparke Mysteriously; 5. Eagle Star; 6. Shine On. 31 ran, time 31.25.
- Pups – 1. Embrace; 2. Rodney Raider; 3. Silver Dream; 4. Mel; 5. Glamorous Ava; 6. Huntsman’s Sparkle. 12 ran, time 18.10.
- Puppy Maiden – 1. Artisan; 2. Sarah Jane; 3. Thorn Bear; 4. Foxparke Foar Lady; 5. Miterdale Dust; 6. Denton Fury. 30 ran, time 19.29.
- Open Restricted – 1. Busy Again; 2. Maverick; 3. Tesla; 4. Martha; 5. Thorn Pop; 6. Denton Shamrock. 48 ran, time 18.15.
