A step up in temperature took some dogs by surprise and some were clearly feeling the effect of a warmer day during the HTA meeting at Cleamire.
However there were a good number of runners across the five races with 108 being slipped.
There were twenty senior hounds and although the trail had been changed slightly they appear to have navigated the trail well.
The finish is a very long one and when the hounds came back into sight it was Miterdale Duchess and Kirkhead Rebel who were racing neck and neck and had a slight advantage over the others who were following.
At the line it was Denis Peare and Jackie Gill’s Miterdale Duchess who just got up to take the race from Roy Laidler’s Kirkhead Rebel. It was a case of seconditis again for Roy taking his tally of runner-up places so far this season to five.
The win for Miterdale Duchess takes her to joint second place in the Championship table alongside Huntsman’s Quantum.
Table leader Winterfell didn’t run at Cleamire, as owners Barry and Caroline might be keeping him for the trail on Monday at Dearham as he has a good record round there.
There was a turn-up for the books in the puppy race with team Foxparke taking most of the honours. They scooped three tickets out of the six with a win for Foxparke Honk Honk, with third and fourth for Foxparke Fair Lady and Foxparke Dealer.
Foxparke Honk Honk just got up to win from Martin and Molly Burrow’s Thorn Bear in second. Team Miterdale took the other tickets with Miterdale Diamond and Miterdale Dust finishing in fifth and sixth place. Embrace, who currently leads the Puppy Championship, was back in seventh place.
The Puppy race had proved to be a bit tricky for some hounds but Foxparke Honk Honk, owned and trained by young Grace, has made great strides after being poorly as a youngster. Grace has done a great job to get her fit and well, to gain a first win.
There was an equally good slip in the Open Maidens and it was Martin and Molly Burrow’s Thorn Thunder who came home to win the race followed home by Carol Tunstall’s Overwater Hunter in second, with Bobby Moon finishing in third place.
The win for Thorn Thunder takes her clear in the open maiden points competition on 22 points ahead of her nearest rival Eagle Rock who has 13 points.
The Open Restricted race was won by Barbara and Geoff Jones’ Lily who came with a massive lead from Kinniside Mick who finished in second place with Ann and Malcolm Holmes’ Sir Robert in third place.
Sir Robert won the the Open Restricted race last year at the International Trails but is just recovering from an injury and did well to finish in third place.
Last, but not least, was the Veteran race with fourteen runners and it was Roy Laidler’s Cuckoo Lane who just got up to beat Stuart Jeyne’s Forlorn Spring. That second place for Forlorn Spring takes him to the top of the Veteran’s Points Competition in front of Huntsman’s Major.
Action moves to Dearham on Monday evening with three races starting at 6.00pm and it’s the first of two meetings at that particular venue.
Catering and on-field bookmaking will be available and it promises to be a good night with some of the top hounds likely to be running.
May 20 – Cleamire
- Hounds – 1. Miterdale Duchess; 2. Kirkhead Rebel; 3. Martha; 4. Huntsman’s Quartz; 5. Rex The Rocket; 6. Huntsman’s Rebel. 20 ran, time 31.00.
- Pups – 1. Foxparke Honk Honk; 2. Thorn Bear; 3. Foxparke Fair Lady; 4. Foxparke Dealer; 5. Miterdale Diamond; 6. Miterdale Dust. 30 ran, time 21.09.
- Open maiden – 1. Thorn Thunder; 2. Overwater Hunter; 3. Bobby Moon; 4. Foxparke Sassy Girl; 5. Foxparke Parma Violet; 6. GoGo Frankie. 25 ran, time 22.59.
- Open Restricted – 1. Lily; 2. Kinniside Mick; 3. Sir Rober;t 4. Mr Finnegan; 5. Delta Supreme; 6. Howgill Meg. 19 ran, time 20.59.
- Veterans – 1. Cuckoo Lane; 2. Forlorn Spring; 3. Splendid Mickey; 4. Huntsman’s Major; 5. Best Mate; 6. Foxparke Jiggly Puff. 14 ran, time 22.09.
