After the excitement of the weekend’s racing at the Dog Produce meeting and a memorable double for the McMaster and Abram kennel it was back to Championship.
There was a four-card race night at Helton with the seniors getting things underway with 24 runners.
Winterfell was back out looking to make up for the disappointment on Saturday where he failed to get placed among the ticketing hounds.
Helton, perhaps would be better suited to his running style, being more open. He last won there in May at the HTA May Day trails.
Huntsman’s Rebel was also running after her winning performance at the weekend.
As the hounds came back into sight at the top of the fell, Winterfell had a slight lead as they dropped down in to the bottom.
However, the second hound Foxparke Beep Beep, for the Napiers, who seems to be coming back into form, was catching Winterfell.
In the bottoms Winterfell seemed to stop for water and Foxparke Beep Beep by this time had managed to catch him up. As they climbed back up to the finishing line Winterfell pulled away and won by a couple of lengths for Caroline Clough and Barry Laidler. Huntsman’s Rebel finished in third place for Denise Bland and Graeme Little.
This win takes Wirterfell to 13 in the championship, four clear of his nearest rival Miterdale Duchess who is looking for the warmer weather to return.
Next up was the puppy race with a good slip of 34 hounds. All the top hounds in the championship were competing and with good running out on the moor it would be interesting to see which hound would take the honours with both bitches and dogs back running together.
As they showed on the top it was Huntsman’s Sparkle who came with a massive lead with the rest of the hounds following.
But she is getting a bit of a reputation for being reluctant to come in to the bait box and yet again she was not having it and and seemed happy to mess about down the finish.
This gave the other hounds time to catch up and eventually pass her. Mel, for Graham and Les Reid, was the chasing hound and it had a lead over the other hounds following her but as they pulled up towards the finishing line Rodney Raider and Silver Dream were catching her.
In the ends she just managed to hold on and crossed the line to take the win. Rodney Raider finished second with kennel-mate and sibling Silver Dream just behind in third.
Bill Mellon’s Artist, another sibling, finished in fourth place followed by Graham and Les Reid’s second hound Money Talks and Embrace in sixth place for Andrew and Joel Bulman, Laura Steel and Ian Rumney.
The victory for Mel gives her seven wins, one point behind Silver Dream who is second in the Puppy Championship and five points behind Rodney Raider who is currently on 12 wins.
The biggest slip of the night was in the Open Maiden with 34 hounds going to the slip.
As the hounds came over the top it was a good race with a number of hounds in with a chance of winning.
As they climbed up it was Tom and Ryan Bell’s Ron that had a slight advantage but he isn’t always in a hurry to get to the bait box and nearly threw the race away. On this occasion he did cross the line first from Sarah Jane who also decided to take her time in getting to the line, otherwise Ron might have been pipped at the post.
Foxparke Fair Lady finished in third place with Paul Airey and Joanne Hodgson’s Meadow Maggie finishing in fourth place.
The win takes Ron to joint second place in the Open Maiden Points Competition with Thorn Thunder still out in front.
The last race of the night was the All In with 18 runners and it was Brian and Joy Lister’s Lady Million who finished impressively to lead them home after being absence for a number of weeks due to a minor injury.
She was followed home by Shaun Hetherington’s Splendid Lily.
Action moves to Potters Park on Saturday for the second of the Trilogy Trails. First trail slips at 1pm.
The final of the Trilogy Trails takes place on Saturday July 29, where it will be decided who takes home the substantial prize money. It’s all open at the moment as to who that will be.
July 5 2023 – Helton
- Hounds – 1. Winterfell; 2. Foxparke Beep Beep; 3. Huntsman’s Rebel; 4. Strawberry Mick; 5. Huntsman’s Quantum; 6. Foxparke Mysteriously. 24 ran, time 31.51.
- Pups – 1. Mel; 2. Rodney Raider; 3. Silver Dream; 4. Artist; 5. Money Talks; 6. Embrace. 31 ran, time19.21.
- Open Maidens – 1. Ron; 2. Sarah Jane; 3. Foxparke Fair Lady; 4. Meadow Maggie; 5. Foxparke Jiggered; 6. Tremour. 34 ran, time 19.30.
- All In – 1. Lady Million; 2. Splendid Lily; 3. Martha; 4. Tesla; 5. Splendid Mikey; 6. Foxparke Rumour. 18 ran, time 20.14.
Les and Graham Reid scored another quick success with their bitch Mel after she had won the open pups at the Dog Produce meeting on Saturday at Latrigg.
But who is Mel named after – a Spice Girl perhaps? Hear what Les told Cumbria Crack’s John Walsh after that win at the Dog Produce………
