Trailing moved to Shap on Sunday for a five-card meeting and the weather was less favourable with a mixture of torrential rain and thunder and lightning.
The seniors got things away and there was a good slip of 18 hounds with Winterfell the even money favourite.
Although he didn’t ticket at the last trail at Shap, he did have a win and a second last year so did have some form around the course.
As they came back onto the finish there wasn’t much between the front two hounds, but as they got to the line Strawberry Mick for Graham Reid just got up to take the win from Winterfell with a couple of lengths to spare.
Summer Spirit for Willie and Daphne Mark finished well in third place with Ian Bell’s Howgil Lil finishing in fourth place.
The last two tickets went to Linda Neale, Josh, Georgia and Mark Bryden’s Eagle Love who finished in fifth place and Carol and Stanley Jackson’s Clementine who finished in sixth.
The next race to slip was the restricted hounds, the first of its kind this season. It is basically a restricted trail but over the longer distance. Carlisle and Penrith, over the last couple of years, have been the only Area to put this grade on.
There were only four runners but there was still plenty of activity in the bookies ring. Dundee was the hot favourite at evens but as they came on to the finish it was Brian Graham and Eleanor Chisholm’s 2/1 second favourite Eleanor’s Lass who crossed the line first followed by Dundee.
Third to cross the line was Delta Style followed by kennel mate Delta Spiral for Sarah Harper.
The open pups were next with championship leader Rodney Raider the odds on favourite at 4/5. As they came back onto the finish it was a good race with five of the first six hounds from the same litter – Silver Dusk and Miterdale Cooper.
Rodney Raider managed to hold on and crossed the line two or three length clear of litter and kennel mate Sarah Jane making it a one two for the Dearham kennel of Joe Abram and Nicola McMaster.
He was followed home by Andrew and Joel Bulman, Laura Steele and Ian Runmey’s Embrace then in fourth place it was Silver Dream who was missing her usual fast spurt where she usually passes a couple of hounds just before the line.
She was followed home by Willie and Daphne Mark’s Sportsman then the last ticket going to Paul Airey and Joanne Hodgson’s Artisan. The win for Rodney Raider takes him eight points clear of Embrace.
Next to slip were the puppy maidens with a field of nine runners. It was a fairly open field but it was Tracey Hill’s Maggie Moon who came on the finish and crossed the line in first place.
She had been 5/1 in the bookies ring and was followed home by Neil and Gillian Brown and Derek and Joel Bulman’s Hey Mac.
Jenny Horn’s Spring Remedy finished well in third place with the last three tickets going to Fidget, Castle Callant and Delta Saba.
The last race of the day was for the veterans with eight runners. Huntsman’s Major was sent off as favourite at 1/2 on and as they came onto the finish he didn’t disappoint crossing the line in first place and gathering up another six points which have moved him closer to the veteran points leader Forlorn Spring.
Huntsman’s Major is now only fifteen points behind Forlorn Spring. Black Eyed Mist ran a really good race given that he had also ran the day before and ticketed for Nicola and John Lyon.
Amber Bay for Lyn and Norman Brown finished in third place followed home by Castle Clansman for Marti Borthwick followed by Tracy Hill’s second hound Buster Moon and then Ian Bell’s Howgil Meg.
September 10 – Shap
- Hounds – 1. Strawberry Mick; 2. Winterfell; 3. Summer Spirit; 4. Howgil Lil; 5. Eagle Love; 6. Clementine. 18 ran, time 30.20.
- Restricted Hounds – 1. Eleanor’s Lass; 2. Dundee; 3. Delta Style; 4. Delta Spiral. 4 ran, time 34.02.
- Pups – 1. Rodney Raider; 2. Sarah Jane; 3. Embrace; 4. Silver Dream; 5. Sportsman; 6. Artisan. 11 ran, time 18.14.
- Puppy Maidens – 1. Maggie Moon; 2. Hey Mac; 3. Spring Remedy; 4. Fidget; 5. Castle Callant; 6. Delta Samba. 9 ran, time 19.58.
- Veterans – 1. Huntsman’s Major; 2. Black Eyed Mist; 3. Amber Bay; 4. Castle Clansman; 5. Buster Moon; 6. Howgil Meg. 8 ran, time 19.42.
