Sunday saw the charity trails, run every year in aid of Cancer Research, take place at Carret Rigg.
The forecast was poor and it certainly was an accurate one with heavy rain but the trails went ahead despite the conditions.
The senior hounds were the first to slip with a really good field of 25 including championship leader Winterfell who was entered along with his new found running mate Ron.
There was no Miterdale Duchess, the nearest rival to the table leader, and she will most likely return to run at Dearham on Tuesday.
Winterfell was the favourite in the bookies ring and as the hounds returned to the finish it was a one-two for Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough and Tom, Sarah and Ryan Bell. Winterfell finished first followed home by kennel mate Ron.
Willie and Daphne Mark’s Summer Spirit finished well in third place with Denise Bland, Greame Little and Alan and Jim Little’s Huntsman’s Rebel finishing in fourth followed home by kennel mate Huntsman’s Quirk then Alan and Adrian Little’s Huntsman’s Quantum.
The win for Winterfell is his 21st of the season and extends his lead in the championship back to six points.
The Senior Maidens were next, with a smaller field of seven runners as the weather started to get worse.
Eden Romina was favourite in the bookies ring but it was Ashley Horn and Sarah White’s Flightline, who had stepped up a distance, that came home first and proved that he was well capable of running the longer course.
He beat home the bookies favourite Eden Romina for David Clifford with Paul Airey and Joanne Hodgson’s Meadow Maggie in third place.
Intensity finished in fourth with Linda Neal, Mark, Josh and Georgina Bryden’s Eagle Star picking up fifth ticket and Christopher Henderson’s Shine On getting the sixth ticket.
The one point for Shine On now takes him top of the Senior Maidens Points competition on 17, with the next four hounds all on 16 points so plenty of chances over the next few weeks before the season comes to an end.
The next race was the open pups with a good field of hounds but no Rodney Raider. Embrace was running and was the bookies favourite with Silver Dream not far behind in the betting.
As they came back on to the finish Embrace was in front and crossed the line ahead of Sarah Jane who had doubled up after winning on Sunday at Wythop.
In third place it was Denton Fury for Lee Wall followed home by Kinniside Miracle for Sophie Steele.
Silver Dream could only manage fifth place with Glamorous Ava for James McClelland finishing in sixth place. The win takes Embrace to sixteen but he still remains five points behind the table leader Rodney Raider.
The puppy maidens were next to be slipped with a wide open field but it was Joanna, Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrows Thorn Bear who came home first to win from Brian Shaw and Marianne Nixon’s Lucky Chance who finished well in second place.
Sophie Steele bagged another ticket with Miterdale Dust and then it was Huntsman’s Delight in fourth place for Little, Bland and Co.
Sarah Harper’s Delta Samba finished in fifth with the last ticket in the race going to Fidget for the Lindsay girls.
The win for Thorn Bear allows her to just nudge herself in front of chasing hound Miterdale Dust in the Puppy Maiden Points competition and means she is now three points clear.
The last race was the veterans, with Forlorn Spring travelling up from West Cumbria to take part and was the bookies favourite alongside Huntsman’s Major.
As they came on to the finish it was Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough’s Best Mate who surprised everyone and crossed the line in first place followed by local hound Castle Clansman for Marti Borthwick and Co.
Sarah Harper’s other hound Delta Script finished well in third with the bookies favourite Forlorn Spring only getting fourth place. Huntsman’s Major finished in fifth with Denis Pear and Jackie Gill’s Hawkswood taking sixth.
The fourth place for Forlorn Spring keeps him ahead of Huntsman’s Major in the Veteran Points competition with 15 still the difference.
Action returns to Dearham on Tuesday with a three-card meeting and the first trail is slipped at 4.45pm.
September 24 – Carret Rigg
- Hounds – 1.Winterfell; 2. Ron; 3. Summer Spirit; 4. Huntsman’s Rebel; 5. Huntsman’s Quirk; 6. Huntsman’s Quantum. 24 ran, time 26.26.
- Maidens – 1. Flightline; 2. Eden Romina; 3. Meadow Maggie; 4. Intensity; 5. Eagle Star; 6. Shine On. 7 ran, time 28.30.
- Pups – 1. Embrace; 2. Sarah Jane; 3. Denton Fury; 4. Kinniside Miracle; 5. Silver Dream; 6. Glamorous Ava. 13 ran, time 21.00.
- Puppy Maidens – 1. Thorn Bear; 2. Lucky Chance; 3. Miterdale Dust; 4. Huntsman’s Delight; 5. Delta Samba; 6. Fidget. 11 ran, time 24.52.
- Veterans – 1. Best Mate; 2. Castle Clansman; 3. Delta Script; 4. Forlorn Spring; 5. Huntsman’s Major; 6. Hawkswood. 9 ran, time 18.20.
