Sunday saw a return to Oulton for the third in the series of six trails with all races well supported.
The senior hounds got things underway with a slip of 20 runners and last year’s puppy champion Rodney Raider was among them.
Rodney Raider was the 6/4 favourite to win in the bookies ring and as the hounds came out of the wood at the bottom he and Cracking Artist had pulled clear with a bit of a lead.
As they climbed up the hill Rodney Raider just pulled away, making the most of his long stride, to cross the line in first place for David Todhunter and Nicola McMaster.
Sibling Cracking Artist stayed on well for Bill and Pat Mellon and Tina and Robert Airey but just couldn’t do enough to cross the line in front but both hounds had run a really good race.
The win takes Rodney Raider to joint first place, although Cautious remains on top due to the second place she gained at Low Place.
The winning Dearham team bagged third and fourth places with Silver Dream and Silver Streak with Alan Blacklock’s Busy Again finishing well as she always does to take fifth.
Laura Steele, Andrew Bulman and Ian Rumney’s Embrace took the last ticket.
Next into action were the open pups and again it was a good slip with 16 runners.
Denise Bland and her team were out again and were running the highly fancies Huntsman’s Time. The little Irish bred bitch was the odds-on favourite in the bookies ring and didn’t disappoint as she came with a good lead to cross the line in first place.
Millie’s Lass, for George McGimpsey and Gillian and Millie Telford, finished in second place just ahead of Thornton for Darren McMaster, Anthony Skelton and Sadie Wilson.
Minnie Million wasn’t far behind and finished in fourth place for Brian and Joy Lister before a gap to one of the local hounds Thorn Soul for Martin, Molly, Teddy Burrow and Sarah Jackson.
Peggy Sue took sixth, a first ticket for Gillian Bulman-Brown and Mickey O’Brien, with another Irish bred pup.
The open non-winners were next with a slip of 27 and as they showed in the bottoms there were plenty of hounds, with any of them having a chance of winning.
As they climbed up there were still plenty of hounds in with a chance but it was Thorn Sass who came through to take the win for Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrow, Ian Freyne, Ger and Jennifer Kenneally.
She had been showing promise in the open puppy races so the step down to the open non-winners race had just fallen nice for her.
Tania Satterthwite’s Paddy the Plaster took second place followed closely by Jenny Horn’s Spring Remedy and the Napier and Butler’s Foxparke Dealer in fourth.
Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s Zeta finished fifth with Paul Airey and Joanne and Sophie Hodgson’s Meadow Lane taking the sixth ticket’ All the hounds finished within a few yards of each other, making it one of the most exciting finishes of the day.
Last to be slipped were the open maidens, again with another good entry of 23 hounds.
As they showed out of the wood at the bottom three hounds had gained an advantage and were headed up by Thorn Belle but as they climbed up it was Annabelle Connelly and Co’s Border Reign, the 5/2 favourite, who pulled clear and ran a cracking race to win, followed by a fast finishing Eagle Rock for the Bryden and Neale team.
Thorn Belle hung on and claimed the third ticket for the Burrow’s team with their other hound Thorn Thunder taking fourth ticket.
Sarah Harper’s Delta Spiral claimed fifth with the Lindsay sisters, Inspect taking the final ticket of the day.
On Tuesday it is a return to Cobra Castle for a three-card meeting and hopefully the pups will navigate the trail a little better than they did the first time round.
James McClelland will be looking to join the top two hounds in the senior championship table with Duchess Ava if she can manage to bag her third win.
April 7 – Oulton
- Hounds – 1. Rodney Raider; 2. Cracking Artist; 3. Silver Dream; 4. Silver Streak; 5. Busy Again; 6. Embrace. 20 ran, time 29.59.
- Puppies – 1. Huntsman’s Time; 2. Millie’s Lass; 3. Thornton; 4. Minnie Million; 5. Thorn Soul; 6. Peggy Sue. 16 ran, time 16.34.
- Open Non-Winners – 1. Thorn Sass; 2. Paddy The Plasterer; 3. Spring Remedy; 4. Foxparke Dealer; 5. Zeta; 6. Meadow Lane. 27 ran, time 17.40.
- Open Maidens – 1. Border Reign; 2. Eagle Rock; 3. Thorn Bell; 4. Thorn Thunder; 5. Delta Spiral; 6. Inspect. 23 ran, time 17.00.
