Last night saw the third of the trails at Lowther Park and the running conditions were perfect for both the trailer and the hounds who were running the trail.
The last trail on Saturday had to be cancelled as the mist and fog were down and the conditions were too bad for the trailer to be able to find his way round the course.
The senior hounds got things underway with a slip of 16 hounds. Winterfell, last year’s champion, was back out following his slightly disappointing finish at the May Day trails when he only managed sixth place.
Local competition was also running in the form of Foxparke Beep Beep who seems to be coming back into form with her second place at the May Day trails when she was only beaten by a very impressive finish by Embrace.
As the hounds got underway reports were coming in that Winterfell was pushing on and leading the hounds for the majority of the race.
As they showed on the finish he was still leading but was passed by a fast-finishing Miterdale Duchess on the climb up to the finish. She was 8/1 with the bookies and that win was her second this season and moves her up to fifth in the championship table.
Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough with Winterfell had to make do with second place but the hound is still running well with the most number of tickets so far in the senior races.
Foxparke Beep Beep finished well in third place for Robyn, Ellie, and Grace Napier and Brook Butler. Some say that she prefers a downhill finish rather than an uphill finish, something to watch for in the future.
Denise and Jenny Bland and Jim and Alan Little’s Huntsman’s Rebel finished in fourth place with the little hound perhaps still not back to her old self. Graham Reid’s Money Talk’s and Mel took the last two tickets.
The open pups were next to slip with a field of 20 and Huntsman’s Time was the 4/6 odds-on favourite again after her impressive win at the May Day Trails.
Countess Ava was expected to give her a run for her money being the local hound and when the reports from those outside watching the hounds came through, they confirmed that two hounds had developed a lead and they were Huntsman’s Time and Countess Ava who were battling it out.
As they showed on the finish there was still not much between the two but Huntsman’s Time managed to hold off a late challenge from Countess Ava to take her eighth win of the season.
There was a gap to the following hounds and it was Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrows Thorn Sass who finishing in third place with Blue Striker for Brian and Erin Rowlandson finishing in fourth.
Sophie Steele and Co’s Miterdale Rumble finished in fifth with Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough’s Snowfell taking the last ticket, which was an improvement from the last time he ran there.
Next to slip were the open non winners with a good field of 25 hounds. These are hounds which have not won a race at all so it would be an open race with anyone who finishes well taking the spoils.
As they completed the trail as expected the hounds remained bunched together reflecting the fact that they were all non-winners.
Once on the finish through it was Denise and Jenny Bland’s and Graeme Little’s Huntsman’s Trouble, a 2/1 shot with the bookies, who came out of the pack and finished really well to take the win making it a double for the kennel on the night.
Tania Satterthwaite’s Paddy the Plasterer finished well to claim second place with Sophie Steele and Co bagging another ticket in third with Miterdale Dainty.
James and Ava McClelland also bagged themselves another ticket and claimed fourth place with Baroness Ava. Stuart and Jacob Jeynes got fifth ticket with Off-Spring and Colin Satterthwaite took the last ticket with Thorn Sole.
The biggest slip of the night was 35 for the open restricted and as they followed the trail over the fells the hounds soon became stung out with two getting a slight advantage.
As they came onto the finish it was the same two hounds that were still in front and crossing the line first was the much improved Thorn Gift for Colin Satterthwaite, with his other hound Thorn Pop taking second place again.
Eden Rayna for David Clifford took third place with Christine Brownlee’s hound Malia earning her first ticket of the season in fourth place.
Sportsman for Daphne and Willie Mark took fifth, and it was nice to see him back out and ticketing after doing well early on in the March trials.
Kinniside Bobby, for Sophie, sneaked in to take the last ticket of the night.
The second place for Thorn Pop maintains her position at the top of the Open Restricted points competition.
May 8 – Lowther Park
- Hounds – 1. Miterdale Duchess; 2. Winterfell; 3. Foxparke Beep Beep; 4. Huntsman’s Rebel; 5. Money Talks; 6. Mel. 16 ran, time 32.21.
- Pups – 1. Huntsman’s Time; 2. Countess Ava; 3. Thorn Sass; 4. Blue Striker; 5. Miterdale Rumble; 6. Snowfell. 20 ran, time 17.16.
- Open Non-Winners – 1. Huntsman’s Trouble; 2. Paddy The Plasterer; 3. Miterdale Dainty; 4. Baroness Ava; 5. Off-Spring; 6. Thorn Sole. 25 ran, time 17.59.
- Open Restricted – 1. Thorn Gift; 2. Thorn Pop; 3. Eden Rayna; 4. Malia; 5. Sportsman; 6. Kinniside Bobby. 35 ran, time 17.01.
