Hound trailing action moved up to the Borders on Saturday with a five-race card at Steel Rigg, which was a change from fields and dykes and back to open running.
The first trail for seniors had a small, but select field, of only 12 dogs but first and second hounds in the senior championship were back out running after suffering slight injuries in the week before.
Both champion Winterfell and current leader Rodney Raider were expected to be in the shake-up and that’s exactly what happened.
When they came back into view it was Rodney Raider who looked as though he was leading the race from Winterfell. Both hounds pushed each other on as they completed the course and when they came back onto the finish they were still both together.
On the run in Rodney Raider just stretched out to win by four or five of length for Nicola McMaster and David Todhunter while Winterfell hung on for second place for Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough from a fast-finishing Maverick.
Thorn Gift finished well in fourth place for Colin Satterthwaite having had a bit of a disappointing run at Bridekirk on Thursday night where she didn’t manage to earn a ticket.
Winterfell had been the odds-on favourite in the bookies ring and the win for Rodney Raider took him three points clear of his main rival. Both hounds seemed to have recovered well from their minor injuries.
Next into the fray were the senior maidens and out on the trail four hounds had managed to break away where it looked as though it was Adele who was taking on the running.
As they showed on the finish there were plenty of dogs and as they jumped the last wall Adele, sent off at 4/1, moved up a gear and came on to win nicely from Miterdale Dusk for Sophie Steele and Co with her other two hounds following in behind.
Miterdale Honesty just got up for third from kennel mate Miterdale Dust so second, third and fourth tickets for the kennel.
Caroline Graham’s Hunter’s Flame finished in fifth place and Fire Lass for the Telford’s took the sixth ticket.
The open pups were next with a small field of twelve pups and as they passed the trail field they were altogether.
On the second half of the trail four hounds managed to get away and as they came back on to the finish and cleared the last wall there wasn’t much between the quartet.
Once over the wall Huntsman’s Time had forged a slight lead and it looked as though she was coming away to win easily. However Ben, for the Bell family, stuck in and finished really well to make a race of it.
In the end he was just unable to get past Huntsman’s Time before the line came and the table leader won by a short head.
That win for Denise and Jenny Bland, Graeme Little and Lisa Crosby takes the little hound, kennel name Tina, to eleven wins, seven clear now of her nearest rival Countess Ava.
Minnie Million finished well for Joy and Brian Lister in third place, with Baz taking fourth for the Yorkshire team.
Second, third and fourth pups all came from the litter by Winterfell and Maggie’s Dream.
Croft Lady, for Carole and Stanley Jackson finished in fifth with Classmate taking the last ticket for Barry and Caroline.
It meant that Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough and the Yorkshire team of Tom, Sarah and Ryan Bell had taken three of the six tickets.
Next were the puppy maidens and there was a good slip of 22 hounds and as they went past the trail field they were all together but once out on the moor they must have got wrong.
Only two came back on the finishing end of the trail with the majority of hounds returning to the slip.
The two that had managed to carry on were Millie’s Lad for George McGimpsey and Gillian and Millie Telford and Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s Zeta.
As they jumped the last wall they were neck-and-neck but on the run in it was Millie’s Lad who pushed on and crossed the line a couple of lengths in front of Zeta. Both hounds had done really well to get round the trail. Millie’s Lad had been 4/1 and will have a good chance next week at the Dog Produce.
The last race of the afternoon was the Open Restricted with the biggest field of 41 runners and it was wide open.
As the dogs past the trail field there was a long line and when they showed on the finish there it was still the same no single hound getting away.
David Clifford’s Eden Rayna was the lead hound and was making good ground as she jumped the last wall with a couple of lengths in hand. She went on to win easily at 7/2 from Tom, Ryan and Sarah Bell’s Ron.
In third place was the ever-consistent Thorn Pop, gaining more points to extend her lead in the Open Restricted points competition for Colin Satterthwaite.
In fourth place was Paul Airey and Joanne Hodgson’s Meadow Artisan, with Christine Brownlee’s Malia finishing in fifth. Tallulah for George Burgon and Carol Tunstall finished in sixth place.
On Bank Holiday Monday action moves back to the west coast with the third of the series of trails being held at Bridekirk with a five-race card – first trail getting underway at 1pm.
Then on Wednesday it’s back to the borders with the second of the Steel Rigg fixtures, starting at 6pm.
May 25 – Steel Rigg
- Hounds – 1. Rodney Raider; 2. Winterfell; 3. Maverick; 4.Thorn Gift; 5. Kirkhead Rebel; 6. Sportsman. 12 ran, time 29.39.
- Maidens – 1. Adele; 2. Miterdale Dusk; 3. Miterdale Honesty; 4. Miterdale Dust; 5. Hunter’s Flame; 6. Fire Lass. 18 ran, time 31.30.
- Pups – 1. Huntsman’s Time; 2. Ben; 3. Mini Million; 4. Baz; 5. Croft Lady; 6. Classmate. 12 ran time 22.23.
- Puppy Maidens – 1. Millies Lad; 2. Zeta. 22 ran, only two finished, time 26.17.
- Open Restricted 1 – Eden Rayna; 2. Ron; 3. Thorn Pop; 4. Meadow Artisan; 5. Malia; 6. Tallulah. 41 ran, time 20.02.
