Sunday saw a return to Cleamire for the second trail this month and the weather was still more like the back end of the year.
Owners, dogs and punters had to brave the uncomfortable and cold conditions and to start with there was a smaller field of senior hounds with only eight running.
Huntsman’s Rebel was back out and was odds on favourite while reigning champion Winterfell was running again after a disappointing run on Thursday night.
As they came back onto the finish there were two hounds with a slight lead followed by the remaining hounds who were strung out by this time.
The two leading hounds were Denise and Jenny Bland, Jim and Alan Little and Graeme Little’s Huntsman’s Rebel and Joseph Abram’s Maverick.
They were neck and neck as they came towards the line but Maverick just got up by half a length for the win, second senior success of the season.
Silver Streak and Dream Catcher were the next two hounds to finish with Silver Streak just getting up for Darren McMaster, Anthony Skelton, Sadie Wilson and Phil Graham with Dream Catcher for Cathy Lister in fourth place.
Denton Shamrock finished well in fifth for Sandra Mordue and Lee Wall with the Bell family’s Ron claiming the last ticket.
Winterfell finished outside the tickets again so is obviously still not back to his old form, particularly as he’s run well at Cleamire previous to this season.
The open pups were next to slip with Denise and her team hoping to have better luck with Huntsman’s Time, the table leader who was odds on favourite.
As the hounds showed, as with the senior hounds, two appeared to have a slight lead from the others in the chasing group.
They were Huntsman’s Time and kennel mate Huntsman’s Trouble. As they raced each other to see who could stay on the trod coming in Huntsman’s Trouble got to the front and ended up crossing the line in first place with the smaller Huntsman’s Time having to drop back and make do with second place.
It had turned into a case of seconditis for Denise and her top two hounds, although they would have been pleased with Huntsman’s Trouble’s first win of the season, having been the bridesmaid as opposed to the bride on a number of occasions when racing against Huntsman’s Time.
The Windermere and Yorkshire collaboration of Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough and the Bell family picked up the next three tickets with Lassie claiming third, Snowfell taking fourth and Ben in fifth. Thorn Heart for Colin Satterthwaite claimed the final ticket.
The open non-winners were next to run and as usual in this type of race it was anyone’s guess who might come through and win.
As they came back into view there was one hound with a good lead, followed by the majority of the other hounds who were bunched up.
As the leader approached the finishing line it was Delta Scribble for Sarah Harper who went on to win. She had taken sixth ticket on Thursday night in the open pups and the drop down in grade obviously suited her as she finished well clear of any competition.
The chasing bunch was headed up by Jenny Horn’s Spring Remedy who claimed second place followed closely by Thorn Star for Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrows.
Off-Spring for Stuart and Jacob Jeynes was only half a length behind and he finished in fourth place followed again closely by Senorita for Malcome Holmes. Minecraft for Andy, Arron and Alan Horn finished in sixth.
The second ticket for Spring Remedy took her to the top of the Open Non-Winners competition.
The weather wasn’t letting up any when the open maidens slipped and Adele was the odds-on favourite following her recent winning performances.
However, as they showed on the finish there were four hounds together and as they raced towards the finish Huntsman’s Quirk came away from the other three and crossed the line with a couple of yards to spare.
Adele stayed on well to take second place for Sarah Bell with Ashley Horn and Sarah White’s Flightline taking the third ticket.
Imagine for Brain and Joy Lister claimed fourth ticket with Miss Stanhope running a good race to claim fifth for Glenis and Raymond Farren with Hawkswood taking the last ticket for Denis Pear and Jackie Gill.
The last race of the afternoon was the All-In race and it was a tight finish between four hounds but it was the Hill family’s Huntsman’s Sparkle who was given first ticket ahead of Annabelle Connolly’s Border Reign; Christine Brownlee’s Malia and the Mellen’s Cracking Last One Two.
June 16 – Cleamire
- Hounds – 1. Maverick; 2. Huntsman’s Rebel; 3. Silver Streak; 4. Dream Catcher; 5. Denton Shamrock; 6. Ron. 8 ran, time 27.25.
- Pups – 1. Huntsman’s Trouble; 2. Huntsman’s Time; 3. Lassie; 4. Snowfell; 5. Ben; 6. Thorn Heart. 11 ran, time 16.57.
- Open Non-Winners – 1. Delta Scribble; 2. Spring Remedy; 3. Thorn Star; 4. Offspring; 5. Senorita; 6. Minecraft. 18 ran, time 18.55.
- Open Maidens – 1. Huntsman’s Quirk; 2. Adele; 3. Flightline; 4. Imagine; 5. Miss Stanhope; 6. Hawkswood. 17 ran, time 16.37.
- All-In – 1. Huntsman’s Sparkle; 2. Border Reign; 3. Malia; 4. Cracking Last One Two; 5. Light Up; 6. Eleanor’s Lass. 14 ran, time 16.58.
