Saturday’s annual International meeting at Spadeadam was blessed by fine weather and a good crowd to enjoy watching the HTA’s top hounds and welcome some visiting hounds from Ireland.
The senior hounds got things underway with a slip of 14 and competition was stiff with all the current top hounds running – Rodney Raider, Silver Dream, Huntsman’s Rebel, Embrace, Mel, Glamorous Ava and Busy Again.
Rodney Raider was the odds-on favourite with the bookies, not having ran publicly for the last week or so raising speculation among the punters that he may have been nursing an injury.
Embrace was 5/4 with Huntsman’s Rebel sitting at a good price of 6/1 early on, but as reports came in from outside these odds shortened.
At the half-way mark it was reported that Huntsman’s Rebel had a slight lead but there was four hounds in the chasing pack and when they showed on the finish there were five hounds together.
If Huntsman’s Rebel had established a lead the chasing quartet had pulled this back.
As they approached the line it was a cracking race between the first five – Rodney raider, Embrace, a surprise in Silver Streak, Maverick and Huntsman’s Rebel.
With only a couple of lengths between the first five it was a tight affair as they crossed the line and the judge had to check the camera closely to identify the finishing order.
The race was given to Rodney Raider as he just made one last stride to the line and managed to pull clear by half a length to kennel mate Silver Streak. making it a one two for the Dearham kennel of Joe Abram and Nicola McMaster.
Laura Steele, Andrew and Joel Bulman and Ian Rumney’s Embrace stuck in and claimed third place with the Dearham team also claiming fourth place with Maverick.
Denise and Jenny Bland and Greame Little’s Huntsman’s Rebel had to settle for fifth having led them over the last road.
There was a gap to the sixth hound which was Alan Blacklock’s Busy Again and the final ticket of the race went to Carol and Stanley Jackson’s Croft Lass in seventh.
Sweet Dreams, who used to run in the HTA but has since moved across to Ireland to race competed in the trail and was given a special prize for doing so.
The senior maidens were next with a much bigger slip of 30 and the betting was fairly open with the local hound Inspect owned by the Lindasy sisters made favourite at 5/2.
As they showed on the run-in those who had placed a bet on him were not disappointed as he showed with a few lengths lead and continued to finish well and crossed the line in first place.
Not too far behind, and also finishing well, was Dundee for Derek and Joel Bulman and Neil and Gillian Brown and it was pretty close for the next few tickets.
Willie and Daphne Mark’s Summer Spirit finished in third place with Sophie Steele’s Miterdale Dusk claiming fourth. The Napier and Butler’s Foxparke Whoosh got fifth. Close behind was Flightline for Ashley Horn and Sarah White with the Foxparke team scoring again with the seventh ticket for Foxparke Dealer.
The open puppy race was next to get under way with a slip of 14 when the two top youngsters were matched against each other.
Over recent weeks the two leading pups haven’t competed against each other with Huntsman’s Time having less running while her rival Thornton has continued to run and notch up a number of wins closing the gap at the top to four.
As they showed on the finish it was the little bitch Huntsman’s Time who came with a lead but the chasing hounds were closing the gap led by Thornton. Despite being hard on her heels he just couldn’t make up the gap before the line came.
Huntsman’s Time had been 5/4 with the runner-up Thornton going off at 4/5 favourite.
Minnie Million finished well to retain third place for Joy and Brian Lister while Snowfell was fourth for Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough. Blue Striker stayed on well to get fifth for Erin and Brian Rowlandson.
Huntsman’s Trouble for Denise and Jenny Bland, Graeme Little and Lisa Crosby finished in sixth with Sonny Bill getting up to take seventh ticket for Laura Steele, Andrew Bulman and Billy Birkett.
The puppy maiden race was next to slip with 34 sent on their way and as with any trail in this grade the betting was fairly open.
As they came onto the finish there were plenty of hounds together and as they crossed the line it was a bit of a blanket finish with the judge having to refer to the camera to split the first five hounds.
The verdict was given to the Napier and Butler team with their hound Foxpark Elliot’s Lad. The kennel were highly delighted and quite emotional about their win.
Alan Blacklock’s Busy Lad was given second after looking as though he had won the race but the lay of the land on the finish just took him down a little which allowed Foxparke Elliot’s Lad to get up in first place.
Millie’s Lad for George McGimpsey and daughter and grand daughter Gillian and Millie Telford finished in third place. Baroness Ava claimed fourth for James and Ava McClelland, with Senorita getting fifth place for Malcolm Holmes.
Sixth ticket went to Millie’s Lass for George and Gillian and the last ticket went to Malcolm Holmes’ other hound Senor.
The Open Restricted race was next with the biggest slip of day with 44 and as with the other races there were plenty of hounds when they showed on the finish.
It was Sarah Jane who was leading the hounds but as they came up the hill the hounds were bearing right which took them behind the judge and although the judge and catchers moved back in an attempt to get the hounds to cross in front of them the line came too soon.
The judge had to make a decision and judged the hounds that crossed the line and had to leave out the ones which went behind.
Sarah Jane, along with a couple of other hounds, were not judged and the race was given to Eagle Girl for Linda, Neale, Mark, Josh and Georgia Bryden who crossed the line in front of the judge.
Close behind her were Foxparke Fair Lady and Foxparke Honk Honk who took second and third place.
Cautious for Isla Hetherington and Stephen Riley finished in fourth place with Eden Rayna given fifth for David Clifford. The Bell’s Ron claimed sixth ticket with the last of the seven going to Malcolm Holmes with Sir Robert.
The last race of the day was the veteran race with an excellent slip of 26 runners.
Adele and Miterdale Duchess were the odds on joint favourites with the bookies but when they showed on the finish it was Jonty and Evie Moore’s and Jack Thompson’s Crazy who was heading up the race.
As they approached the line she just hung on for the win from a fast finishing Adele for the Bell family.
Reebok was a couple of lengths behind for Brian Graham and Eleanor Chisholm with last year’s international senior winner Miterdale Duchess taking fourth place for Denis Pear and Jackie Gill.
Splendid Mickey for the Hetherington’s took fifth ticket with Zola finishing in sixth for Stephen Irving. Delta Script finished in seventh place for Sarah Harper and family.
The win for Crazy comes after her win in the senior trail back in 2019 at the same venue, and at eight years of age it really is good going for the little bitch who was senior champion in 2019.
- Monday night sees the first of three fixtures at Latrigg Top with the first trail getting underway at 6pm.
June 22 – International Spadeadam
- Hounds – 1. Rodney Raider; 2. Silver Streak; 3. Embrace; 4. Maverick; 5. Huntsman’s Rebel; 6. Busy Again; 7. Croft Lass. 14 ran, time 28.05.
- Maidens – 1. Inspect; 2. Dundee; 3. Summer Spirit; 4. Miterdale Dusk; 5. Foxparke Whoosh; 6. Flightline; 7. Foxparke Dealer. 30 ran, time 28.22.
- Pups – 1. Huntsman’s Time; 2. Thornton; 3. Minnie Million; 4. Snowfell; 5. Blue Striker; 6. Huntsman’s Trouble; 7. Sonny Bill. 14 ran, time 22.20.
- Puppy Maiden – 1. Foxparke Elliot’s Lad; 2. Busy Lad; 3. Millie’s Lad; 4. Baroness Ava; 5. Senorita; 6. Millie’s Lass; 7. Senor. 34 ran, time 23.21.
- Open Restricted – 1. Eagle Girl; 2. Foxparke Fair Lady; 3. Foxparke Honk Honk; 4. Cautious; 5. Eden Rayna; 6. Ron; 7. Sir Robert. 44 ran, time 20.56.
- Veterans – 1. Crazy; 2. Adele; 3. Reebok; 4. Miterdale Duchess; 5. Splendid Mickey; 6. Zola; 7. Delta Script. 26 ran, time 22.00.
