Saturday’s annual Cockermouth Show trails were held at Millstone Moor on a pleasant afternoon with great views over the fells in the distance.
There was a good turnout of hounds for each trail with a five race meeting taking place and the seniors were the first to slip with 15 runners.
Silver Dream was favourite at 7/2 with kennel mate Silver Streak second favourite at 2/1 while Lady Million and Mel were both at 4/1.
Once slipped everyone waited for the hounds to show heading down to Bridekirk, and once in sight the majority of the punters were favouring Silver Dream and Silver Streak to be the hounds leading them away, although with the hounds running away from those watching its always difficult to make the hounds out.
Once round the Bridekirk-end of the trail the hounds head back up towards Redmain and then on up the hill to Millstone Moor. It’s a tough old climb up from the bottoms but as they came through the gate at the bottom it was Lady Million and Silver Dream who were heading up the race and it was a good battle up the hill.
Lady Million looked as though she was going to get the better of her rival but as she does, Silver Dream just found that little bit extra and as they came to the line she pulled away by a couple of lengths to win for Darren and Julie McMaster.
Brian and Joy Lister had to make do with second place but they were pleased with how the little bitch had ran and she is definitely coming back into form after being off for a while.
Silver Streak, also for the winning Dearham kennel, finished well in third place with Huntsman’s Rebel for Denise Bland and Co taking fourth place. Isla Hetherington and Stephen Riley’s Cautious finished in fifth place, with the Foxparke team taking sixth with Foxparke Fair Lady.
Next into action were the senior maidens with a similar slip of 16 hounds and there was a strong contingency of the Miterdale runners as well as the Foxparkes so it would be a battle between the two kennel to see who could take the most tickets.
As they showed running out towards Bridekirk the majority of the hounds were altogether but once back on the climb up towards Millstone Moor it was the Miterdale kennel who looked to have the win in the bag as Miterdale Dusk had a few yards on the second and third hounds.
In the end Miterdale Dusk won easily for Sophie Steele and Co with Foxparke Mysteriously taking the second ticket for Robyn, Ellie, Grace Napier and Brooke Butler.
Paul Airey and Joanne Hodgson’s Meadow Maggie was a close third with a gap to the fourth hound which was Miterdale Dust followed by kennel mate Miterdale Honesty for Sophie and her team. The Foxparke team bagged sixth ticket with Foxparke Dealer.
With that win Miterdale Dusk extended his lead in the senior maiden points competition now four points clear of Isla Hetherington’s and Stephen Riley’s Ruby who unfortunately didn’t get a ticket on the day, although they had a runner.
The open pups were next with 15 runners and title challenger Thornton was the hot favourite but as they headed down towards Bridekirk it was bad to tell which hound was in front.
Then when they showed in the bottoms it was Huntsman’s Time and James McClelland’s two hounds that were with her, with Huntsman’s Trouble a few yards behind.
However, as they came through the bottom gate and up the hill it looked like Countess Ava was going to win until Huntsman’s Trouble came from fourth place to cruise past the other three hounds and grab the win for Denise and Jenny Bland, and Graeme Little.
Countess Ava had to settle for second place with Huntsman’s Time staying on well to claim third place also for Denise and Co with James’ other hound Baroness Ava taking fourth place.
Sonny Bill was a couple of yard off the pace but finished well in fifth place for Laura Steele, Andrew Bulman and Billy Birkett, with Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Heart taking sixth ticket. The favourite Thornton was unplaced, along with Thorn Soul.
The puppy maiden race was next with eleven runners and the Miterdale kennel was represented by Miterdale Ruler and Miterdale Rumble looking for a double.
Zeta, who has been knocking on the door with three seconds in various races, was a likely rival to the Miterdale duo in what looked an interesting race and she was actually sent -off the even money favourite.
As they went down towards Bridekirk punters were struggling to make the hounds out as they were running away from them but once on the long climb up it was easier to tell who was in front.
There were a number of hounds still running closely together but as they climbed up and came through the last gate it was Zeta for Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham who was in front and she held on to win with a couple of yards to spare from Sophie Steele’s Miterdale Rumble in second place.
Alan Blacklock’s Busy Lad finished well in third place with Sophie’s other hound Miterdale Ruler in fourt. Huntsman’s Trust, who is on holiday from Denise’s and is now with Ruth and Daniel Graham, claimed fifth with Jenny Horn’s Spring Return taking the sixth ticket.
Last, but certainly not least, were the veteran hounds with a slip of 14 and Adele was the hot favourite, with Zola and Miterdale Duchess not too far behind in the betting.
As they climbed up Adele had a nice lead and maintained that advantage all the way round to cross the line in first and win easily for Sarah Bell. The little hound is certainly on form at the moment notching up her second win in as many days.
Kinniside Dan for Tony Jackson and Ian Rudd was second with Stephen Irving’s other hound Zola finishing in third place.
Hunter’s Flame ran a great race to finish in fourth place having just come back from a lengthy period of time off. In fifth place was Denise Pear and Jackie Gill’s Miterdale Duchess with the last ticket of the day going to Foxparke Mo Farren for the Napier and Butler kennel.
July 3 – Millstone Moor
- Hounds – 1. Silver Dream; 2. Lady Million; 3. Silver Streak; 4. Huntsman’s Rebel; 5. Cautious; 6. Foxparke Fair Lady. 15 ran, time 26.58.
- Maidens – 1. Miterdale Dusk; 2. Foxparke Mysteriously; 3. Meadow Maggie; 4. Miterdale Dust; 5. Miterdale Honesty; 6. Foxparke Dealer. 16 ran, time 27.34.
- Pups – 1. Huntsman’s Trouble; 2. Countess Ava; 3. Huntsman’s Time; 4. Baroness Ava; 5. Sonny Bill; 6. Thorn Heart. 15 ran, time 18.16.
- Puppy Maidens – 1. Zeta; 2. Miterdale Rumble; 3. Busy Lad; 4. Miterdale Ruler; 5. Huntsman’s Trust; 6. Spring Return. 11 ran, time 19.34.
- Veterans – 1. Adele; 2. Kinniside Dan; 3. Zola; 4. Hunter’s Flame; 5. Miterdale Duchess; 6. Foxparke Mo Farren. 14 ran, time 17.47.
