Saturday got the busy Bank Holiday weekend off to a good start with a four-race card at Shap.
The weather had finally dried up and although the ground conditions were still fairly wet the sun had come out making it a much more pleasant afternoon.
The seniors slipped first with nine runners and Silver Dream was the favourite, with connections looking for the win to move one point clear of kennel mate and sibling Rodney Raider.
Last year’s puppy champion has been the long-time Championship leader from early-on in the season until injury intervened.
As the hounds came back into view the majority of the nine were on the finish together but it was Silver Dream who was just in front from Border Reign.
Just before the line there was some standing water and Silver Dream jumped this awkwardly which just knocked her out of her stride.
Border Reign cleared the water better and came through to win by a short head for Annabelle Connolly but Silver Dream was considered unlucky not to have won.
Sportsman finished in third place for Willie and Daphne Marks with Chapel Stile claiming fourth for Ian Fleet and Jayne Pettersen.
Croft Lass ticketed again in fifth place for Carol and Stanley Jackson with Thursday night’s winner Eden Rayna for David Clifford getting sixth.
Next to run were the open pups with a slip of seven. Snowfell was favourite and as they came onto the finish he won easily for Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough, taking his winning tally to nine now just one point behind third in the table Countess Ava.
Second to finish was Malcolm Holme’s Senorita with the much improved Come Fly With Me in third place, his second ticket in a week for the Chisholm family.
Thorn Heart was fourth for Colin Satterthwaite with Millie’s Lad claiming the fifth ticket for George McGimpsey and Gillian and Millie Telford.
Meadow Lane was sixth for Paul Airey and Joanne Hodgson.
The Open Non-Winners were next with a better slip of 13. As with any open non-winner race it was anybody’s race and when they came onto the finish it was a really good battle with four hounds having established a slight lead.
Thorn Star for the Burrows was leading and crossed the line in first place, while the second hound Discover, for the Lindsay sisters, went to jump the standing water and tippled over and only finished fourth.
The second hound to finish was Spring Remedy for Jenny Horn with the third being claimed by Malcolm Holmes’ other hound Senor.
Mister Mally for George Burgon and Carol Logan finished fifth with little Off-Spring claiming the sixth ticket for Stuart and Jacob Jeynes.
The five points for Jenny’s Spring Remedy extends her lead in the open non-winners points competition and is now five points clear of Paddy The Plasterer.
Just to note that the first five hounds in the open non-winners were all out of the same litter – Sweet Harmony and Sir Robert – which were bred by Malcolm Holmes.
The last race of the day was the open restricted hounds. Again a slightly better slip of 12. As they came on the finish two hounds had established a clear lead and they raced each other neck and neck to the finish line with High Crag just getting the verdict for Ian Fleet and Jayne Pettersen from the Hill’s Milo Moon in second place. Both are siblings and were out of Donna’s Pride and JLS.
Dream Catcher for Brian and Joy Lister was third with Ashley Horn and Sarah White’s Flight Line in fourth place. Christopher Henderson and Frank Dockray’s Shine On and Light Up were fifth and sixth.
Trailing was being held today at Grasmere and Potters Park.
August 24 – Shap
- Hounds – 1. Border Reign; 2. Silver Dream; 3. Sportsman; 4. Chapel Stile; 5. Croft Lass; 6. Eden Rayna. 9 ran, time 32.22.
- Pups – 1. Snowfell; 2. Senorita; 3. Come Fly With Me; 4. Thorn Heart; 5. Millie’s Lad; 6. Meadow Lane. 7 ran, time 21.01.
- Open Non-Winners – 1. Thorn Star; 2. Spring Remedy; 3. Senor; 4. Discover; 5. Mr Mally; 6. Off-Spring. 13 ran, time 19.47.
- Open Restricted – 1. High Crag; 2. Milo Moon; 3. Dream Catcher; 4. Flightline; 5. Shine On; 6. Light Up. 12 ran, time 19.40.
