Thursday night saw the second trail at Dearham take place and with little change in the top hounds over the last week or so a local kennel looked to make progress.
The Dearham kennel of Joseph Abram and Nicola McMaster would have a good opportunity to extend their lead with Silver Dream in particular a course specialist.
There was only a small field of senior hounds with a slip of nine and Silver Dream was the odds on favourite with Silver Streak being second favourite as both were on home ground.
Reports were coming in from the road crossings that it was a good race between those two hounds with Busy Again and Audacity also running well and still in contention.
When the hounds showed on the finish it was Silver Streak who had established a nice lead and she came in to win her 13th win of the season. She is now two clear of Huntsman’s Rebel and her brother Rodney Raider who seems to have struggled to come back from an injury a few months ago.
Croft Lass for Stanley and Carol Jackson was the next hound to finish and she had ran a really good race and put in a strong finish. In third place was Busy Again for Alan Blacklock and daughter Carol.
In fourth place was the Dearham kennel’s Silver Streak followed home by Lisa and Holly Whitfield’s Audacity who had also ran a good race. The last ticket went to Miterdale Duchess for Denis Pear and Jackie Gill.
Fortunes in the senior championship could change again over the weekend as the trails move to Dubbs Lane which provides a soft, fell-type of running which might be more suited to Huntsman’s Rebel.
With two other trails planned for Dubbs Lane it could either mend or end her challenge for the senior title depending on how she runs there. Silver Dream has the upper hand for now and there are a number of venues that will suit her running style over the last few weeks of the season.
The open pups were next with a slip of 12 hounds. Minnie Million was the favourite after her recent performances but the reports were coming in from outside that it was Thornton and Huntsman’s Trouble who were leading the race.
As they showed on the finish it was Minnie Million and Thornton who were neck and neck. Million Million looked as though she was going to come through as she has done in other races and win but Thornton came back and pushed on and crossed the line in first place.
He looked to be back to his old self with an impressive finish, the sort that has been missing over the last couple of months.
Thorn Soul wasn’t too far behind in third place for the Burrows family and Sarah Jackson with Millie’s Lass for George McGimpsey and Gillian and Millie Telford in fourth place.
Huntsman’s Trouble for Denise Bland and Co had dropped back to fifth place, losing a few places from when she crossed the road ahead of Baroness Ava for James and Ava McClelland.
The win for Thornton moves him one step closer to Huntsman’s Time in the race for the puppy championship and is now only four points behind her.
The last race of the night was the open maiden race with another slip of 12 hounds. Paddy The Plasterer was the favourite with Lucky Moon second favourite.
As they crossed the first road they were altogether but once on the finish it was Paddy The Plasterer and Imagine who were together. Imagine looked as though he was pulling away but just eased down as he came to the line to let Paddy The Plasterer grab the win for Tanya Satterthwaite.
Brian and Joy were having a case of seconditis by following up their second place with Minnie Million with another second place with Imagine.
In third place was Eden Romina who is now on 104 points in the open maiden championship which is some achievement. Tanya’s other hound Samcro finished in fourth place with the second favourite hound Lucky Moon finishing in fifth place for the trio of Geoff Higgins, Tony Jackson and Ian Rudd. Donna and Shaun Hetherington’s Flecky Jack was sixth.
All eyes on Saturday will be on the October Premier Trails at Dubbs Lane just outside Windermere. With a six-race card, £160 prize money and trophies and rosettes for ticketing hounds the weather looks as though it is going to be favourable so it has the makings of a good day’s sport.
October 3 – Dearham
- Hounds – 1. Silver Dream; 2. Croft Lass; 3, Busy Again; 4. Silver Streak; 5. Audacity; 6. Miterdale Duchess. 9 ran, time 28.54.
- Pups – 1. Thornton; 2. Minnie Million; 3. Thorn Soul; 4. Millie’s Lass; 5. Huntsman’s Trouble; 6. Baroness Ava. 12 ran, time 16.06.
- Open Maiden – 1. Paddy The Plasterer; 2. Imagine; 3. Eden Romina; 4. Samcro; 5. Lucky Moon; 6. Flecky Jack. 12 ran, time 16.01.
