With only two weeks left to run in the 2024 season things are starting to hot up in the major championships.
Top of the senior table is Silver Dream for Julie and Darren McMaster and as of Saturday, Silver Dream was three points clear of her nearest rival Huntsman’s Rebel owned by Denise and Jenny Bland as well as Jim and Alan Little.
The two contenders prefer different types of running with Silver Dream favouring fields and dykes and Huntsman’s Rebel enjoying the fells.
With nine trails left. including Saturday, the split seemed to be three fell trails, four fields and dykes and two trails on open moorland where potentially both hounds could run well.
On the whole it seems the odds will be against Huntsman’s Rebel making up the deficit to overhaul Silver Dream.
However both hounds have run really well throughout the season and both parties should be pleased with how their hounds have performed.
Silver Dream was the odds on favourite yesterday at Millstone Moor while Huntsman’s Rebel was held back either for Dubbs Lane today or Buttermere on Monday.
The main competition for Silver Dream would come from Lady Million who seems to be back to her old self, or Embrace who has also returned to form over the last few weeks.
As they showed in the bottoms and before climbing up the long finish there were two hounds with a slight lead Silver Dream and Busy Again for Alan Blacklock and daughter Carol.
And It was neck and neck as they raced each other up the finish with both hounds known for their fast finish it was a right old battle.
In the end it was Busy Again who stuck in and came clear by a yard to win from Silver Dream in second place.
The win for Busy Again was unexpected in the bookies ring as she had been 8/1 with Silver Dream 2/1 on.
It was close for third with Foxparke Fair Lady just getting up for Robyn, Ellie and Grace Napier with Lady Million getting fourth for Joy and Brian Lister.
Embrace finished well to take fifth place for Laura Steele, Andrew and Joel Bulman and Ian Rumney with Sportsman claiming sixth ticket.
The unexpected win for Busy Again denied another one for Silver Dream, which if she had managed it, would perhaps have sealed the championship for her. It leaves a glimmer of hope for Denise’s hound Huntsman’s Rebel.
Next to slip were the senior maidens. with ten runners and it was Isla Hetherington and Stephen Riley’s Ruby who was the favourite.
Ruby currently leads the Senior Maiden points competition from Miterdale Dusk.
As the hounds showed in the bottom there were five who had broken clear and as they climbed up the hill two of them extended their lead.
It was Eden Romina and Ruby who were neck and neck for a while but Ruby just seemed to veer slightly which let Eden Romina win by a couple of yards for David Clifford.
She has performed outstandingly really throughout the season showing that she can run both short and long trails and suddenly in the last few weeks has decided she likes winning instead of just making up the ticketing numbers.
Ruby, with her second place, extends her lead in the senior maiden competition and like Eden Romina in the Open maiden points competition probably has this title sewn up with no other hound likely to catch her now.
Next to slip were the open pups with just eight but most of the top hounds so it was expected to be a competitive race.
Thornton needs to win every race he can now to catch and overtake long standing table leader huntsman’s Time.
Prior to the race he was still three points adrift. Similar to the senior title opportunities for both dogs to extend or catch the other are running out.
As the hounds headed down Redmain finish to Bridekirk it was Huntsman’s Time, Thornton and Huntsman’s Trouble.
Once back on the long run-in it was a good race as they cleared the last gate in the bottom. Three or four hounds were in with a chance and it would be whoever finished the better up the long climb.
At the half-way point Thornton and Minnie Million had broken clear and were racing each other hard.
Both have an equally good finish and it has been nip and tuck between the two hounds when they have been on the finish together.
But this time it was Thornton who pushed on and crossed the line with half a yard to spare for Darren McMaster, Anthony Skelton and Sadie Wilson.
He had been 5/4 on in the bookies ring with Minnie Million at 2/1.Joy and Brian were pleased with their little hound who has had a great season. In third place was the Burrow’s families Thorn Soul with Denise and Co’s team Huntsman’s Trouble and Huntsman’s Time finishing in fourth and fifth place.
It was close for sixth place with Millie’s Lass stopping dead just before the line to allow Lucky Legend to claim the last ticket for Lisa and Holly Whitfield.
The win for Thornton closes the gap to two points so it is still all to play for with Thornton seemingly coming back into form having won three races over the last few weeks.
The last race of the day was the puppy maiden race with the points competition being headed by Foxparke Elliot’s Lad with his nearest rival being Miterdale Rumble.
Both hounds were running so it had the makings of an interesting race.
Foxparke Elliot’s Lad isn’t the best of finishers so he would have to have his wits about him and would have a strong message ringing in his ears from owners Ellie and Grace to stick in and concentrate on his finish.
As the hounds went away towards Redmain it was Foxparke Elliot’s Lad who was showing what he was made of and was leading the race as they went down towards Bridekirk.
Once back on the trail and heading towards Millstone Moor he was still heading the race but had company from Jenny Horn’s runners with both her hounds not far behind.
As they came onto the finish and up the hill Foxparke Elliot’s Lad was concentrating hard and at one point looked as though he was going to give up but he pushed on and kept coming and just got to the line before Jenny Horn’s Spring Return who was then followed by Spring Rhyme.
Eden Rosanna for David Clifford finished fourth with We Get By for Sarah White, a sibling to Spring Return and Spring Rhyme with all three out of Spring Rascal and General James.
Debbie and Lana McGee took sixth place with Apache Brave.
The win for Robyn, Ellie and Grace with Foxparke Elliot’s Lad, who had been 2/1 in the bookies ring, now takes him seven points clear in the puppy maiden competition but there are another three races to go before the end of the season.
With the weather set to be bad today there may be low numbers at Dubbs Lane then action moves back to Buttermere on Monday for a three-race meeting. So a busy couple of days.
October 19 – Millstone Moor
- Hounds – 1. Busy Again; 2. Silver Dream; 3. Foxparke Fair Lady; 4. Lady Million; 5. Embrace; 6. Sportsman. 11 ran, time 26.13.
- Maidens – 1. Eden Romina; 2. Ruby; 3. Foxparke Majesty; 4. Samcro; 5. Imagine; 6. Audacity. 10 ran, time 27.01.
- Pups – 1. Thornton; 2. Minnie Million; 3. Thorn Soul; 4. Huntsman’s Trouble; 5. Huntsman’s Time; 6. Lucky Legend. 8 ran, time 16.50.
- Puppy Maiden – 1. Foxparke Elliot’s Lad; 2. Spring Return; 3. Spring Rhyme; 4. Eden Rosanna; 5. We Get By; 6. Apache Brave. 13 ran, time 17.39.
