Thursday saw the penultimate trails at Millstone Moor for 2024 with the next one taking place on the very last day of the season.
This as has been the case for the last 30 to 40 years with the long up-hill finish often deciding who wins the championship titles.
With the season drawing in a close and many hound owners having laid off their hounds for the year the number of runners was low.
Only those who are in with a chance of winning major competitions or the die-hards were out competing.
The senior trail had only five runners with Silver Dream the odds-on favourite, looking to extend her lead in the championship and secure the coveted title for 2024.
Following her defeat at the weekend over the same course she was up against Busy Again who pipped her on Saturday.
Once slipped the hounds run down Wardhall and then back up into sight as they travel down towards Bridekirk.
Through the binoculars the punters confirmed that Silver Dream had established a good 50 to 60 yards lead on Busy Again who was in second place.
However, the hounds navigated round Bridekirk and headed back towards Millstone Moor and as they cleared the last gate it was Silver Dream and Busy Again who were head-to-head.
Busy Again had made up ground on Silver Dream but as they headed up the hill to the finishing line the pair had to negotiate their way through a good number of sheep.
About 50 yards from the tape, with Silver Dream and Busy Again still neck and neck, one of the sheep caused Busy Again to check her stride which appeared to leave Silver Dream clear to finish uninterrupted.
She won by a couple of lengths from Busy Again and this takes her to three points clear again of rivals Rodney Raider and Huntsman’s Rebel, now both on twelve points.
It is very unlikely now that either will be able to catcher her with just a week left in the season.
Silver Dream has won the majority of her trails round the Wardhall, Redmain and Millstone Moor terrain with a total of nine wins round them and an additional three wins on home ground at Dearham.
She has also notched up a win at Kirkland Leaps, Shap and also won the senior hounds at the Bitch Produce trails at Sewing Shields. Sportsman for Willie and Daphne Marks had a great race with Cracking last One Two for Bill and Pat Mellon and Robert and Tina Airey.
Both ran on well and were neck and neck up the finish with Sportsman just beating Cracking Last One Two on the line. Lily for Barbara and Geoff Jones finished in fifth place not too far behind.
The open pups were next with the battle between Thornton and Minnie Million. Over the last few months they have battled it out on the finish with Thornton perhaps getting the upper hand on average, but both hounds can finish really well.
Once slipped and heading down to Bridekirk the majority of the hounds were together but once on the uphill climb it was Thornton for Darren McMaster, Anthony Skelton and Sadie Wilson and Minnie Million for Joy and Brian Lister who were at it again with them both being neck and neck ten yards off the tape.
In the end it was Thornton who just came through for the win.
Huntsman’s Trouble for Denise Bland and co finished well in third place, just beating Thorn Soul for Martin Burrow’s and family.
Spring Rhyme, for Ashley Horn and Sarah White, finished in fifth place with Lisa Whitfield’s Lucky Legend just pipping kennel mate Lucky Breeze into sixth place.
The win for Thornton, who seems to have come back onto a winning streak, takes him back to three points behind Huntsman’s Time, and as with the senior hound championship the gap may be too big for him to make up the leeway.
The last race of the day was for the Open Restricted with a slip of 10 runners.
As with the pups, when the hounds were heading down towards Bridekirk, they were more or less altogether.
Once back on the finish it was Foxparke Fair Lady for Robyn, Ellie and Grace Napier and Brooke Butler who came away from Malia as she came up the hill to take first place.
Malia, for Christine Brownlee, finished in second place with it being very close for third between Summer Spirit, High Crag and Imagine.
Imagine should have finished third but slowed right down as they approached the line to let Summer Spirit come through to claim third place with High Crag getting fourth place and Imagine having to settle for fifth.
Foxpakre Sassy Girl finished really well to get sixth place.
The second place for Malia sealed her win of the Open Restricted points competition with Foxparke Side Kick in the runners-up position.
With the situation being close in both the senior and puppy championship all eyes will move to the weekend with action at Steel Rigg north of Carlisle and Buttermere Show on Sunday.
Bothe the Dearham camp of Joseph Abram and Nicola McMaster and the Bland camp will be out with their hounds to either, extend their lead or catch the current leaders, with their respective hounds.
It’s just about still open with expectations of how the hounds might perform at each of the venues keeping interest around the betting ring.
October 24 – Millstone Moor
- Hounds – 1. Silver Dream; 2. Busy Again; 3. Sportsman; 4. Cracking Last One Two; 5. Lily. 5 ran, time 26.25.
- Pups – 1. Thornton; 2. Minnie Million; 3. Huntsman’s Trouble; 4. Thorn Soul; 5. Spring Rhyme; 6. Lucky Legend. 7 ran, time 16.42.
- Open Restricted – 1. Foxparke Fair Lady; 2. Malia; 3. Summer Spirit; 4. High Crag; 5. Imagine; 6. Foxparke Sassy Girl. 10 ran, time 17.01.
