The penultimate weekend of the season started with a five-race card at Steel Rigg.
Today’s action will be at Buttermere, leaving Seaton on Tuesday and the final meeting on Thursday at Millstone Moor.
At Steel Rigg the current leader of the championship and current joint runner-up – Solver Dream and Rodney Raider – were running for the Dearham kennel of Joseph Abram and Nicola McMaster.
The other joint runner-up Huntsman’s Rebel wasn’t competing, no doubt being readied for Buttermere today.
With a slip of nine the hounds were soon on their way. Hey Mac was leading at the first road crossing and once back on the finish there were four or five hounds still in with a chance as they negotiated the last wall some manging it better than others.
Hey Mac looked as though he just needed to keep coming to win the race easy but Eden Rayna for David Clifford had other ideas and having made a mistake at the wall came from third place to cross the line in first by half a length.
Poor Hey Mac, who looked as though he had done the majority of the work outside, had to settle for second for Neil and Gillian Brown, Joel and Derrick Bulman. Embrace ran a good race to finish in third place for Laura Steele, Andrew and Joel Bulman and Ian Rumney.
Rodney Raider after his win on Thursday night could only manage fourth place which may put him out of joint runner up place if Huntsman’s Rebel wins on Sunday. It would mean that he would only have two more chances at Seaton and Millstone moor to seal the runners up place so it is still possible.
Sportsman for Willie and Daphne Marks finished in fifth place with Ron for Tom and Ryan Bell was sixth.
The open pups were next with a slip of eight. Both Thornton and Minnie Million were running and throughout the season it has been great viewing to see both hounds competing against each other and producing some great finishes.
As they crossed the first road they were still all together but once back on the finish there was a group of four hounds out in front. As they approached the last wall some opted to take for the hole in the wall route while others chose to jump it.
Huntsman’s Trouble went through the wall and gained a few yards and finished well to win while Millie’s Lass had lost a few yards as she jumped the wall. But she came through from third to take second place as she was catching Huntsman’s Trouble fast but the line just came too early for her.
Come Fly With Me finished well in third place with Millie’s Lass’s kennelmate Millie’s Lad taking fourth place. There was a gap to fifth which was Thornton and Minnie Million for Joy and Brian Lister finished in sixth place.
The result more or less sealed the puppy championship for Huntsman’s Time and similar to the runners-up position in the senior championship it looks highly unlikely that we will end up having joint title winners in the puppy championship.
With all that said it has been a great championship race in both the seniors and the pups, the senior’s especially with very little between the top five hounds.
Next into action were the open maidens with a slip of 11. It was an open race with all 11 still together as they came on the finish.
Once through the wall it looked like Malcolm Holmes’ Senorita was going to fly in but she went wide and let George Burgeon and Carol Logan’s Overwater Hunter cross the line in first place.
Senorita ended up in second place with the ever-reliable Eden Romina claiming third place for David Clifford. Marti Borthwick and Co’s Castle Callant finished in fourth place with David’s other hound Eden Rosanna in fifth. Christine Brownlee’s Maeve finished in sixth.
The open restricted were next with eight runners and as they came on the finish they were well strung out with Summer Spirit for Willie and Daphne Mark leading.
Summer Spirit crossed the line and won easily from Ian Fleet and Jayne Petersen’s High Crag while in third it was Malia for Christine Brownlee ahead of Bretton for Julie Birkenshaw.
Eleanor’s Lass finished well and came from sixth place to take fifth leaving Mr Finnegan for Sandra Mordue to take the final ticket.
Both the open maiden and open restricted points competitions are sealed with David Clifford’s Eden Romina taking the open maiden competition for the second year running and Christine Brownlee winning the open restricted points competition with her hound Malia.
Both have put up great consistent performances over the season and both deserve the titles so well done to all connections.
The last race of the day was for the veterans. With the competition still very close it is likely that it will not be decided until the last race of the season on Thursday at Millstone Moor.
Both Miterdale Duchess and Adele were running and they have battled it out over the season with Miterdale Duchess having won nine and Adele having won ten races across the season.
Prior to the race there was only four points separating the two as they showed in the distance and it was Adele who had established a significant lead over the other hounds and finished well to win the race easily.
It was a little time before the second hound came in and it was Miterdale Duchess for Denis Pear and Jackie Gill. Bob, for the Irving’s, finished in third place with Fire Lass in fourth for the Telfords.
Eagle Star finished in fifth place for Linda Neale and the Brydens with the Telford’s also taking the last ticket of the day with Fire Belle.
Now with only three points separate the two at the top of the veteran points competition and it will be down to the last trail of the 2024 season to decide who wins and who is runner up. Again both hounds have had a great season and have ran consistently through out.
October 26 – Steel Rigg
- Hounds – 1. Eden Rayna; 2. Hey Mac; 3. Embrace; 4. Rodney Raider; 5. Sportsman; 6. Ron. 9 ran, time 29.01.
- Pups – 1. Huntsman’s Trouble; 2. Millie’s Lass; 3. Come Fly With Me; 4. Millie’s Lad; 5. Thornton; 6. Minnie Million. 8 ran, time 20.56.
- Open Maidens – 1. Overwater Hunter; 2. Senorita; 3. Eden Romina; 4. Castle Callant; 5. Eden Rosanna; 6. Maeve. 11 Ran. time 20.42.
- Open Restricted – 1. Summer Spirit; 2. High Crag; 3. Malia; 4. Bretton; 5. Eleanor’s Lass; 6. Mr Finnegan, 8 ran, time 20.50.
- Veterans – 1. Adele; 2. Miterdale Duchess; 3. Bob 4. Fire Lass; 5. Eagle Star; 6. Fire Belle. 6 ran, time 20.41.
