The first of the Low Place series took place on Saturday with 64 hounds running.
Twelve hounds lined up for the Seniors, with Cautious was sent off as the favourite at evens.
Once the hounds appeared on the back fell, three hounds had broke clear which were Cautious for Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington, Huntsman’s Rebel for Denise and Jenny Bland and Graham Little with Huntsman’s Quartz for Ian Donaldson.
Once onto the finish Cautious showed with a 50-yard lead ahead of Huntsman’s Quartz and another gap to Huntsman’s Rebel in third.
Huntsman’s Quartz dropped very well and caught Cautious up by the time they came onto the finish and won by 10 lengths, with Cautious in second and Huntsman’s Rebel in third.
There was a small gap to the fourth, fifth and sixth hounds, which were Denis Peare and Jackie Gill’s 2024 Veteran Champion Miterdale Duchess, Miterdale Dusk for Sophie Steele finished in fifth place with the final ticket going to two-year-old Zeta for Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham.
The next race was the Pups where 21 were slipped. Once the hounds were seen on the back fell it was Huntsman’s Unite for Denise and Jenny Bland and Graham Little who was leading the race from Nellie’s Joy for Jonty and Evie Moore and Jack Thompson with the favourite Foxparke Pip Pip in third for Team Foxparke and Donald Hodgson who was starting to climb well.
Once onto the finish Foxparke Pip Pip was in front but put herself out the race by putting a circle in with Nellie’s Joy and Miterdale Wow for Team Miterdale took the advantage and came in front but Maggie for Les and Graham Reid, Erin Rowlandson, Barbara Jones and Stephen Walker dropped well off the fell and into the finishing field and won by 3 lengths ahead of Miterdale Wow with Foxparke Pip Pip in 3rd, Nellie’s Joy finished in 4th place with Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s Zaya in 5th, the final ticket went to Huntsman’s Unite.
The first Open Maiden trail also took place with 14 runners. It was the favourite Splendid Lily for Donna, Shaun, Becky and Luke Hetherington who was leading the race from Offspring for Stuart, James and Jacob Jeynes, Maggie Moon in third for Carolyn, Derrick and Tracey Hill and the other favourite Ruby in fourth for Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington.
Once they came back into sight on the finish it was Maggie Moon who was leading the race ahead of Splendid Lily and Offspring and Ruby in fourth, but Ruby won by two lengths ahead of Splendid Lily, Offspring and Maggie Moon, finishing in fifth was Apache Brave for Lana, Debbie, Christine and Katie Mcgee, the final ticket went to Team Miterdale’s Miterdale Rumble.
The final trail of the day was the All In with 17 lining up at the slip, going through the back fell it was Shaun, Donna, Becky and Luke Hetherington’s Tesla who was leading the race ahead of Let’s Go For It for Ruth Graham and Charlie Dixon with Team Foxparke’s pair of Foxparke Sidekick and Foxparke Elliot’s Lad in third and fourth with Miterdale Green Queen for Sophie Steele and Jake and Zach Green.
Once dropping down the fell it was still the same 2 hounds leading the race, the pair had a good race down the fell with Tesla getting up to win by a head ahead of Let’s Go For It, Glamorous Ava for James and Ava McClellan finished in third with Miterdale Green Queen finishing in fourth with Foxparke Elliot’s Lad in fifth.
The final ticket of the day went to 2024 Puppy Champion Huntsman’s Time for Denise and Jenny Bland and Graham Little.
Oulton, Sunday April 7
Sunday saw the second of the Oulton series with smaller fields of 59 hounds.
Eleven Seniors took to the trail. Along the beck edge it was Silver Dream for Darren and Julie McMaster and Anthony Skelton who was leading ahead of Thorn Soul for Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrows and Sarah Jackson with Mel for Les and Graham Reid and Ellie Napier in third.
Crossing the second to last road, four had broken clear and it was Silver Dream and Thorn Soul with a small gap to Croft Lass for Stanley, Carole and Sarah Jackson and Mel in fourth.
The four had a slight lead on Rodney Raider for Nicola McMaster and David Toddhunter. Once out of the wood and onto the finish it was a fantastic race up the hill with Thorn Soul getting the upper hand to win by a head from Silver Dream, they had five lengths on Mel with Croft Lass in fourth and Rodney Raider in fifth. The final ticket going to Dream Catcher for Cathy, Joy and Brian Lister.
The next trail of the day was the Pups again with 11 lining up at the slip. It was Delta Fortune for Sarah and Baz Harper and Hartley Robinson leading ahead of Darren and Julie McMaster and Sadie Wilson’s Silver Star.
Going along the beck edge it was Tucker for Nicola McMaster and Anthony Skelton who was leading well ahead of kennel mate Silver Star and Busy Rascal for Alan Blacklock and Carole Harrison.
Once out of the wood it was Tucker who was still leading the race ahead of Busy Rascal the pair had a nice lead on the third hound. Tucker pulled away slightly and looked as though this time he was going to get the win but Busy Rascal stuck in and won by a head, Silver Star finished in third with Pied Piper for Tanya Sattherwaite finishing in fourth and Denton Phantom for Lee, Hayley, George and Joey Wall and Sandra Mordue and Ted Surrows finishing in fifth, the final ticket went to Delta Fortune.
Up next was the Open Maidens with 22 runners making it the largest field of the day.
Going along the beck edge it was the two littermates, Cracking Artist for Bill and Pat Mellon and Wak and Tina Airey and Meadow Artisan for Paul and Joanne Airey who were racing each other well; there was a small gap to Sarah White’s Flightline.
Once out the wood and onto the finish Flightline and Cracking Artist had established a lead and had a good battle up the hill with Flightline with his big strides getting up to grab the win by half a head,
Thorn Heart for Colin Satterthwaite and Molly and Teddy Burrows finished in third, with Light Up for Christopher Henderson finishing in fourth place, the fifth ticket went to Derek and Joel Bullman and Gillian and Neil Brown’s Hey Mac, the final ticket of the race went to Meadow Artisan.
A small field of eight took to the trail in the Open Restricted. Going along the beck beck edge it was Malfunction for Sarah White who was having a good race with Milo Moon for Carolyn, Tracey and Derrick Hill.
Reports came in from the second road and it was still Milo Moon heading the race ahead of Malfunction with Millie’s Lad for George McGimpsy and Gillian and Millie Telford in third.
Once out of the wood and onto the finish Malfunction had a good lead, finishing in second was Sandra Mordue, Ted Surrows and Lee Walls Denton Shamrock who just held on from Milo Moon in third, Millie’s Lad ran on well to get fourth with Eagle Love for Linda Neale and Georgia, Mark and Josh Bryden finishing in fifth. The final ticket went to Amanda and Megan Telford’s Fire Lady.
The final race of the day was the Veterans, with seven taking to the trail. Going along the beck edge it was Zola for Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham who was heading the race ahead of Team Eagle’s pair of Eagle Star and Eagle Rock. Once out of the wood and onto the finish it was Eagle Rock who was heading the race ahead of Zola, Eagle Rock came to claim the win by five lengths from Zola,
Audacity finished in third for Lisa and Holly Whitefield, Susan Passon and Lee Wall, Eagle Star finished in fourth for Mark Bryden, Linda Neale and Georgia and Josh Bryden. The final two tickets went to Bob for Tony, Connor and Carter Irving and Imagine for Joy, Brian and Cathy Lister.
Hound trailing resumes today, Tuesday April 8 at St Helena with Seniors, Pups, All in. Seniors slip at 5.45pm.
