Wednesday night saw a new venue in the fixture list following the merger of the Hound Trailing Association and the Border Association a couple of years ago.
Walton Moss just sits north of Brampton and forms part of the nature reserve providing a mixture of running from moorland, wet land and some fields and dykes.
Due to a lower level of fixtures over the last few weeks and a period of hot weather most dogs were in need of extra running to get race fit in preparation for the big HTA Bitch Produce trails today, sponsored by Long and Smalls Car Sales and Garage and Thompson Hire Plant.
The first race to run at Walton Moss were the senior hounds with a slip of 15 hounds.
As the hounds showed on the long run in there were two hounds clear one with a slight advantage over the other. Huntsman’s Rebel for Denise and Jenny Bland and Graeme Little was just in front of the Marks’ family’s Sportsman but as they neared the line it was Sportsman who just kept coming and crossed the line just in front to take his second win of the season by a short head from Huntsman’s Rebel.
There was a gap to the third hound Huntsman’s Time, last year’s Puppy Champion and getting in among the first six hounds. Rodney Raider for Nicola McMaster and David Todhunter finished in fourth place with Gillian Bulman Brown and Mickey O’Brien’s Peggy Sue in fifth and Border Reign for Annabelle Connolly in sixth place.
The pups were the next to be slipped with the current table topper Delta Fortune the favourite.
Once back on the finish Delta Fortune for Sarah and Baz Harper and Hartley Robinson had established a good lead and came on his own to take his seventh win of the season moving him clear by two points in the championship table from rival Tucker.
The pups were well strung out and there was a big gap to the second hound which was Denton Phantom for Lee, Haley, George and Joey Wall, Sandra Mordue and Ted Storrow, a hound that showed a lot of promise early on in the season in the March trials.
His kennel mate Denton Adonis finished in third place with Jenny’s Chance for Denise and Jenny Bland, Graeme Little and Kyle and Ella Gallacher a similar hound that keeps on getting tickets finishing in fourth place. Sullivan’s Mist for Gary Woodend and family took her second ticket this week in fifth place and Stretch taking the sixth ticket.
Next to slip were the open maidens with 25 hounds. Locally trained hound Inspect was the odds on favourite and as they came on to the long finish there were plenty of dogs in the mix to take the win but it was the favourite who came through and took the win for Anna and Kerry Lindsay with Malcolm Holmes Senor in second place.
George Burgeon and Carol Tunstall’s Tallulah finished in third place with kennel mate to Inspect Discover coming in in fourth place for the Lindsay sisters. Flecky Jack for the Hetherington’s a pup from last year finished well to take fifth place with Malcolm’s other hound Senorita taking sixth ticket.
The last race of the night was the All In race with eight hounds. As they came on to the finish five hounds were together with Huntsman’s Trouble for Denise and Jenny Bland, Greame Little and Ellie Napier just getting up on the line to take the win followed by Tesla for the Hetherington family and then Huntsman’s Sparkle for Tracey, Carolyne and Derrick Hill.
Minnie Million for Joy and Brian Lister was close behind in fourth place with Flightline for Sarah White being the fifth hound.
There was a gap to the sixth hound which was Overwater Hunter for George Burgeon and Carol Tunstall. The race was the fastest of the night, at least two minutes faster than the pup race.
Walton Moss – June 4
- Hounds – 1. Sportsman 2. Huntsman’s Rebel 3. Huntsman’s Time 4. Rodney Raider 5. Peggy Sue 6. Border Reign 15 Ran Time 27.59
- Pups – 1. Delta Fortune 2. Denton Phantom 3. Denton Adonis 4. Jenny’s Chance 5. Sullivan’s Mist 6. Stretch 10 Ran Time 23.14
- Open Maidens – 1. Inspect 2. Senor 3. Tallulah 4. Discover 5. Flecky Jack 6. Senorita 25 Ran Time 22.45
- All-In 1. Huntsman’s Trouble 2. Tesla 3. Huntsman’s Sparkle 4. Minnie Million 5. Flightline 6. Overwater Hunter 8 Ran Time 21.47
