A return to Seaton for the first time this season saw trails held on Thursday and Sunday.
The first meeting featured three races while yesterday’s follow-up had four.
The weather was fine and it was a pleasant evening on Thursday with a good turnout of hounds and a decent crowd with some of the villagers coming up to the field to watch the hounds and have a flutter.
The senior hounds got things off to a start with a slip of eleven runners. Table leader Silver Dream was sent off as favourite with the Dearham team looking for her to extend her advantage over nearest challenger Sportsman.
Local hound Embrace for Laura Steele. Andrew Bulman and Ian Rumney was second favourite and was expected to make Silver Dream work hardest for the win.
As early reports came in from the roads there were four hounds clear – Silver Dream for Julie and Darren McMaster and Anthony Skelton; Embrace for Laura, Andrew and Ian; Foxparke Fairlady for Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brook Butler and Busy Again for Alan Blacklock and Carole Harrison.
These four maintained their lead as they dropped down towards Flimby but Busy Again began dropping back and it was Mel for Les and Graham Reid and Ellie Napier who made up the leading quartet.
It was a good race with all four together but once through the last gate it was Silver Dream who just stole a yard to cross the line in first place with there only being a short head between second and third. Having reviewed the camera the second place was given to Embrace and Foxparke Fairlady was third.
Mel ran on well to finish in fourth with Busy Again next and Dundee for Neil, and Gillian Brown and Joel and Derrek Bulman in sixth place.
The win for Silver Dream took her three points clear of her nearest rival Sportsman.
The open pups had a great slip of seventeen with Tucker for Nicola McMaster and Anthony Skelton sent off as the favourite.
As they crossed Flimby Brow there was a good line of hounds racing on well.
Once back onto the finish it was Maggie for Les and Graham Reid, Erin Rowlandson, Barbara Jones and Stephen Walker who had a yard or so as they jumped the last fence and she maintained her lead to cross the line an easy winner from Foxparke Oink Oink for Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brook Butler.
Tucker had to settle for third place.
Jenny’s Chance ran on well to claim fourth place with Busy Rascal for Alan Blacklock and Carole Harrison finishing in fifth.
Denton Phantom for Lee, Hayley, George and Joey Wall, Sandra Mordue and Ted Storrows took the last ticket.
The Open Restricted race was next with a slip of fifteen hounds. Paddy The Plasterer was sent off as the odds-on favourite for Tanya Satterthwaite. Once back onto the finish it was a good race with plenty of hounds in with a chance.
As they came through the last gate it was Robyn, Ellie, Grace, and Nicola Napier and Brook Butler’s Foxparke Sassy Girl who finished really well to win the race a couple of length in front of the much bigger hound Milo Moon for Tracey, Derrick and Carolyn Hill who had also ran a great race to finish in second place.
The favourite Paddy The Plasterer finished in third with Brian and Erin Rowlandson and Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker in fourth place. Local hound Twilight Mist finished well in fifth for Gary Woodend with Brian and Joy Lister’s Dream Catcher taking the last ticket.
Moving forward to Sunday there was a slightly smaller field of six senior hounds and with Silver Dream resting Embrace for Laura Steele, Andrew Bulman and Ian Rumney was sent-off the odds on favourite.
With reports coming in from the roads that three hounds were clear they were identified as Embrace, Foxparke Fairlady for Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler and Dundee for Neil and Gillian Brown, Joel and Derek Bulman.
The lead changed as they completed the course and came up the finish they were altogether with a small gap between the first two and Dundee.
It was the bigger stride of Embrace that won the day with Foxparke Fairlady settling for second place.
Dundee was a yard or so behind but all three hounds had done well.
Busy Again finished in fourth place for Alan Blacklock and Carole Harrison with Flecky Jack for Shaun and Donna Hetherington in fifth.
Paul Airey and Joanne Hodgson’s Meadow Lane took the final ticket.
The open pups had eight entries and once again Tucker was sent off as the favourite.
When they showed before they crossed the last road Tucker had a lead but ran on and put himself out of the race for a while.
That left Foxparke Oink Oink for Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler to take the lead.
As they came through the last gate Tucker had made up ground and was close on the heels of Foxparke Oink Oink but the little hound dug deep and put in an impressive finish to win by a head from Tucker.
Lee, Hayley, George and Joey Wall, Sandra Mordue and Ted Storrow’s Denton Phantom stayed on well to claim third place with Tanya Satterthwaite’s Pied Piper in fourth.
Brown Sugar for Graham and Les Reid and Ellie Napier stayed on well to get fifth place with Stuart Smith’s Prospect Jill claiming sixth.
The Open Maiden race was next with a slip of fifteen and despite finishing third on Thursday the punters went for Paddy The Plasterer again and he was sent off as the favourite.
The open maiden points leader Senor was also running with kennel mate Senorita for Malcolm Holmes so Paddy had some keen rivals.
As they showed on the finish it was a good race between the three hounds but Senor ran wide and put himself out of contention which allowed Paddy The Plasterer to come through and win from Senorita.
Back on course Senor managed to claim third place with local hounds Twilight Mist and Sullivan’s Mist for Gary Woodend in fourth and fifth. Malcolm’s other hound Sir Robert claimed sixth, making it a good day for him and well worth the trip across from Penrith.
The last race of the day was for the Veterans, which is another highly competitive points competition with only eight points separating the two top hounds.
With both hounds running it promised to be an interesting race to see who came out on top.
Current leader Miterdale Duchess was sent off as the favourite.
As they showed on the finish there were five hounds racing strongly and as they came through the last gate it was Miterdale Duchess for Denis Pear and Jackie Gill and her nearest rival in the points competition Eagle Rock for Linda Neale, Mark, Josh and Georgie Bryden in second place. Miterdale Duchess put in a strong finish and managed to cross the line half a length clear of Eagle Rock who was finishing fast.
In third place was the much improved Overwater Louie for Andy Horn with Audacity staying on well to claim fourth for Lisa and Holly Whitfield.
Eleanor’s Lass for Brian Graham and Eleanor Chisholm finished fifth with Bretton for Julie Birkenshaw taking sixth place.
October 12 – Seaton
Hounds – 1. Embrace; 2. Foxparke Fairlady; 3. Dundee; 4. Busy Again; 5. Flecky Jack; 6. Meadow Lane. 6 ran, time 27.19.
Pups – 1. Foxparke Oink Oink; 2. Tucker; 3. Denton Phantom; 4. Pied Piper; 5. Brown Sugar; 6. Prospect Jill. 8 ran, time 18.17.
Open Maiden – 1. Paddy The Plasterer; 2. Senorita; 3. Senor; 4. Twilight Mist; 5. Sullivan’s Mist; 6. Sir Robert. 12 ran, time 17.20.
Veterans – 1. Miterdale Duchess; 2. Eagle Rock; 3. Overwater Louie; 4. Audacity; 5. Eleanor’s Lass; 6. Bretton. 8 ran, time 17.57.
October 9 – Seaton
Hounds – 1. Silver Dream; 2 Embrace; 3. Foxparke Fairlady; 4. Mel; 5. Busy Again; 6. Dundee. 11 ran, time 28.19.
Pups – 1. Maggie; 2. Foxparke Oink Oink; 3. Tucker; 4. Jenny’s Chance; 5. Busy Rascal; 6. Denton Phantom. 17 ran, time 20.21.
Open Restricted – 1. Foxparke Sassy Girl; 2. Milo Moon; 3. Paddy The Plasterer; 4. Blue Striker; 5. Twilight Mist; 6. Dream Catcher. 15 ran, time 18.09.
