Wednesday night saw a return to Steel Rigg for the venue’s penultimate meeting of the season.
With Silver Dream five points clear the senior championship looks sealed for a repeat of last year’s title race with the Dearham hound ready to retain her crown.
The little bitch has ran consistently throughout the season.
The seniors were first under orders with Sportsman sent off as favourite.
In the championship race he will have to settle for runner-up but was expected to run a prominent race on this occasion.
As the hounds showed in the distance it was Willie and Craig Mark’s Sportsman and Laura Steel, Andrew Bulman and Ian Rumney’s Embrace that were heading the race with a few lengths lead from George McGimpsey and Gillian and Millie Telford’s Millie’s Lass in third place.
When they cut through the wall and on to the finish it was a good race between the first two hounds, with Embrace looking as though he might get up to win but it was Sportsman, back to winning ways, who crossed the line in first place followed by a very fast finishing Millie’s Lass who claimed second place as Embrace eased and had to settle for third.
There was a gap to fourth place with George’s other hound Millie’s Lad and then a gap to Willie’s other hound Summer Spirit in fifth.
The final ticket went to Hey Mac for Neil and Gillian Brown, Derrek and Joel Bulman.
The senior maidens had a slip of 10 runners with local hounds Inspect and Discover for the Lindsay sisters joint favourites with Dundee for Neil and Gillian Brown and Derek and Joel Bulman also fancied.
As they showed on the finish there were plenty of hounds in with a chance and it was Discover and Inspect who were leading from Dundee and Peggy Sue for Gillian Brown and Mickey O’ Brien.
Once through the cut in the wall the hounds bunched up with Inspect running high and putting himself out of winning contention.
That left Dundee to stay on well and take the win from Discover and then Inspect had recovered enough to take third place.
Peggy Sue also stayed on well and took fourth ahead of Senor for Malcolm Holmes not too far behind in fifth place. The last ticket went to Castle Callant for Marti Borthwick and Co.
The third race was for the pups with the championship still open.
There’s still the possibility of Tucker for Nicola McMaster and Anthony Skelton taking the title as he was only two places behind Delta Fortune for Sarah and Baz Harper and Hartley Robinson who was sent off the favourite.
He has come back running after a period off through illness and showed much improved form at Uldale during the week.
As they showed on the finish both Tucker and Delta Fortune were heading the race but the favourite ran off wide. That left Tucker clear from Denise and Jenny Bland and Graham Little’s Huntsman’s Unite.
As the hounds cut through the wall Tucker just had to come straight to win the race but he also ran wide and put himself out of contention.
That left Huntsman’s Unite in the lead but being chased down by Delta Fortune who had got himself back in the race.
In the end Delta Fortune came on to win the race by a length from Huntsman’s Unite with Tucker having to make do with third place.
With Delta Fortune winning his lead is now three points, making it a stiff task for Tucker to beat or level up with only one week of the season left.
There was a gap to fourth with Foxparke Rita’s Rose for Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler finishing well and then a bigger gap to fifth and sixth which were filled by Denton Adonis for Lee Wall and TikTok for the Lindsay sisters.
As the season comes to a close with only one week left there was the penultimate meeting on Thursday at Millstone Moor.
With the senior championship now decided and the puppy championship almost settled it was left to open restricted points competition to take the spotlight.
The senior race was scheduled to go first but there were no entries.
Regular course winner Silver Dream had been laid off for the rest of the season having done her work to secure the championship again.
Her Dearham connections felt that she deserved a well-earned rest.
With many other kennels having also laid off their hounds for the season it may be reduced numbers for the last week.
The pups did have seven runners with both Delta Fortune and Tucker having ran the night before it left an opening for one of the other pups to take centre stage.
Jenny’s Chance was sent off as the favourite having finished second to Tucker the last time round.
As the hounds were seen running down towards Bridekirk it was Brown Sugar for Les and Graham Reid and Ellie Napier followed closely by Jenny’s Chance, for Denise and Jenny Bland and Graham Little.
I Am It for Ruth and Charlie Dixon and Busy Rascal for Alan Blacklock and Carole Harrison were also there.
Once back on the finish and onto the long climb up to the line it was Jenny’s Chance who had established a good lead and went on to win comfortably.
There was a good race for second between I Am It and Busy Rascal with the former getting up to claim second place.
Not too far behind in fourth was Pied Piper for Tanya Satterthwaite and in fifth place was Foxparke Oink Oink for Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler.
Stuart Smith’s Prospect Jill took the sixth ticket.
The final race of the day was the for the open restricted grade with the points competition still open.
If Blue Striker, for Brian and Erin Rowlandson and Billy Birkett, won it would also seal the title.
With Malfunction for Ashley Horn and Sarah White not running it was up to Blue Striker to do the business as he was sent off as favourite.
Going down Redmain finish it was Tracey, Derek and Carolyn Hill’s Milo Moon who was leading followed by Blue Striker then Jenny Horn’s Spring Return.
Once onto the finish it was Blue Striker who showed in front and he maintained his lead up the long climb to cross the line in first place to clinch the Open Restricted Points Competition title.
Jenny Horn’s Spring Return stayed on well to take second place with Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s Let’s Go For It in third.
Milo Moon, who had led the race for most of the way finished in fourth place with Dream Catcher for Cathy, Joy and Brian Lister in fifth.
Tanya Satterthwaite’s Paddy The Plasterer finished in sixth place.
October 23 – Millstone Moor
- Hounds – No runners
- Pups – 1. Jenny’s Chance; 2. I Am It; 3. Busy Rascal; 4. Pied Piper; 5. Foxparke Oink Oink; 6. Prospect Jill. 7 ran, time 17.07.
- Open Restricted – 1. Blue Striker; 2. Spring Return; 3. Lets Go For It; 4. Milo Moon; 5. Dream Catcher; 6. Paddy The Plasterer. 10 ran, time 17.02.
October 22 – Steel Rigg
- Hounds – 1. Sportsman; 2. Millie’s Lass; 3. Embrace; 4. Millie’s Lad; 5. Summer Spirit; 6. Hey Mac. 7 ran, time 30.08.
- Maidens – 1. Dundee; 2. Discover; 3. Inspect; 4. Peggy Sue; 5. Senor; 6. Castle Callent. 10 ran, time 30.38.
- Pups – 1. Delta Fortune; 2. Huntsman’s Unite; 3. Tucker; 4. Foxparke Rita’s Rose; 5. Denton Adonis; 6. TikTok. 7 ran, time 20.40.
