Sunday saw the first in a series at Oulton with 56 hounds in total contesting the four races.
There were seven in the seniors. Once slipped and heading for the first road crossing Mel was leading ahead of Darren and Julie McMaster and Anthony Skelton’s reigning double champion Silver Dream and Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrow’s and Sarah Jackson’s Thorn Soul.
The hounds were then seen after roughly 20 minutes going along the beck edge and Mel and Silver Dream were racing on well, clear of the chasing hounds Thorn Soul and George McGimpsy, Gillian and Millie Telford’s Millie’s Lass.
When they appeared out of the wood and over the final road onto the finish Mel had established a comfortable lead and ran on well to win from the fast finishing Silver Dream.
Thorn Soul ran on well for third ahead of Millie’s Lass in fourth and Graham Reid and Ellie Napier’s Brown Sugar was fifth. The final ticket went to Alan Blacklock and Carole Harrison’s Busy Rascal.
The pups had 14 entries. Going through the first field and onto the road crossing Thorn Daisy was leading ahead of Anna and Kerry Lindsay’s and Janie McAulay’s Zinger and Nicola McMaster and Barbara Telford’s Rodney Ranger.
When reports were received from the second road crossing Thorn Daisy was still leading but from Sadie, Kessi and Graham Wilson’s improving Cinderella, Rodney Ranger and Zinger.
These four had a small lead on George McGimpsy, Gillian, Millie and Charlie Telford’s Charlie’s Dream.
The hounds are seen next on the beck edge after roughly 10 minutes running and Thorn Daisy, Rodney Ranger and Cinderella were leading, all taking turns at being at the front.
The hounds are then seen about a minute later when Thorn Daisy was leading ahead of Cinderella and Rodney Ranger.
Once they came out of the wood and over the final road onto the finish Thorn Daisy had a narrow lead over Cinderella. However as they raced to the line Cinderella gave one final push to get there first and was successful; ahead of Thorn Daisy with Rodney Ranger in third.
Christopher Henderson’s Nash On ran on well for fourth ahead of Charlie’s Dream while the final ticket went to Zinger.
The Open Maidens were next to go with a slip of 24. Heading out of the field onto the first road crossing Anna and Kerry Lindsay, and Emmie McAulay’s Inspect was leading from Jenny Horn’s Spring Gardener and Graham Reid’s Money Talks.
Reports came in from the second road crossing that Money Talks was leading from Andy and Alan Horn and Simon Walker’s Overwater Louie, Inspect and the favourite Thorn Thunder.
Going along the beck edge a group of 10 hounds were in with a chance as the group was being led by three kennel mates – Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Pop; Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrow’s Ian Freyne, and Ger and Jennifer Kenneally’s Thorn Bee and Thorn Thunder.
Going into the wood the same three hounds were leading and when they came out and over the final road into the finishing field Thorn Pop and Thorn Thunder had a great race to the line.
It was Thorn Pop who got the verdict by a head from the favourite Thorn Thunder.
Malcom Holmes’ Senorita finished well in third and Jenny Horn and Ronnie Ridley’s Spring Ribbon ran a great race for fourth ahead of Money Talks and Thorn Bee.
The final race of the day was the Open Restricted with a slip of 11.
The first report back to the field said that Sarah and Elsie’s We Get By was leading from Tanya Satterthwaite’s Paddy The Plasterer and Lee, Hayley, Joey and George Wall, Sandra Mordue and Ted Storrows’ Denton Phantom.
At the second road crossing Denton Phantom had got to the front from We Get By and Malfunction with a small gap to Paddy the Plasterer.
The hounds were then seen going along the beck edge and We Get By was leading from his kennel and littermate Malfunction and two other littermates Brian and Erin Rowlandson and the late Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker and Jenny Horn’s Spring Return.
When they reached the third road crossing Blue Striker had taken up the running from Malfuntion, Spring Return and Denton Phantom with a small gap to We Get By and Carolyn, Derrick and Tracey Hill’s Milo Moon.
Coming out of the wood and over the last road onto the finish three littermates were having a good battle to the line but it was We Get By who came on well to win from Malfunction and Blue Striker with Milo Moon in fourth. Spring Return was fifth and Denton Phantom took the final ticket of the day.
Oulton – Sunday April 5
- Seniors: 1. Mel; 2. Silver Dream; 3. Thorn Soul; 4. Millies Lass; 5. Brown Sugar; 6. Busy Rascal. 7 ran, time 27.50.
- Pups: 1. Cinderella; 2. Thorn Daisy; 3. Rodney Ranger; 4. Nash On; 5. Charlie’s Dream; 6. Zinger. 14 ran, time 16.33.
- Open Maidens: 1. Thorn Pop; 2. Thorn Thunder; 3. Senorita; 4. Spring Ribbon; 5. Money Talks; 6. Thorn Bee. 24 ran, time 16.46.
- Open Restricted: 1. We Get By; 2. Malfunction; 3. Blue Striker; 4. Milo Moon; 5. Spring Return; 6. Denton Phantom.11 ran, time 16.52.
