The HRA was back in action at St Helena last night for the second meeting of the season with 36 hounds turning out.
The seniors started with a slip of 10 and last week’s winner Les and Graham Reid and Ellie Napier’s Mel was sent off as the favourite.
Once underway, Neil and Gillian Bulman and Joel and Derrick Brown’s Hey Mac was an early leader, setting a good pace at the front.
When reports came in from the first road crossing Hey Mac had been overtaken by Mel and had dropped to second ahead of Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s I Am It and James and Ava McLellan’s Baroness Ava.
The hounds were then seen after roughly four minutes running going past the field and Mel was still leading ahead of Hey Mac, I Am It, and Baroness Ava with a small gap to kennel mate Countess Ava.
They can be viewed another four minutes into the race but this time it was difficult to identify the hounds for certain due to the sun shining on them.
The next information came in from Uldale bottoms and I Am It had established a 50-yard lead on Mel, Baroness Ava and Countess Ava with a 200-yard gap to Hey Mac.
When they reached the puppy split, four hounds were reported to have crossed the lonning together, with Mel leading but just ahead of Baroness Ava, Hey Mac and I Am It.
When they came into sight on the back fell the same four hounds were battling it out well but dropping out of the forest Mel had ten yards on Hey Mac, who in turn had a 10-yard lead on Baroness Ava.
However, when they appeared on the finish, Hey Mac finished best to win from I Am It and last week’s winner, race favourite Mel in third.
Baroness Ava took from kennel mate Countess Ava and the final ticket went to Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s Zoya.
Ten pups lined up for their race with James and Ava McLellan’s Ava Jean sent off as the favourite.
From the slip Ruth and Charlie’s Is It It was off to a flying start ahead of Ava Jean and Geoff and Gillian Higgins and Jake and Zach Green’s Acacia.
After about three minutes running the hounds are seen going through the open fields where Ava Jean was leading from Is It It and Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington’s Fable.
Next spotted going through the back fell, two hounds had established a small advantage with people having different opinions as to what they were, some said Ava Jean and Fable and others thought Ava Jean and Acacia.
However, when they were seen dropping out of the forest the leading pair were identified as Acacia with a small lead over Fable and a gap to the chasing pack which was being led by Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s What Is It.
As they appeared on the finish Acacia had gone clear and went on well to claim her second win of the season ahead of Fable and What Is It.
The winner’s kennel-mate Azalia finished in fourth with Ava Jean and Is It It taking the other minor tickets.
The All-In was the final race of the night with a line-up off 18 and once they had started and were crossing the first lonning Jonty and Evie, and Jack Thompson’s kennel mates and littermates Nellie’s Joy and Nellie’s Pride were leading the race nicely.
When they came back into sight going through the open fields Nellie’s Joy was still leading from Neil and Gillian Brown and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Dundee and Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Majesty.
Going through the back fell, Brian and Erin Rowlandson and the late Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker was leading the race ahead of Paul Airey, Joanne, Sophie and Lauren Hodgson’s Meadow Artisan and Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Elliot’s Lass.
Dropping down out of the forest Dundee was in front pursued by Meadow Artisan with a small gap to Blue Striker and Foxparke Elliot’s Lass.
As they appeared on the finish Dundee finished well to win and land a double on the night for the Brown and Bulman family.
Meadow Artisan finished second from Blue Striker with the other places taken by Foxparke Elliot’s Lass; Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington’s Ruby and Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Sassy Girl.
Racing resumes tonight at Oulton for a three-grade meeting (Seniors, Pups, Open Maidens) with the Seniors slipping at 5pm.
April 8 – St Helena
- Hounds – 1. Hey Mac; 2. I Am It; 3. Mel; 4. Baroness Ava; 5. Countess Ava; 6. Zoya. 10 ran, time 28.18.
- Pups – 1. Acacia; 2. Fable; 3. What Is It; 4. Azalia; 5. Ava Jean; 6. Is It It. 8 ran, time 20.26.
- All In – 1. Dundee; 2. Meadow Artisan; 3. Blue Striker; 4. Foxparke Elliot’s Lass; 5. Ruby; 6. Foxparke Sassy Girl. 18 ran, time 20.31.
