Sunday was a special day for a return to Oulton as it staged the Denis Reay Memorial meeting and 56 hounds were entered across the five races.
There were four for the opening senior trail and heading out of the first field Graham and Les Reid and Ellie Napier’s pair of Money Talks and Brown Sugar were leading.
The hounds are not seen again until they have had roughly 20 minutes running and Money Talks was still in front along with Darren and Julie McMaster and Anthony Skelton’s reigning double champion Silver Dream.
These two were clear of Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrow and Sarah Jackson’s Thorn Soul and Brown Sugar.
The hounds then went out of sight into the woods and they aren’t seen again until they reappear from the trees three fields from the finish.
Once they did show out of the wood and over the final road crossing Silver Dream had built herself a comfortable lead and went on well to claim her second senior win of the season ahead of Money Talks with a gap to Thorn Soul and Brown Sugar.
The next race was the open pups and there was a line-up of 10, including recent course winner Thorn Daisy for Martin and Molly Burrow, Ian Freyne, Ger and Jennifer Kenneally.
Once they were underway Thorn Daisy and Anna and Kerry Lindsay and Janie McAulay’s Zinger were out in front.
The hounds are then seen going along the beck edge after about 10 minutes and it was Zinger who was leading with Thorn Daisy, Sadie, Kessi and Graham Wilson’s Cinderella and her kennel mate Nicola McMaster and Barbara Telford’s Rodney Ranger.
When they went out of sight Thorn Daisy had skipped away from her rivals and had an advantage over Cinderella, Zinger and Rodney Ranger.
When they appeared out of the wood Thorn Daisy, Rodney Ranger and Zinger had gone clear and on the finish had an exciting race to the line.
It was neck-and-neck but Thorn Daisy and Rodney Ranger had the advantage and it was the favourite who just pulled out something extra when she needed to.
Littermate Rodney Ranger was second just ahead of Zinger and a small gap to Cinderella in fourth.
George McGimpsey, and Gillian, Millie and Charlie Telford’s Charlie’s Dream took fifth and Tony, Marlene, Connor and Carter Irving and Gary Woodend picked up the final ticket with Bewley.
The open maidens had the biggest slip of the day with 25 of them lining up at the start. Joanna, Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrow’s Thorn Thunder was sent off as the favourite at 6/4.
Going over the first road Jenny Horn’s Spring Gardener was off to a flyer and led the way.
But as they went along the beck edge Darren and Julie McMaster and Sadie Wilson’s pup Tartan Raider had gone to the front from Martin and Molly Burrow, Ian Freyne, Ger and Jennifer Kenneally’s Thorn Bee; Thorn Thunder, Joseph Abram’s pup Silver Girl and Malcolm Holmes’ Senorita.
When they were seen coming out of the wood Thorn Thunder had stolen a march and went on to claim the win and a double for Team Thorn.
There was a great race for second with the winner’s kennel mate Thorn Bee managing to hold off the fast-finishing Silver Girl and Senorita.
Brian and Joy Lister’s Minnie Million finished in fifth ahead of Stuart Smith’s Prospect Jill.
Next to go were the open restricted with a line-up of seven.
From the slip Lee, Hayley, George, and Joey Wall, Sandra Mordue and Ted Storrow’s Denton Phantom went off best to lead.
Once they appeared on the beck edge Denton Phantom was still leading from Sarah White and Elsie Horn’s Malfunction and her two littermates Jenny Horn’s Spring Return and Brian and Erin Rawlinson and the late Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker.
However, when they were going out of sight into the wood they had bunched up and it had developed into a good, close race.
Coming out of the trees Cathy, Joy and Brian’s Dream Catcher had an advantage and went on well to claim the win over Denton Phantom, who just pipped Malfunction on the line with Blue Striker in fourth.
Spring Return finished fifth with the final ticket going to Stuart Smith’s Prospect Jan.
The final race of the day was for the veterans with a slip of 10.
As the hounds were seen going along the beck edge Carolyn, Derrick and Tracey Hill’s Milo Moon had gone clear, some 300 yards ahead of Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Pop: Linda Neale, Mark, Josh and Georgia Bryden’s Eagle Rock; Andy and Alan Horn and Simon Walker’s Overwater Louie and Willie and Craig Mark’s Summer Spirit.
As they were going out of sight into the wood Thorn Pop had got her eye on Milo Moon and began to chase after him and managed to catch him up just as they went out of sight. Once they came out the pair were still neck and neck with a great finish to the line but Milo Moon, with his big strides, claimed the win.
Thorn Pop, Summer Spirit and Eagle Rock completed the first four while Overwater Louie finished well in fifth and Sandra Mordue, Ted Storrows and Lee Wall’s Denton Shamrock took the final ticket.
Racing resumes on Tuesday, April 14, at St Helena for a three grade meeting (Seniors, Pups and All-in) with the seniors slipped at 5.30pm.
Sunday April 12 – Oulton
- Seniors: 1. Silver Dream; 2. Money Talks; 3. Thorn Soul; 4. Brown Sugar; 4 ran, time 27.50.
- Pups: 1. Thorn Daisy; 2. Rodney Ranger; 3. Zinger; 4. Cinderella; 5. Charlie’s Dream; 6. Bewley. 10 ran, time 16.07.
- Open Maidens: 1. Thorn Thunder; 2. Thorn Bee; 3. Silver Girl; 4. Senorita; 5. Minnie Million; 6. Prospect Jill. 25 ran, time 16.47.
- Open Restricted – 1. Dream Catcher; 2. Denton Phantom; 3. Malfunction; 4. Blue Striker; 5. Spring Return; 6. Prospect Jan. 7 ran, time 17.01.
- Veteran – 1. Milo Moon; 2. Thorn Pop; 3. Summer Spirit; 4. Eagle Rock; 5. Overwater Louie; 6. Denton Shamrock. 10 ran, time 17.05.
