Over 100 hounds were entered across the five races at Helton for the John Pattinson Memorial meeting.
Fifteen of those entries were in the seniors with Darren and Julie McMaster and Anthony Skelton’s reigning champion Silver Dream sent off favourite after two course wins last season.
Once slipped the hounds can be briefly seen going away for about two minutes rut are unable to be identified.
They aren’t seen again until they drop off the back fell into the bottoms where Silver Dream and Les and Graham Reid and Ellie Napier’s Mel were having a good race at the front.
Once they appeared onto the long finish and over the final road crossing the pair were still battling away and as they dropped into the dip they had established a 50-yard lead on the others.
Climbing up the big finish Silver Dream, in typical fashion, showed a good turn of foot to claim her fourth senior win of the season ahead of Mel.
There was a good race for third but Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Honk Honk managed to beat Neil and Gillian Brown and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Hey Mac.
Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s Let It Be finished fifth and the final ticket went to Graham Reid’s Money Talks.
The first senior maiden race of the 2026 season was next with an entry of 25. The winner would be presented with a trophy and an extra £50.
Tracey, Carolyn and Derrick Hill’s Maggie Moon was sent off as the favourite given her recent form and win at the venue last season.
From the slip it was a great sight with 25 hounds going away and racing nicely in the pleasant conditions.
When they were seen dropping down the back fell a group of five seemed to have a small advantage over the chasing hounds but with the sun beginning to set they were hard to make out.
As they appeared on the finish and over the final road crossing Maggie Moon was leading with Malcom Holmes’ Senor and Gillian Brown and Mickey O’Brien’s Peggy Sue.
Once they came out of the dip Maggie Moon was still leading with Senor but Anna and Kerry Lindsay and Emmie McAulay’s Inspect was on the far side and was beginning to put his usual strong finish.
As they neared the line Maggie Moon finished best for the win over fast-finishing Inspect, who came from fifth to claim second with Peggy Sue in third.
Malcolm Holmes’ two litter and kennel mates Senorita and Senor took fourth and fifth. The final ticket went to Geoff and Gillian Higgins’ Lucky Moon.
The slip of 30 pups was the biggest of the season so far and although beaten in her latest run Martin and Molly Burrow, Ian Freyne, Ger and Jennifer Kenneally’s Thorn Daisy was sent off the favourite.
Thorn Daisy got off to a flying start with Kerry and Anna Lindsay and Janie McAulay’s Zinger for company.
For the shorter trails the hounds aren’t seen until they drop off the back fell where they were nearly impossible to be made out but roughly 20 of them were still fairly bunched up and had a nice advantage.
Once they appeared on the finish and over the final road crossing there was still a group of 15 hounds that were in with a chance of winning.
Coming out of the dip and climbing up towards the line, there was a terrific finish with Geoff and Gillian Higgins’ and Jake and Zach Green’s 6/1 shot Azalia coming through to claim the win over Zinger and Darren and Julie McMaster and Sadie Wilson’s Tartan Raider.
The winner’s kennelmate and littermate Acacia was fourth ahead of Sadie, Kessi and Graham Wilson’s Cinderella and the race favourite Thorn Daisy.
Next to go were the open restricted with a slip of 25 for what was a pretty open race in which Paul Airey, Joanne, Sophie and Lauren Hodgson’s Meadow Artisan was sent off the favourite.
From the start Lee, Hayley, Joey and George Wall’s Denton Phantom led them away with Kerry and Anna Lindsay’s Discover.
Once they appeared onto the finish and over the final road crossing a group of eight had a small advantage and they were being led by Meadow Artisan.
Coming out of the dip and onto the long climb up to the line Meadow Artisan pulled away and claimed the win by five lengths over Brian and Erin Rowlandson and the late Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker with Denton Phantom in third.
Discover finished fourth from Martin and Molly Burrow’s and Sarah Jackson’s fast-finishing Thorn Soul while the final ticket went to Jenny Horn’s Spring Return.
The final race of the evening was the veterans with a slip of 20 which was a large line-up for this grade.
Linda Neale, Mark, Josh and Georgia Bryden’s Eagle Rock and Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Pop were both in the line-up and both have a good reputation around the course so it was going to be a very competitive race.
Once they appeared onto the finish and over the final road crossing three had broken clear – Thorn Pop, Jim, Anne, Alan and Adrian Little’s Huntsman’s Quantum and Eagle Rock.
The trio were battling well at the front and as they came out of the dip and climbed up the finish Eagle Rock burst clear to win from Thorn Pop with Huntsman’s Quantum in third.
David Clifford’s Eden Romina was fourth ahead of Willie and Craig Mark’s Summer Spirit and John Lyon’s Black Eyed Shadow.
Racing resumes tonight for a three-grade meeting at St Helena (Seniors, Pups, All-In) with the seniors slipped at 6pm.
Saturday April 19 – Helton
- Hounds – 1. Silver Dream; 2. Mel; 3. Foxparke Honk Honk; 4. Hey Mac; 5. I Am It; 6. Money Talks. 15 ran, time 29.27.
- Maidens – 1. Maggie Moon; 2. Inspect; 3. Peggy Sue; 4. Senorita; 5. Senor; 6. Lucky Moon. 25 ran, time 30.52.
- Pups – 1. Azalia; 2. Zinger; 3. Tartan Raider; 4. Acacia; 5. Cinderella; 6. Thorn Daisy. 30 ran, time 20.30.
- Open Restricted – 1. Meadow Artisan; 2. Blue Striker; 3. Denton Phantom; 4. Discover; 5. Thorn Soul; 6. Spring Return. 25 ran, time 18.36.
- Veterans – 1. Eagle Rock; 2. Thorn Pop; 3. Huntsman’s Quantum; 4. Eden Romina; 5. Summer Spirit; 6. Black Eyed Shadow. 20 ran, time 18.47.
