Saturday’s Whitehaven Classic at Cold Fell was blessed with lovely weather conditions and an entry of 116 hounds for the five-race card.
Hot favourite in a field of 14 for the opening senior race was Darren and Julie McMaster and Anthony Skelton’s Silver Dream who is in top form and had a good record over the course.
Les and Graham Reid and Ellie Napier’s Mel had also won there and was expected to be in contention.
Right from the slip Silver Dream and Mel were battling at the front with Sarah and Baz Harper and Hartley Robinson’s 2025 Puppy Champion Delta Fortune for company.
The hounds are then seen after crossing the first road and going along the wall after roughly two minutes running and Silver Dream had the lead from Mel, Delta Fortune and Neil and Gillian Brown, and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Hey Mac.
The hounds are then seen going away up a track on the fell where they are hard to make out but there was a long line of hounds racing on well.
Once they appeared again on the top of the fell it seemed as though two had got away but once they dropped further down and over the gully a group of four were seen to have a small advantage with Mel at the front from Silver Dream, James and Ava McLellan’s Countess Ava and Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Ellie Napier’s Foxparke Honk Honk.
When they were spotted on the top of the fell and began to drop in Silver Dream was leading from the two-year-old Delta Fortune with a 10-yard gap to Mel and Countess Ava.
Onto the finish Silver Dream powered on for her sixth victory of the season ahead of Countess Ava, Delta Fortune and Mel.
There was a gap to the minor tickets with Martin and Molly Burrow and Sarah Jackson’s Thorn Soul just managing to grab fifth on the line over Foxparke Honk Honk.
The Senior Maidens were next to go with a slip of 23. The in-form Maggie Moon for Tracey, Carolyn and Derrick Hill was sent off as the favourite.
Crossing the first road and going along the wall Anna and Kerry Lindsay and Emmie McAulay’s Inspect was off to a flyer with Neil and Gillian Brown and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Dundee and Maggie Moon for company.
Going along the track on the fell it was a great sight with so many hounds racing well.
When the hounds came back into sight on the top of the fell it was anyone’s race with nearly all the hounds in one big group but as they were dropping down towards the gully they had a scale which put plenty out of the race.
However, Maggie Moon took advantage of the mishap and went on with Dundee ahead of Gillian Brown and Mickey O’Brien’s Peggy Sue; Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Whoosh; Stanley, Carole and Sarah Jackson’s Croft Lass; Geoff and Gillian Higgins’ Lucky Moon and Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Heart all in pursuit of the two leading hounds.
On the top of the fell before they drop down onto the finish Maggie Moon had a 30-yard lead over Lucky Moon and Croft Lass.
When they showed again Maggie Moon finished impressively to claim the win over Croft Lass and Lucky Moon. Foxparke Whoosh finished in fourth followed by Peggy Sue and Thorn Heart.
The pups race had a field of 14 with Geoff and Gillian Higgins’, Jake and Zach Green’s impressive pair of Acacia and Azalia heading the betting.
As usual the pair got off to a flying start as they climbed up the fell ahead of Martin and Molly Burrow, Ian Freyne, Ger and Jennifer Kenneally’s Thorn Daisy and Nicola McMaster and Barbara Telford’s Rodney Ranger.
When they were coming out of the gully Acacia and Azalia were still leading from Thorn Daisy and Rodney Ranger and his kennel mate Sadie, Kessi and Graham Wilson’s Cinderella.
Once they showed onto the top of the fell two kennel mates, Cinderella and Rodney Ranger had taken over from Acacia and Azalia with Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington’s Fable.
Onto the finish Azalia had regained the lead from Cinderella but that changed in the closing stages.
Cinderella took the best route to the line and finished strongly ahead of Azalia and Rodney Ranger. Fable took fourth from Acacia and the final ticket went to Duncan, Amy, Oliver, Liam, Eleanor Chisholm, Harry Turner, Brian Graham’s Let Me Try Again.
The first Puppy Maiden race of the season was next with a slip of 20.
The hot favourite Tartan Raider for Darren and Julie McMaster and Sadie Wilson went off with intent as they climbed up the fell and was leading ahead of Anna and Kerry Lindsay and Janie McAulay’s Zinger; Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s pair of Is It It and What Is It; Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Neil Brady, Brooke Butler, Darren Clark and Donald Hodgson’s Foxparke Jubilees Jackpot and Christine Brownlee and Eric Cockbain’s Merle.
As they were going through the fell Foxparke Jubilees Jackpot was leading with Zinger, Tartan Raider and What Is It.
Appearing on the top of the fell before they drop into the finish Zinger was leading from Foxparke Jubilees Jackpot and George McGimpsy, Gillian, Millie and Charlie Telford’s Charlie’s Dream.
When they came onto the finish it was a great race with Zinger finishing well to grab the win over Charlie’s Dream and Merle.
Tartan Raider finished fourth ahead of Foxparke Jubilees Jackpot with What Is It taking the last ticket.
The final race of the day, and the largest slip, was the Open Restricted with a line-up of 46.
James and Ava’s consistent Baroness Ava was favourite having dropped a grade after running in the seniors for the season.
Once they started climbing up the fell Baroness Ava was leading ahead of Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Pop.
When they went through the middle of the fell Brian and Erin Rowlandson and the late Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker was leading from littermate Baroness Ava; Sarah White and Elsie Horn’s Malfunction; Paul Airey, Joanne, Lauren and Sophie Hodgson’s Meadow Artisan and Thorn Pop.
On the top of the fell before they come onto the finish Baroness Ava was back in front, ahead of Thorn Pop with a small gap to the chasing hounds.
Onto the finish Baroness Ava was leading and was not for being beaten, finishing impressively to claim the win over Thorn Pop and Meadow Artisan. Malfunction finished fourth with Christine Brownlee’s Maeve in fifth, followed in by Blue Striker.
Saturday April 26 – Whitehaven Classic, Cold Fell
- Hounds – 1. Silver Dream; 2. Countess Ava; 3. Delta Fortune; 4. Mel; 5. Thorn Soul; 6. Fozparke Honk Honk. 14 ran, time 29.51.
- Maidens – 1. Maggie Moon; 2, Croft Lass; 3. Lucky Moon; 4. Foxparke Whoosh; 5. Peggy Sue; 6. Thorn Heart. 23 ran, time 32.08.
- Pups – 1. Cinderella; 2. Azalia; 3. Rodney Ranger; 4. Fable; 5. Acacia; 6. Let Me Try Again. 13 ran, time 20.21.
- Puppy Maidens – 1. Zinger; 2. Charlie’s Dream; 3. Merle; 4. Tartan Raider; 5. Foxparke Jubilee’s Jackpot; 6. What Is It. 20 ran, time 20.27.
- Open Restricted – 1. Baroness Ava; 2. Thorn Pop; 3, Meadow Artisan; 4. Malfunction; 5. Maeve; 6. Blue Striker. 46 ran, time 18.27.
