Saturday saw the first of the of the Steel Rigg series take place with 69 hounds turning out on the afternoon for the five-grade meeting.
Only four were completed as the puppy trail was declared void.
All but one of the youngsters went on the old dog course and he only finished with the open restricted runners.
The opening race for the Seniors had a line-up of 10 with Willie and Craig Mark’s Sportsman and Neil and Gillian Brown and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Hey Mac being the early leaders out of the first gate and out of sight.
The hounds come back into view after roughly nine minutes racing, crossing over the road and going past the field where Hey Mac had developed a 10-yard advantage on Sportsman and another small gap to James and Ava McClellan’s Baroness Ava, Denise and Jenny Bland’s Huntsman’s Time and Stanley, Carole and Sarah Jackson, David Loan, Ricky Deacon and Donald Hodgson’s Croft Lass.
Once back into sight on the mile long finish the same two hounds were still leading on the run to the line.
Once through gap in the final wall and heading for the line Sportsman finished well to claim his first Senior win of the season ahead off Hey Mac and Croft Lass.
Baroness Ava was fourth with Denise and Jenny Bland’s pair of Jenny’s Chance and Huntsman’s Unite claiming the final two places.
The Senior Maidens were next to go with a slip of nine and George Burgon and Carole Tunstall’s Mr Mally and Malcolm Holmes’ Senor were the early leaders as they went out of sight.
Crossing the road Mr Mally was still leading but had the company of Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Heart and Gillian Brown and Mickey O’Brien’s Peggy Sue.
Back into sight on the long finish the same trio were at the front with the lead hound changing as they dropped towards the wall gap.
Once into the final field Peggy Sue pulled away to claim the win easily over Thorn Heart with Joy, Brian and Cathy Lister’s Minnie Million coming from the second group to claim third.
Mr Mally was fourth ahead of Anna and Kerry Lindsay and Emmie McAulay’s fast finishing Inspect and early leader Senor was sixth.
There was a slip of 16 for the Pups but unfortunately they were void.
The Open Restricted had the largest slip of the day with a line-up of 19.
Lee, Hayley, Joey and George Wall, Sandra Mordue and Ted Storrow’s Denton Phantom and Anna and Kerry Lindsay’s Discover were the early leaders crossing the first road and going out of sight.
When they showed on the mile long finish a group of half a dozen ran high with Lee, Hayley, Joey and George Wall, Sandra Mordue and Ted Storrow’s Denton Adonis dropping in front of a line of hounds and his kennel mate Denton Phantom joining him at the front.
Coming through the last wall gap Denton Phantom looked as though he was going to come and win but Denton Adonis got past in the final few strides to claim the win and lose his non-winner and maiden status.
His kennel and littermate Denton Phantom was second and Sarah White and Elsie Horn’s We Get By was a couple of lengths back in third from his kennel mate and littermate Malfunction.
Jenny Horn’s Spring Return finished fifth and Cathy, Joy and Brian Lister’s Dream Catcher took the last ticket.
The final race of the day was for the Veterans with a slip of 15.
Andy and Alan Horn and Simon Walker’s Overwater Louie led them out over the road crossing and out of sight.
Back into view on the long, testing finish half a dozen were all in with a chance of winning.
Coming out of the wall gap and on the run to home Julie Birkshaw’s Bretton and Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Pop ran high leaving Willie and Craig Mark’s Summer Spirit to finish fast and come from sixth to claim the win and a double on the day for the Marks family.
James and Ava McClellan’s Duchess Ava also finished well for second with Thorn Pop in third.
Linda Neale, Mark, Josh and Georgia Bryden’s Eagle Rock was fourth while Bretton had to settle for fifth.
The final ticket went to David Clifford’s Eden Romina.
Saturday May 23 – Steel Rigg
- Hounds – 1. Sportsman; 2. Hey Mac; 3. Croft Lass; 4. Baroness Ava; 5. Jenny’s Chance; 6. Huntsman’s Unite. 10 ran, time 30.31.
- Maidens – 1. Peggy Sue; 2. Thorn Heart; 3. Minnie Million; 4. Mr Mally; 5. Inspect; 6. Senor. 9 ran, time 31.28.
- Pups – Void
- Open Restricted – 1. Denton Adonis; 2. Denton Phantom; 3. We Get By; 4. Malfunction; 5. Spring Return; 6. Dream Catcher. 19 ran, time 21.48.
- Veterans – 1. Summer Spirit; 2. Duchess Ava; 3. Thorn Pop; 4. Eagle Rock; 5. Bretton; 6. Eden Romina. 15 ran, time 21.20.
