The Dog Produce was the centrepiece of Saturday’s major HRA meeting at Kelton Fell.
A total of 93 hounds contested the six grades and 10 lined up for the main event, the Produce race for the young dogs.
However, the blue riband event produced the most popular winner of the day in Tony and Marlene Irving and two grandsons Connor and Carter Irving along with family friend, co- owner Gary Woodend and their hound Bewley.
Nicola McMaster and Barbara Telford’s Rodney Ranger was sent off as favourite.
Climbing up the fell from the slip Rodney Ranger was off well with Duncan, Amy, Oliver, Liam, Eleanor Chisholm, Harry Turner and Brian Graham’s Let Me Try Again; Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s Is It It and Bewley in the vanguard.
Back into view dropping down the fell nearly all the hounds were together and it was a great sight.
Going past the field Let Me Try Again was at the front from Is It It; Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s What Is It, Bewley, and Rodney Ranger.
The hounds are seen briefly before they drop into Potters Park where they seemed to be having a scale and Is It It and George McGimpsey, Gillian, Millie and Charlie Telford’s Charlie’s Dream had got away.
Back into view going through the bottoms five had established an advantage and they were very close together so it was hard to say what they definitely were.
Once they came out of the bottoms and headed towards the final road crossing a group of four had a 10-yard advantage over Bewley – Rodney Ranger, What Is It, Charlie’s Dream and Is It It.
Once crossing the final road and starting the big climb up the finish Bewley had joined Rodney Ranger, Charlie’s Dream and What Is It and what a fantastic finish ensued with all four hounds going hard for the line.
Once they were nearly there Rodney Ranger looked a certain winner until he swerved to the left allowing Bewley to come through and claim the win by a head much to the delight of Tony and grandson Connor.
Bewley was bred by Sarah and Tom Bell out of their own bitch Adele sired by Caroline Clough and the late Barry Laidler’s Best Mate. Rodney Ranger finished second with Charlie’s Dream in third.
What Is It was next followed by early leader Is It It and the final ticket went to Let Me Try Again.
Eleven Seniors were slipped. Darren and Julie McMaster and Anthony Skelton’s champion and current table leader Silver Dream was sent off as favourite.
From the slip Neil and Gillian Brown and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Hey Mac went to the front with James and Ava McClellan’s Baroness Ava for company.
The hounds are seen roughly four minutes later where Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s pair of Foxparke Honk Honk and Foxparke Sidekick were leading ahead of Hey Mac, Baroness Ava and Silver Dream.
Passing the field Foxparke Honk Honk was still in front of group off four with Silver Dream, Baroness Ava and Hey Mac for company.
They are then seen dropping down towards Potters Park where Foxparke Honk Honk was still leading.
Coming out of the bottoms and towards the final road crossing Silver Dream had taken over with a small advantage over a very closely grouped quartet of runners.
Coming up the long steep finish Silver Dream looked as though she was going to come and win but Baroness Ava was coming like a train and denied the champion in the final stages to claim the win.
It’s quite and achievement in winning grade terms for James and Ava as Baroness Ava won the Open Restricted at both Whitehaven Classic and the May Day races.
Silver Dream stayed on well for second, and a rare defeat while Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s fast-finishing Zoya was third while Denise and Jenny Bland and Ella and Kyle Gallacher’s Jenny’s Chance was fourth.
Les and Graham Reid and Ellie Napier’s Mel finished in fifth and early leader Foxparke Honk Honk had to settle for the final ticket.
The Senior Maidens had a slip of 17 and going over the first wall Graham Reid’s Money Talks and Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Danny Elliot were off to their usual speedy starts.
Going up the fell a long line of hounds were racing on well. When they dropped down the fell Malcolm Holmes’ pair of Senor and Senorita were leading a long line of hounds.
Going past the field Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Brooke Butler and Glenis Farren’s Foxparke Cheese and Beans had taken the lead from Senor and Senorita.
When they came back into sight going through the bottoms it was now Stanley, Carole and Sarah Jackson, David Loan, Ricky Deacon and Donald Hodgson’s Croft Lass who was leading from Darren McMaster, Sadie Wilson and Anthony Skelton’s Silver Streak along with her kennel mate Nicola McMaster and Sadie Wilson’s Sarah Jane.
Once climbing out of the bottoms and heading towards the final road crossing Croft Lass had earned herself a small advantage and held onto to that lead as they crossed the road and began the steep climb up the finish.
But there was another good climax to the race with both Silver Streak and Croft Lass striving to reach the line first.
As they neared the line Croft Lass was stronger to go on and win by four lengths from Silver Streak and Joy, Brian and Cathy Lister’s Minnie Million.
Sarah Jane was fourth ahead of Senor and Stuart Jeynes’ Heartside.
The Open Pups had 18 entries and once slipped Geoff and Gillian Higgins and Jake and Zach Green’s pair of Acacia and Azalia were again the first two to show the way.
They maintained that lead as they dropped down the fell and past the field where they had the company of Christine Brownlee and Eric Cockbain’s Merle and Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington’s Fable.
Back into sight dropping into Potters Park Acacia and Azalia were still at the front but Sadie, Kessi and Graham Wilson’s Cinderella had them in her sights and began to chase strongly.
Back into view coming out of the bottoms Cinderella had pulled away from the early leaders and held onto that lead as she crossed the final road and up the steep climb on the finish to win easily from Azalia and Acacia.
Fable finished in fourth while Laura Steele and Andrew Bulman’s Swifty was fifth and Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Neil Brady, Brooke Butler, Darren Clark and Donald Hodgson’s Foxparke Jubilee’s Jackpot took the last ticket.
The Open Restricted had a line up of 22 and once climbing up the fell Sarah White and Elsie Horn’s We Get By was off to a flying start with Christine Brownlee’s Maeve and Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Brooke Butler and Donald Hodgson’s Foxparke Oink Oink for company.
Dropping down the fell a few of the leading hounds ran on and put themselves back to the middle of the group.
Going past the field Anthony, Steph, Sophie, Katie, and Alfie Steele’s Miterdale Rambler was leading from We Get By and Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier Brooke Butler and Darren Clark’s pair of Foxparke Beep Beep and Foxparke Rita’s Rose.
Crossing the road and heading towards Potters Park We Get By had been joined by kennel mate Malfunction and Foxparke Oink Oink.
Going through the bottoms Brian and Erin Rowlandson and the late Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker had taken over at the head of affairs from Malfunction, Foxparke Oink Oink and a lemon and white hound which was later established to be Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Fairlady.
Back into view coming out of the bottoms and heading towards the final road crossing and up the steep finish Blue Striker and Malfunction were still battling it out at the front and it stayed that way until they headed up the finish.
But they were to be denied as the fast finishing Foxparke Oink Oink found another gear and came clear to claim the win easily over Malfunction and Foxparke Fairlady who also finished strongly in third.
Blue Striker was fourth and the final two tickets went to Foxparke Rita’s Rose and Jenny Horn’s Spring Return.
The final race of the day was the Veterans with a slip of 15 and once climbing up the fell Jim, Ann, Alan and Adrian Little’s Huntsman’s Quantum was off to a flying start and had a small lead over Andy and Alan Horn and Simon Walker’s Overwater Louie and Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Pop.
Dropping back down the fell and going past the field Brian Graham and Eleanor Chisholm’s Eleanor’s Lass was leading from George Burgon and Carole Tunstall’s Overwater Hunter, Thorn Pop and Julie Birkenshaw’s Bretton.
Dropping down into Potters Park, Willie and Craig Mark’s Summer Spirit had joined the front hounds and they were all racing on well.
Coming out of the bottoms and heading towards the final road crossing Thorn Pop had gone on and had a 15 yard advantage over Summer Spirit and James and Ava McClellan’s Duchess Ava.
Once over the final road and heading up the steep hill Summer Spirit showed a good turn of foot to claim the win over Thorn Pop and Duchess Ava.
Eleanor’s Lass finished fourth and kennel mate Bretton was fifth.
The final ticket went to Anthony, Steph, Sophie, Katie and Alfie Steele’s Miterdale Honesty.
Saturday June 6 – Dog Produce, Kelton Fell, Kirkland
- Hounds – 1. Baroness Ava; 2. Silver Dream; 3. Zoya; 4. Jenny’s Chance; 5. Mel; 6. Foxparke Honk Honk. 11 ran, time 28.16.
- Maidens – 1. Croft Lass; 2. Silver Streak; 3. Minnie Million; 4. Sarah Jane; 5. Senor; 6. Heartside. 17 ran, time 28.36.
- Dog Produce – 1. Bewley; 2. Rodney Ranger; 3. Charlie’s Dream; 4. What Is It; 5. Is It It; 6. Let Me Try Again. 10 ran, time 20.48.
- Open Pups – 1. Cinderella; 2. Azaliah; 3. Acacia; 4. Fable; 5. Swifty; 6. Foxparke Jubilee’s Jackpot. 18 ran, time 19.49.
- Open Restricted – 1. Foxparke Oink Oink; 2. Malfunction; 3. Foxparke Fairlady; 4. Blue Striker; 5. Foxparke Rita’s Rose; 6. Spring Return. 22 ran, time 19.34.
- Veteran – 1. Summer Spirit; 2. Thorn Pop; 3. Duchess Ava; 4. Eleanor’s Lass; 5. Bretton; 6. Miterdale Honesty. 15 ran, time 19.54.
