The August Premier races are being staged at Uldale on August 8 and there was an opportunity for a look round on Saturday.
That resulted in a good turnout of 88 hounds and especially so as it was a 9am start on a cold and wet day.
The Seniors were first to go with an entry of 23 with Neil and Gillian Brown and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Hey Mac leading them out with Ruth and Charlie’s Let It Be and Denise and Jenny Bland’s Huntsman’s Time.
Due to the early mist and the rain, the hounds weren’t seen clearly until they were coming through the fell just before they appear onto the finish and what can only be described as a cavalry charge.
It was reckoned that 17 hounds were racing on well with the group being led by George McGimpsey, Gillian and Millie Telford’s Millie’s Lass and Sarah and Baz Harper and the late Hartley Robinson’s Delta Fortune.
Crossing the final road and beginning to climb up to the line Let It Be was leading but in the final stages it was 2025 Puppy Champion Delta Fortune who came through to finish well and claim the his first Senior win over Millie’s Lass and Darren McMaster, Sadie Wilson and Anthony Skelton’s Silver Streak.
Let It Be finished fourth ahead of Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s Zoya and Hey Mac.
The Senior Maidens had a line-up of 16 with Graham Reid’s Strawberry Mick and Neil and Gillian Brown, and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Dundee the early leader along with Sarah White and Elsie Horn’s Flightline.
Unfortunately the visibility had deteriorated even further so the hounds weren’t seen until they crossed the final road where Dundee was leading from Geoff and Gillian Higgins’ Lucky Moon.
On the run-in to the line Dundee managed to hold on and win by a length from Lucky Moon with Marti and Amy Borthwick’s Castle Callant in third.
Les and Graham Reid, Erin Rowlandson, Barbara Jones and Steven Walker’s Minnie was fourth ahead of Graham Reid’s Money Talks and Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Brooke Butler and Glenis Farren’s Foxparke Cheese and Beans.
The Pups also had a slip of 16 with Anna and Kerry Lindsay and Janie McAulay’s Zinger leading them out along with Nicola McMaster and Barbara Telford’s Rodney Ranger and Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s Is It It (currently trained by Denise and Jenny Bland).
Coming out of the mist it was a terrific race to the line with Christopher Henderson’s Nash On bursting through to win by a head from Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s What Is It with Rodney Ranger a very close-up third.
Zinger finished fourth ahead of Geoff and Gillian Higgins and Jake and Zach Green’s Acacia and Joseph Abram and Claire Crone’s Silver Girl.
The Puppy Maidens had a slip of nine but disappointingly was declared over time. In fact three of the youngsters were picked up and a fourth eventually finished with the hounds in the last race.
That final race was for the Open Restricted and saw 24 lining up to go and Ellie and Grace Napier’s Brown Sugar led them away with Malcolm Holmes’ Senor and Christine Brownlee’s Malia.
Coming over the final road and climbing up the finish it proved to be another great race to the line with Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s Let’s Go For It getting up to beat Senor by a head and rounded off a great day for the team.
Jenny Horn’s Spring Return was third followed by Brian and Erin Rowlandson and the late Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker; Anna and Kerry Lindsay and Emmie McAulay’s Inspect and David Clifford’s Eden Romina.
Saturday July 25 – Uldale
- Hounds – 1. Delta Fortune; 2. Millie’s Lass; 3. Silver Streak; 4. Let It Be; 5. Zoya; 6. Hey Mac. 23 ran, time 30.44.
- Maidens – 1. Dundee; 2. Lucky Moon; 3. Castle Callant; 4. Minnie; 5. Money Talks; 6. Foxparke Cheese and Beans. 16 ran, time 31.42.
- Pups – 1. Nash On; 2. What Is It; 3. Rodney Ranger; 4. Zinger; 5. Acacia; 6. Silver Girl. 16 ran, time 24.59.
- Puppy Maidens – Void.
- Open Restricted – 1. Lets Go For It; 2. Senor; 3. Spring Return; 4. Blue Striker; 5. Inspect; 6. Eden Romina. 24 ran, time 22.44.
