Huntsman’s Hope holds his nerve to seize a second win

by John Walsh

Published at 11:09, Thursday, 14 June 2012

THE Patterdale kennel of Denise and Jenny Bland and Denis Barrow landed a second successive Dog Produce on Sunday.

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The Ward Hall winner Huntsman’s Hope is home-bred by Huntsman’s Dazzler out of Jenny’s Pride, who was herself a Produce winner back in 2007.

The kennel’s other entry, Huntsman’s Hero (Huntsman’s Dazzler x Halloween), trained by Steven and Lesley Miles, finished fifth.

Hope and Hero had set the early pace and they were joined by Is He It approaching the finish where a couple of scales cost some candidates yards and momentum.

Huntsman’s Hope, however, kept his nerve and the right line and he went on with great determination to hold-off a prolonged challenge from Endeavour by three lengths.

Second, third and fourth were all from the Westgate Kyza X Dignity litter - Endeavour (Keith Lynch and Darren McMaster), Free Spirit (Cliff Donaldson), and Get Up (Peter and Chris Henderson and Jake Bennett), while Emily Irving’s Overwater Harry (Westgate Kyza x Quiet Pearl) was sixth. It had been a good race for all the tickets.

Well done to the Bland and Barrow team for a tremendous training and breeding achievement. Hope’s dam Jenny’s Pride was a Bitch Produce winner herself at Coniston in 2007 and last season her other son Huntsman’s Gambler took the Dog Produce honours at Helton.

Who would bet against Hope’s sister Jenny’s Rascal winning the Bitch Produce next month and continuing the success story.

Sunday’s Dog Produce meeting was blessed with fine weather, and the good crowd enjoyed five great trails.

Afterwards the chairman of the HTA Barry Laidler said: “I want to pass on my congratulations to the Aspatria and Wigton area committee for the five excellent trails on Sunday.

“On behalf of the HTA I would like to thank all the volunteers from scouts to gatekeeper, entry taker, raffle ticket sellers, and not forgetting the trailers. Thank you once again to Story Homes for their generous sponsorship and to all others who contributed last but not least the farmers and landowners, and most of all yourselves.”

It was a very good day for Joanna Satterthwaite, who took the senior maiden trail with Thorn Girl and had second place in the open pups with Thorn Dolly, who was beaten by table leader Chicharito.

In the senior maidens Thorn Girl did well to hamg on at the finish after being prominent throughout as Sawdust was flying into second place with Hot Flush grabbing third from Crusader.

Carole Harrison’s Chicharito was very impressive in taking the open pups to record her 11th win of the season. Thorn Dolly was the only danger from a long way out but Chicharito finished up the hill in eye-catching fashion.

Thorn Dolly did not help her chances by making a mistake but she did well to get back on track for second place from Cracking Moment.

There were lots of hounds in with a chance in the open restricted but it was John Grisedale and Heidi Messenger’s Matador who settled down best of all to run a strong finish and win nicely from Delahoya and Dairy Singer.

The meeting had started with the senior trail, and perhaps as a sign of what was to come, the Huntsman’s team was prominent. Dazzler finished third and Gambler took fifth.

But the main battle had concerned Della and Malinda who were closely matched until the closing stages. Then Della responded best to the whistles and pulled away to win by ten yards.

The Tipster Competition ended in a three-way tie between Duncan Chisholm, Joanna Satterthwaite, and Dennis/Dickie, all with 18 points after picking the same hounds.

News now of the Wath Brow Hound Trailing Club which will be staging the eagerly-awaited Festival, back at Coldfell Gate, on Saturday, July 14.

This year it is going to be an eight-trail meeting, starting at 11-30am. The new addition to the race programme will be a trail, over the shorter distance, for visiting Associations – Border, Irish and Yorkshire. The HTA hounds won’t be taking part in that particular trail.

Visiting hounds can take part in both the open senior and puppy trails, but are more likely to choose this special race when their chances will be considerably improved with no HTA participation.

The actual running order has not yet been decided but the Visitors Trail is not likely to be the first on the card because of the travelling involved.

With no Saturday trails, our look-back at the week involves only trails last Wednesday and Thursday, as well as this Monday.

On Wednesday the action was at St. Helena (Nook Farm) where punters had to endure some really tight finishes.

It was touch and go in the seniors as the favourite Fallen Spring seemed well in command throughout until being overtaken by Brad on the run to the line. But showing great courage Fallen Spring fought back to gain mastery in the last few strides and win by a length. Cinnabar was well in contention in third.

It was even tighter in the puppy trail where the favourite Baroness was all out to beat Valiant by a neck with Discard not far behind in third.

The third winning favourite on the night was Wistlo Spring in the puppy maidens who had three lengths on Lingfell at the line with Twilight Mystery a couple of lengths further back in third.

The closest finish of the night was in the open restricted and this time the judge couldn’t split the main contenders. Hunters Rose and Tinker went past together and couldn’t be separated with Night Shadow in third.

Despite the wet weather there was a good turn-out at Buttermere on Thursday when a big slip of 27 runners went off in the opening senior trail.

It p[roved to be a true-run race, a good battle in the end before Corrina got the measure close home of the persistent Jenny’s Dream with Minerva running well to take third.

There was an even better turn-out for the pups with 32 taken to the slip. Coming down the last fell Cherish looked to be going well in the lead but Jenny’s Rascal flew down the descent in remarkable fashion to drastically reduce the deficit.

When they got down to battle it out on the ruin to the line Jenny’s Rascal just had a bit more to give and won well by a couple of lengths with Believe finishing third.

Smallest field of the night, 17, was for the open restricted and it was the classy performer Mayfair – a former puppy and veteran champion- ho pulled away on the finish to win easily. Toytown was second ahead of Snow Peak.

Goosewell trails were held on Monday, the day after the Produce, giving the fell specialists a chance to shine, and it proved to be a clean sweep for the Westmorland area.

The Pawley, Burrow, Hodgson and Bell partnership’s Della finished well to take the senior trail, ahead of Malinda, while John and Carla Graham had first and second in the open restricted with Jordan’s Tyke and Casey’s Lass.

There was a double tonic for Yvonne Wilson, who is unfortunately still in hospital, when Capetown had her seventh puppy win and Toytown took the veteran trail, with both the winners well clear of their rivals.

Meanwhile the Grasmere fixture has been moved from Thursday the 21st to Wednesday the 20th to avoid the inevitable congestion around the passage of The Torch!

Finally this week some Area points from Carlisle and Penrith Open Competition up to and including June 3.

Hounds: 1, Mayflower 24; 2, Westgate Gypsy; 17; 3, Silver Spangle; 14

Pups: 1, Howgill Blondie 18; 2, Canny Girl 16; 3, Jenny’s Rascal 13.

Open Restricted: 1 equal Rose and Sundown, both on 17; 3, Simply Rascal 13; 4, White Diamond 9.

Carlisle and Penrith Area Local Hounds Points Competition up to and including June 7 -

Hounds: 1, High Challenge 48; 2, Mayflower 31.

Pups: 1, Chicharito 97; 2, Cracking Moment 31; 3, Eden Rosa 21.

Open Restricted: 1, Sundown 23; 2, Mayfair 7.

Senior Maidens: 1, Our Vic 13; 2, Brad the Lad 10; 3, Repeal 8.

Puppy Maidens: 1 equal, Fram and Shambles both on 6; 3, Stand On 5.

nearest still eligible.

Veteran: 1, Halloween 6.