By John Walsh

Published at 11:11, Thursday, 09 August 2012

HOPEFULLY the up-turn in weather fortunes means it’s set fair for Saturday’s re-staging of the Bitch Produce.

Maiden winner: Cracking Performer, who won at Calebreak on Sunday

This time it’s the centrepiece of the HTA’s August Premier Trails, an added attraction to the already-prestigious event.

Jenny’s Rascal, currently runner-up in the race for the puppy championship, will be well fancied to give the Bland/Barrow kennel a Produce double.

The home-bred daughter of Huntsman’s Dazzler and Jenny’s Pride looks ideally suited to the terrain and her biggest dangers could come from Capetown, Shameless and Baroness.

One that has been catching the eye in the Whitehaven Area is Acacia, a daughter of Westgate Kyza and the 2006 Bitch Produce winner Bonny Lass. That might be one to keep a careful watch on in the betting.

Rumours, Cherish and Canny Girl are others that need to be looked at closely for those looking for more generous odds – provided, of course, they are all fit and firing for the day.

There will be a tipster competition at Latrigg on Saturday, entries at the secretary’s tent.

We start our look back at Wednesday’s meeting held at Cold Fell which had to be abandoned after just one trail.

There was high drama when teenage trailer Jackson Nicholson failed to come in as expected and there was a 90-minute search.

Bill Huddart, who with his team run the Egremont Cancer and Guide Dog trails, said: “It was one of those nights which just got worse.

“The weather turned really nasty and the beck suddenly rose. It would go up about 10 inches in an hour.

“We were starting to get really worried and I had my mobile in hand, about five seconds from ringing for the mountain rescue team when the youngster was located.

“He had acted very sensibly, staying his ground instead of trying to cross the beck, and he was fine once we found him. The beck had risen dramatically, blocking his route round the puppy trail completely.

“I’d just like to thank wholeheartedly those who stayed behind to help find young Jackson. Many thanks also to all who helped in any way on the night, including all the ladies who baked for the cake stall, which made a good profit of £336.

“The last three trails were, of course, cancelled, but increased prize-money will be given at the next meeting, August 15, with the rosettes. Entries will be free, and admission just £2.”

Last year’s puppy champion Hello Dolly has had share of injury concerns this season but she was able to add another success to her tally at Cold Fell before the abandonment.

Understandably in the conditions the seniors were three-and-a-half minutes over the expected time and in a good rush for the line she just beat Brevity by a length with Silver Moon close up in third.

Twenty-four hours earlier at Dean it was wet but not bad enough to cause any postponement and the four trails were completed.

HTA senior table leader Dairy Diamond was always prominent in the first and when they got down to the business end she went on with great determination to score her 17th win of the season. Silver Spangle won a good race with White Diamond to take second.

There was a dramatic finish to the pups after Huntsman’s Hero showed with a lead of approaching a hundred yards but Endeavour put in a superb finish and was only a length away from clawing back the deficit when the line came too soon. Assert took third.

Interestingly Black Rose had refused to race so she was re -entered in the open maidens and this time put up a determined effort, only beaten half a length by Quiet sdwoft, who was sent-off favourite. Rush wasn’t far behind in third.

Seven hounds contested the All-in trail and it was Dairy Standard who led them home from Enoch and Dairy Singer.

Thursday’s trails were at Kentmere Hall where there was a very good turn-out, including 25 runners for the opening senior trail.

Although the main group had stayed bunched over the first half of the trail, they were getting strung-out when they showed on the finish.

Black Eyed Pea was the most powerful on the run to the line, first of all seeing-off the challenge of Huntsman’s Dazzler and then going away from runner-up Langdale Jack to score for the fourth time, and doing it impressively.

Capetown is trained locally and was able to collect her thirteenth victory of the season in the puppy trail. She came onto the finish with a handy lead and went on to win comfortably from Jenny’s Rascal and Shameless.

There was a very good performance from Mika in the open restricted who, led throughout and who had 10 yards on nearest challenger Toytown at the line with Tiagress in third.

Barring injuries the senior title looks Dairy Diamond’s to lose as Arthur and Irene Temple’s charge won again on Saturday at Bridekirk.

It was a comfortable victory for the table leader as she had 30 metres to spare on White Diamond at the line with Night Spirit taking third.

There was a tight finish to the senior maidens as Sawdust got over the line narrowly from Quiet Swift with This Is It in third.

Puppy table leader Chicharito was beaten in the junior trail as Shameless ran out a good winner, and this pair had pulled well away from third-placed Is He It.

Quiet Warbler was a fortunate winner of the puppy maiden, profiting from errors by Black Rose, Westgate Belle and Plan B as they ran high on the finish. Plan B did make amends, getting sorted out to be fifth but Hurry On and Thorn Dolly were second and third.

Dairy Singer completed a double for the Temple’s when beating Brad the Lad and Sunlight in the veterans.

Calebreak’s first fixture of the season received good support on Sunday, with rain giving way to more pleasant conditions as the day wore on.

There was a great finish to the senior trail, after a group of five hounds came over the top in a close line. High Challenge was always in front, and he held on to win from Artisan and Silver Moon by five yards.

The maidens were led down the fell by that great driver, Cracking Performer. Everybody was waiting for his usual delaying tactics, but he just kept coming straight as an arrow, and beat consistent Davina and Roulette by several lengths.

Jenny’s Rascal made her 13th puppy win an easy one, at the expense of Get Up and Assert, and in the open restricted trail Ooh-La-La! just beat Tiagress and Pip’s Lad in a close finish.

There was a double helping on Monday with meetings at Askam-in-Furness and Crag Farm.

At Crag Farm, three hounds had been reported cutting out the pace in the senior trail when Hello Dolly seemed to get herself into trouble.

That left Fallen Spring to go on and beat Cinnabar by 25 yards, although Hello Dolly did recover to come in third.

In the pups, Is He It led into the last field but was hotly pursued by three other youngsters and in the end just did enough to beat Serenity and Wistlo Spring.

Biggest cheer of the night was in the open maidens where Mark Bryden had his first win with Kelton Croft, a youngster that had proved difficult to get going. But there has been noticeable improvement in recent weeks and on Monday the penny had dropped, coming through to beat Keystone by three length with Miss Molly in third.

There was also a popular winner of the senior trail at Askam where Jacob McClink, whose career looked to have been ended by injury a few weeks ago, gave a splendid performance to beat Black Eyed Pea and Langdale Jack.

Capetown won the pups from Cold Fell specialist Calypso with Huntsman's Hope in third while Gifted took the open restricted from Romeo and Toytown.

On Monday, the second renewal of Eric’s Memorial Trails will take place and this year Wasdale Head has been chosen for the occasion.

It is one of the very best viewing trails in the whole Association with the valley providing a perfect amphitheatre for the hounds to run right round you. It is a proper fell trail and produces exciting action – no race is ever over until they have crossed the line.

There will be four £50 trails – Hounds, Pups, Open Maidens and Open Restricted with rosettes for all ticketing hounds as well as bags of sweets. Eric’s trophy will be presented to the winner of the puppy trail. There will also be a puppy show at approximately 6.30pm.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk