Hound Trailing by John Walsh

Published at 11:04, Thursday, 22 December 2011

ROULETTE completed a fine maiden double for the Cockermouth kennel of John Grisedale and Heidi Messenger.

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With Hello Dolly wrapping up the puppy title from a good way-out it was left to Roulette to complete an excellent season for the kennel by winning the open maiden and senior maiden grades.

The four-year-old is a daughter of former kennel heroine Midnight Express when lined with Jimmy Ringo, a litter brother of Westgate Ruby.

John, reflecting on Roulette’s double in maiden grades, said: “She hasn’t got any star qualities but she is just an honest hound, reliable and consistent.

“I suppose you should also say in this grade of trail she has that valuable asset of throwing away races she should have won!”

Her mother Midnight Express, until Hello Dolly’s puppy season this year, John’s favourite hound, won 60 championship trails. She was superbly well bed through Crafty and Morse – the best of the Jackson and Brownlee lines.

“Midnight actually won the International puppy trail at Sewingshields in June 2002 when she was still a maiden. It was World Cup year and because England were playing Denmark we elected to run her in the puppy trail which was first up rather than wait until the penultimate race for puppy maidens.

“It was so that we could go and watch the match but when she won I think we were in so much of a daze we were still on the field at 8pm!,” recalls John.

Roulette has never risen to those dizzy heights but her maiden championship double has pushed her into the spotlight – and the HTA records.

She never won a puppy championship trail in 2008 but did register a puppy maiden success while a year later she won a senior maiden and an open maiden.

She was kept at the lower grade in 2010, registering two senior maiden wins and also two open maiden successes.

One of those wins came at the Cold Fell Festival – her best pay day to date - when she had the pleasure of winning the senior maiden, beating her brother Relentless, also trained by John and Heidi.

This last season has brought two open maiden victories at Ennerdale Show and Keswick Golf Course, with a senior maiden win at Lorton.

“She was actually well down in the points at half-way but a lot of the others ahead of her got two wins and gradually she came into prominence. She had three or four seconds and by August time we thought there was a chance of winning that grade.

“I think she finished with 62 points in each grade and had them wrapped-up by the middle of October.

“She will be five in 2012 and will stay in training. She’s been lucky with injuries. In fact we’ve been the fewest times this year to the vet than any before, so that is an indication of how we’ve been fortunate in that respect.

“We have a pup for 2012 but I think we’ll need a lot of luck for her to be as good as Hello Dolly. But she has started off well and has shaped promisingly, although it’s early days,” says John.

The new pup is Safari, out of Westgate Ruby by Westgate Renney and may be one to keep an eye on next year.

The last of the three open trials staged at Staveley Head over the week-end saw eleven pups slipped with Uptown Girl setting the pace from the off.

Yvonne and Alan Wilson and Alice Pimbley’s bitch led for most of the trail before being joined by kennel-mate Cape Town. They soon had company from Shameless and Baroness and the four were well grouped as they came onto the finish.

It was there that Cape Town showed her potential by going on from her rivals to get the verdict by four yards in a time of 5.22 from Uptown Girl. Shameless took third. Baroness was fourth ahead of Jimmy Nick with all five from the Westgate Kyza/Bonny Lass litter.

The two year old Cracking Performer was the only entry for the seniors and Rob and Tina Airey, Bill Mellon and John Pattinson’s charge did well, going round himself in 5.52.

Some trials dates for your diary are as follows: Darling Hill, Shap Summit, Saturday 24 and Saturday 31, 12 noon approximately 6-8 minutes. Kendal (Racecourse) - Monday 26, 11am. All proceeds to Sandgate School - approximately six minutes; Oulton - Monday 26 and Monday 1, 11am.

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