170 yards straight , Veterans 150 yards, ½yd/lb & yd/yr.
The Whippet Meadow, Detling.
A lovely day – sunny, not too hot – and enjoyable racing to match, just reward for Racing Manager Ian German and helpers who put in an incredible amount of work before and on the big day. Wet weather through July finally gave us the grass growth we should have had in the spring and a lovely yielding running surface, but we’d have preferred the rain to have stopped when August came around (of course it didn’t). Trying to find windows of dry weather to cut the field became a challenge but finally the sun arrived 48 hours ahead of race day!
We had two new Racing Champions, Angie Parker’s Sapphire’s Crystal Bell and Sapphire’s Tanzanite Queen, plus four new Veteran Crowns; Sue Hoddinott’s *The Were-Rabbit, Gaye and Ray Scutter’s Wilsdon Billy Mac, Lynn and Dave Hunters’ Zula Go-Quick and Sarah Layfield’s senior girl Winterfell Lay Dee Gray. Congratulations to all the winners – there were excellent performances right through the field with some closely contested races.
WCRCh Sapphire’s Peridot started off the finals by picking up another 16lb weight class. In the 18lb group the Thomsons’ youngster Blue Kinda Hot ‘N Gorg, just shy of fifteen months, beat WCRCh Sapphire’s Queen’s Pearl by about half a length in the final to gain her half-coat. The 20lb final was closely-fought, little more than a length between the runners, *Sapphire’s Crystal Bell just prevailed against her fellow half-coat Satin Secret to be the first whippet “made up” on the day. It was a day of near misses for Carol Brown, her three charges all running well and all second in group; *Satin Secret’s time will surely come.
WCRCh Polly Flinders ruled the 22lb group, three comfortable wins in times of 10.10, 10.13 and 10.28, she really is a pleasure to watch. Pat Gant’s Dizzy Rascal certainly wasn’t disgraced, a talented little bend-racer who showed just what she could do on the straight. *Sapphire’s Tanzanite Queen was the favourite in the 24lb final and duly won out, while the very capable WCRCh Satin Sunshine was Carol’s second runner-up. An Cat Dubh, like the winner, unbeaten in the heat and semi final was an honourable third and look out for Rudy Roo soon in the veterans.
In the 26lb group, Blue He’s Mia’s Boy made it a lovely double for the Thomsons, reward for their long journey down from Hamilton and fortifying them for the run back. He was convincing in the heats and semi-final too; Pat and Jeff Bochenek’s youngster Jammy Dodger gave a run full of promise while Winterfell Let Me Loose and Trueloveways both ran superbly to make the final in what turned out to be a tough weight class.
In beating the half-coats Hear Cat and Markamy’s Son & Air, WCRCh Scallywag secured his eleventh weight class win to become 28lb group record holder in his own right, unseating those two legends WCRCh Tipper and WCRCh Run At Mill. In taking the 30lb final, his kennelmate WCRCh Nip ‘n’ Tuck won his tenth, although one of those was in the 32lb group last year, this time around he had a tough battle, only winning by a head to Viv Thurman’s *Gunna Be A Devil.
Form for the 32lb final suggested a tough battle and that’s what we got. The Cooler King was away half a length down on proven fast trappers, Jean Goode’s *Kai-Kai and the Bocheneks’ Artful Dodger but powered to the front and narrowly held them to the line – even the video couldn’t separate the two runners-up.
The Fastest Time rosette, kindly sponsored by Jackie Hawkins was shared by *Blue He’s Mia’s Boy and Melissa Lawrence’s *Hear Cat, 10.02, both times recorded in the first round.
Sarah Layfield’s veterans continued their good runs. VC Winterfell Hellfire and VC Winterfell Arfa Must Dash recorded their second Veteran Crown wins while Winterfell Lay Dee Gray won the 8-9 year-old heavyweight group to gain her title. Gaye and Ray Scutter’s Wilsdon Billy Mac took the lightweight seniors, well done.
Two half-coats who just haven’t had the rub of the green each won their second Championship weight class to become Veteran Crowns, well deserved. Sue Hoddinott’s VC *The Were-Rabbit, sound after several years of niggling injuries, came home a length clear of Carol Brown’s Satin Sings. The Hunters’ VC *Zula Go-Quick has always had to contend with the wonderful WCRCh VC Sapphire’s Queen’s Topaz – so nearly beat her in the previous Veteran Crowns – but had things more her own way this time. In her thirteenth Championship final *Zula Go Quick beat Janis Burrow’s good late developer Stripey Nancy by several lengths.
“Action” of a different kind was anticipated in the last race of the day, Winterfell Lay Dee Gray’s final. Three big senior veterans, otherwise sensible and proper professionals, weren’t keen to ‘share’ the lure and were all up for a bundle at the pick-up but three ace handlers were ready and waiting, a big dive in that wouldn’t have disgraced a rugby match so the inevitable growl-up didn’t last more than about two seconds!
All in all, a sunny day with a warm, friendly atmosphere and the expectation of a clutch of great action shots to come from Chris Doyle’s photography of the day’s racing.
Report by Mark Etheridge.
Results
Main Weight Groups
NE 16lb
- WCRCh Sapphire’s Peridot (Chalkners Flaming Arrow x Sunlay Sapphire’s Gem) Owner: A. Parker. TIme: 10.98
NE 18lb
- *Blue Kinda Hot ‘N’ Gorg (Mr Jigsaw x Carol’s Christmas) Owner: M. Thomson. Time: 10.32
- WCRCh Sapphire’s Queen’s Pearl
- WCRCh Great Fun
NE 20lb
- WCRCh Sapphire’s Crystal Bell (Bethnal Green Boy x Sunlay Queen’s Topaz) Owner: A. Parker. Time: 10.65
- *Satin Secret
- Wilsdon Little Mac
- WCRCh Vino
NE 22lb
- WCRCh Polly Flinders (Chalkners Flaming Arrow x Our Little Dink) Owner: G. Cairns. TIme: 10.28
- Dizzy Rascal
- WCRCh Sapphire’s Ruby Queen
- Oh So Sharp
NE 24lb
- WCRCh Sapphire’s Tanzanite Queen (Bethnal Green Boy x Sunlay Queens Topaz) Owner: A. Parker. Time: 10.43
- WCRCh Satin Sunshine
- An Cat Dubh
- Rudy Roo
NE 26lb
- *Blue He’s Mia’s Boy (Black and White Dynamite x Sunlay Ivory Princess) Owner: M.Thomson. Time: 10.24
- Jammy Dodger
- Winterfell Let Me Loose
- Trueloveways
NE 28lb
- WCRCh Scallywag (Drawn To Me x Carlstream Popstar) Owner: P. Gant> Time: 10.23
- *Hear Cat
- *Markamy’s Son and Air
NE 30lb
- WCRCh Nip ‘N Tuck (Chalkners Flaming Arrow x Goodad Star Addition) Owner: G. Ray. Time: 10.12
- *Gunna Be a Devil
- I’ze One More Rags
NE 32lb
- *The Cooler King (Goodad Arch Event x Wonder Wag) Owner: M. Etheridge. Time: 10.13
- Dead Heat: Artful Dodger, *Kai Kai
- Markamy’s Red Fred (WDN)
Veteran Crowns
6-7yrs 14-20lb
- VC Winterfell Hellfire (Busby Babe x Winterfell Tinkerbelle) Owner: S. Layfield
- Guye’s Goldilocks
6-7yrs 21-25lb
- VC *The Were-Rabbit (Karyon Ring of Fire x Sunset Promise) Owner: S. Hodinott
- Satin Sings
- VC Raffles
- Fangdangle
6-7 yrs 26-32lb
- VC Winterfell Arfa Must Dash (Busby Babe x Winterfell Tinkerbelle) Owner: S. Layfield
- Satin Star
8 yrs & Over 14-20lb
- VC Wilsdon Billy Mac (Black & White Domino x Brass In Pocket) Owner: G Scutter
8 yrs & Over 21-25lb
- VC *Zula Go-Quick (Breakingbury Triple Seven x Matchington Summersweet) Owners: D & L Hunter
- Stripey Nancy
8 yrs and Over 26-32lb
- VC Winterfell Lay Dee Gray (Pamrays Izzet Muzzy x Lillies Dream) Owner: S. Layfield