2nd WCRA Championships plus Veteran Sprint, 2023 – Full Write-up and Results

Heart of England PWRC, Shuttington: 25 June 2023

240 yards bends, veterans 140 yards at ½yd/lb plus yd/yr

First of all, hats off to the Heart of England club and their ground team for producing such a wonderfully lush racetrack in the face of near-drought conditions. They really have worked hard to make the running surface top class following last summer’s heatwave, and as ever, a thoroughly warm welcome.

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Saturday, setting-up day was the hotter day of the weekend with the doggie paddling-pool already proving priceless. A special thanks to Vince Hart, Johnny Brearley, Michael Treacher, Gary Hogan and Steve Gardner who worked tirelessly throughout the day despite the heat. Saturday evening the HOE ladies provide food aplenty, including freshly picked strawberries for dessert with lashings of cream. Steve Gardner extended his exposure to the heat, donning his chef’s hat at the BBQ!!

Sunday, weighing-in could have been an ordeal for the dogs but with an “early-bird” weigh-in (before breakfast!) in the cool of the Village Hall a third of the job was done by nine. Breakfast as ever was great, many thanks to the canteen ladies who kept us going all day.

On to the racing, an entry of 99 dogs was the largest for a bend Champs for many years and with only seven non-runners the racing was highly competitive from the get-go. Two whippets unfortunately sustained toe injuries in the semis, best wishes for straightforward recoveries to WCRCh Scrappy Doo and All About Me (who’s just come back from a previous injury, poor soul).

In the heat of day, we had a few equipment niggles, but despite the delays we still finished racing at a quarter past five and overall it was a happy day.

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We had one new Racing Champion, Liz and Richard Villis’ WCRCh A Touch Of Sass, four new “half-coats”, and four Racing Champions defending successfully, congratulations.

We kicked off the finals with the Veteran Sprint, four veteran weight classes competing for rosettes kindly sponsored by Mick & Jackie Hawkins. Sarah Layfield’s VC *Winterfell Must be Crazy took the 14-20lb group by three and a half lengths from Kev & Sue Shakespeare’s Cairdean Laguna Luna. The 21-23lb final was closely-bunched and despite not having the best of traps, William Harper’s Mal Y Pense was a winner by just over half a length from Kevin Coe and Keeley Bradshaw’s WCRCh Twilight Twiggy.

Steve Miller’s high-class VC Wild Apache took the 24-27lb group by 1½ lengths from Rebecca Hough’s Victory V, just over half a length covering second to fourth. John and Maggie Brearley’s fine heavyweight WCRCh VC Feilly’s Gold was in fine form and in the 28-32lb final beat his clubmate, Gary Hogan’s VC The Quiet Man a length and a half giving three yards’ start.

On to the Championship finals. WCRCh A Touch of Sass gained her title by beating Terry Wheeler’s WCRCh(s) Mamma Mia, the margin no disgrace as 16.00 was a very decent winning time for a little ‘un.

In the 18lb group, defending champion WCRCh Ameesha Summer Rocket, eleven Championship wins already to her credit, was on the back foot early when Dave & Lynn Hunter’s Zinghela Go-Quick beat her in the heats. In the first semi finals, the Baches’ Mayan’s Dream beat Zinghela, then in the second semi Sarah Layfield’s Winterfell Tangfastic beat Summer Rocket two lengths. Come the final, Winterfell Tangfastic (whose time will surely come) ran into traffic while making her move on the first bend, while Summer Rocket pulled out all the stops to beat Zinghela and thus equal mum Ameesha Little Ebs’ tally of twelve weight classes.

The four heat winners in the 20lb group all won through to the final. In the first semi, race 31 Steve Miller’s Apache Cheyenne narrowly beat the Hunters’ WCRCh My Girl Enfys, while in race 32 Enfys’ kennelmate *Zikomo Go-Quick beat defending champion, Allan Parkhurst’s WCRCh Sweet Secret two and a half lengths. But in a three-dog final, when it mattered Parky’s little black champion pulled out all the stops, coming home two lengths ahead of Zikomo Go-Quick.

There were fewer swings and roundabouts in the 22lb group, Nicola and John Walton’s *Pure Delight winning heat, semi and final, ultimately beating the Hunters’ WCRCh Tiana three lengths. They almost had the “double” very next race, with Gimme Delight only just shaded by Christine Howard’s *Ryamber That’ll Do, a very close finish. The Hunters’ third-placed WCRCh Brontë, unbeaten till the final and Keeley & Kevin’s Highlight Halo, fourth only just out of season, both did their owners proud. Special mention to two fine Racing Champions, WCRCh Call Me Enchanting and WCRCh Rising Star both veterans but running in this group simply ‘cos they’re still competitive on the bends.

WCRCh Scrappy Doo was a prime contender for the 26lb group when in his semi final he didn’t have a clear run on the first bend. Even so, despite losing all that ground he ran a superb second bend and almost snatched second on the line. The final wasn’t short of drama either; in the first attempt a loose dog entered the track near the finish line, thankfully no injuries although it did little for our pulse-rates. We held back the rerun till after the 32lb final to give them a breather. To close the day, they gave us an excellent race, the Hunters’ *Zama Go-Quick beating Trish Gilfeather’s fine bend dog *Mista T by a neck.

In the 28lb semis, the first was a Harvel 1-2. Glen and Jackie Hughes’ WCRCh Stormin’ Norman got out well but Mark & Charlotte Bursey’s youngster Mach’s Kamikaze Mars all but caught him on the line, while in the other semi Jo Lock’s *Sea The Moon beat the Harts’ Sandy Shore. The final was close, but WCRCh Stormin’ Norman led by a yard going into the bend and that’s how it stayed. On the line he won by a length from his clubmate, again great efforts from third and fourth.

On semi-final form the 30lb final looked to be between last time’s new racing Champion, Kevin & Keeley’s WCRCh Moonlight Millie and emerging youngster, Philip & Crystal Fusi’s Danger Dash. Millie, bred to be a bend-racer but both previous wins on the straight, held her line entering the bend and gradually stretched her advantage all the way to the finish, winning by 1½ lengths. Again, honourable mentions; to Dave & Sandra Bursey’s third-placed Markamy’s Reddie Eddie, clearly very competitive around the bend even after his toe op, and Jo Lock’s *Sea The Moon in fourth, only 3½ lengths covering the field.

The 32lb final finished up a Yorkshire 1-2, a Gilfeather 1-2 to boot. Rising Sun won the Fastest Time Rosette in his heat with a 14.94 but in a race decided by scrimmaging entering the first bend, kennelmate *Gimme Some Action beat him by two lengths. The Burseys’ Machs White Toed Brodes and the Baches’ WCRCh Daddy’s Boy were respectively a close third and fourth, all of them determined efforts.

Mark Etheridge Reporting

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Full Results

Championships

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NE 16lb

1. WCRCh AMEESHA A TOUCH OF SASS (new Champion) (Ameesha As Good As Gold – Devil Hall of Fame x Ameesha Blue Spirit). Owner : Liz Villis (time 16.00)
2. WCRCh(s) Mamma Mia

Heat Wins: *Ameesha A Touch Of Sass, WCRCh(s) Mamma Mia.

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NE 18lb

1. WCRCh AMEESHA SUMMER ROCKET (Ameesha Indian Summer – Billy On Show x Ameesha Pure Spirit). Owner: Liz Villis (time 16.13)
2. Zinghela Go-Quick
3. 3rd Mayan’s Dream
4. Winterfell Tangfastic

Heat Wins: Zinghela Go-Quick, Mayan’s Dream, Winterfell Tangfastic.
Semi Final Wins: Mayan’s Dream, Winterfell Tangfastic.

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NE 20lb

1. WCRCh SWEET SECRET (Chalkners Sweet Destiny – Chalkners Secrets and Lies x Secret Smile at Chalkners). Owner: Allan Parkhurst (time 15.79)
2. *Zikomo Go-Quick
3. Apache Cheyenne
4. (wdn) WCRCh My Girl Enfys

Heat Wins: Apache Cheyenne, WCRCh Sweet Secret, WCRCh My Girl Enfys, *Zikomo Go-Quick.
Semi Final Wins: Apache Cheyenne, *Zikomo Go-Quick.

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NE 22lb

1. *PURE DELIGHT (Kentwone Theta – Freasley’s Archer x Sheer Bliss). Owners: Nicola & John Walton (time 15.64)
2. WCRCh Tiana
3. Winterfell What The Heck
4. WCRCh Glad All Over

Heat Wins: Charlie Brown, Gee Gee, Bertie’s Gold, WCRCh Tiana, Pure Delight.
Semi Final Wins: WCRCh Tiana, Pure Delight.

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NE 24lb

1. *RYAMBER THAT’LL DO (Ryamber Tried And Tested – Goodad Special Duty x Ryamber Keep On Running). Owner: Christine Howard (time 15.44)
2. Gimme Delight
3. WCRCh Brontë
4. Highlight Halo.

Heat Wins: Gimme Delight, WCRCh Brontë, Highlight Halo, Ryamber That’ll Do.
Semi Final Wins: Gimme Delight, WCRCh Brontë.

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NE 26lb

1. *ZAMA GO-QUICK (Ryemeadows Zama – Ryemeadows Figaro x Ryemeadows Zola). Owners: Lynn & Dave Hunter (time 15.72)
2. *Mista T
3. *Tik Tok Tia
4. *Murphy’s Gold

Heat Wins: WCRCh Scrappy Doo, Zama Go-Quick, *Tik Tok Tia.
Semi Final Wins: Zama Go-Quick, *Mista T.

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NE 28lb

1. WCRCh STORMIN’ NORMAN (Ryamber Take It On The Run – Goodad Special Duty x Ryamber Keep On Running). Owners: Glen & Jackie Hughes (time 15.82)
2. Mach’s Kamikaze Mars
3. *Sea The Moon
4. Sandy Shore

Heat Wins: Mach’s Kamikaze Mars, WCRCh Stormin’ Norman, Sandy Shore.
Semi Final Wins: WCRCh Stormin’ Norman, *Sea The Moon.

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NE 30lb

1. WCRCh MOONLIGHT MILLIE (Elliemays Millie – Jolly Pocher x Rudy’s Rock ‘N Roller). Owners: Kevin Coe & Keeley Bradshaw (time 15.38).
2. Danger Dash
3. Markamy’s Reddie Eddie
4. *Sea The Skies

Heat Wins: WCRCh Moonlight Millie, *Sea The Skies, Glory Narah.
Semi Final Wins: WCRCh Moonlight Millie, Danger Dash.

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NE 32lb

1. *GIMME SOME ACTION (Wiltwojs Juniper Gannymede – Freasley’s Archer x Wiltwojs January Glazier). Owner: Trish Gilfeather (time 15.48).
2. Rising Sun
3. Machs White Toed Brodes
4. WCRCh Daddy’s Boy.

Heat Wins: Gimme Some Action, Rising Sun

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Superstars Veteran Sprint

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14-20lb

1. VC *WINTERFELL MUST BE CRAZY (Winterfellin Must Be Crazy – Winterfellin Tinkers Lad x Winterfellin Frosted Dawn). Owner: Sarah Layfield.
2. Cairdean Laguna Luna.

Heat Win: VC *Winterfell Must Be Crazy.

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21-23lb

1. MAL Y PENSE (Ameesha Tinkerbell – Ameesha Cosmopolitan x Ameesha Honeycomb). Owner: William Harper.
2. WCRCh Twilight Twiggy
3. Light Of Day
4. VC Apache Gold

Heat Wins: Light Of Day, Mal Y Pense.

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24-27lb

1. VC WILD APACHE (Blue Indian Warrior – Red Apache x Wheatroyd Running Wild). Owner: Steve Miller
2. Victory V
3. Winterfell Let Me Loose
4. *Speed Limit.

Heat Wins: VC Wild Apache, *Speed Limit.

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28-32lb

1. WCRCh VC FEILLY’S GOLD (Wagtail Johnny’s Boy – Sunlay Chermayeff x Rock On Ruby). Owners: John & Maggie Brearley
2. VC The Quiet Man
3. WCRCh Lovely Jubbly
4. Bombalong

Heat Wins: WCRCh VC Feilly’s Gold, VC The Quiet Man.

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