4TH WCRA CHAMPIONSHIPS plus SUPERSTARS VETERAN SPRINT at RYEMEADOWS on 6th OCTOBER 2019 – 220 yards bend; veterans over 110 yards straight
After a soggy 3rd Championships it was only fair we had a fine sunny-breezy day for the last Championships of 2019 – and better still, spongy, grippy ground on the bend plus a tailwind in the final straight gave great conditions for fast racing; made all the better having been rolled earlier that morning. The track record was broken thrice and when the dust settled we had six new Racing Champions.
Before racing began, we held a minute’s silence to honour Heather How, who sadly passed away the previous morning. Heather was a whole-hearted supporter of the WCRA and for some years ran the raffle at Champs meetings. Our deepest condolences to Sarah and family.
The veteran weight classes saw the competitive farewells of Kim Saxby’s excellent Karyon Ring of Fire x Sunset Promise litter, the four Veteran Crowns Guye’s Goldilocks, Raffles, *The Were-Rabbit and Cairdean Yoshimi, three weeks shy of their tenth birthday. On the sidelines were brother Tarot (injured when a puppy), mum Poppy (14 years) and dad Quinn (16 in two weeks time). Doggie cake was freely available and some of it was pilfered by the humans. (Hope they enjoyed it!)
The finals started off with the oldies. The 20lb group was a close duel between the Villis’ WCRCh VC Ameesha Little Ebs and Garry Comber’s WCRCh Jett Black, Ebony got the better of Jett (just) in their heat and in the final won by a length. In the 23’s, Rudy Roo was the hot tip after winning at Heart Of England the previous week and it looked on when she shaded WCRCh The Poet in their heat. But in the final, Dave Favell’s charge ran splendidly to edge out the Cairns’ WCRCh VC Polly Flinders with Rudy Roo a close third. A great race, Gambler Jack was close up too.
The Strains’ Our Boy Ace ran well off the back to win the 27lb weight class by a length from Ian German’s VC Raffles, while the Gilfeathers’ WCRCh(s) Star Attraction won a solo to take the heavyweights. Then back to the bends, new Champions in the 18, 20, 22, 24, 28 and 30lb groups.
The 18lb final was convincingly won by the Villis’ WCRCh Swift Shadow while in the 20’s, Kevin Coe and Keeley Bradshaw’s WCRCh Twilight Twiggy gained her title after coming oh so close in the last bend Champs, beating Zikomo Go-Quick by three lengths.
In the 22lb final, the Wareings’ WCRCh Forever An Opal won her title at the first attempt from H’s Odd One Out. In the 24’s, Trish and Graham’s WCRCh Rising Star did the White Rose proud in beating Liz and Richard’s WCRCh Cosmic Chaser to become the fourth new champ, while Stephen Williams’ *Speed Limit and Pushing The Limit made sure the Welsh weren’t outdone by scoring a 1-2 in the 26lb decider.
Dave Favell’s day got even better when his WCRCh Lovely Jubbly, who briefly held the track record in Round 1 with a 13.47, held off Dave and Sandra Bursey’s WCRCh Markamy’s Son & Air in the 28lb final. Then probably the best race of the day, a tough 30lb final ended in a blanket finish. The Brearleys’ WCRCh Feillys Gold took it by half a length and in a photo for second, the Gilfeathers’ WCRCh Back To Light just prevailed over the Burseys’ youngster Markamy’s Reddie Eddie.
WCRCh Gimme Attraction was big favourite for the 32lb class and duly won heat and final by five lengths from the Thorpes’ fine youngster *Figaro. In the heat he regained the track record with 13.37 and in the final lowered it with a fine 13.13 for the Fastest Time Rosette.
Many, many thanks to everyone who stepped up to help, to Bob the Burger Man for his wonderful all-day breakfasts and particularly to Lynn and Dave for all their hard work behind the scenes. We were done by four with no reruns – brilliant in windy conditions.
Now to look forward to 2020 and our Golden Jubilee year, let’s see if we can make it really special!
Mark Etheridge reporting
Racing photos reproduced courtesy of Jo Lock. Click on the winners photos to view larger.
Full Results
Main Championships
NE 18lb
WCRCh AMEESHA SWIFT SHADOW (Ameesha Blue Spirit) – Billy On Show x Ameesha Pure Spirit. Owner: L. Villis (time 14.31)
2nd Ameesha Just A Breeze
Heat Wins: Ameesha Just A Breeze, *Ameesha Swift Shadow
NE 20lb
WCRCh TWILIGHT TWIGGY (Rudy’s Rock ‘n Roller) – Drink Up Son x Maisie’s Martha May. Owner: K. Coe & K. Bradshaw (time 14.56)
2nd Zikomo Go-Quick
3rd Minnie
4th Cairdean Pipsqueak.
Heat Wins: *Twilight Twiggy, Zikomo Go-Quick
Semi Finals: *Twilight Twiggy, Zikomo Go-Quick
NE 22lb
WCRCh FOREVER AN OPAL (Medlarway Crème de la Crème) – Enchanted Forest of Medlarway x Wheatroyd Lily at Medlarway. Owner: J. Wareing (time 14.13)
2nd Odd One Out,
3rd Ameesha Top Tease
4th Two In One
Heat Wins: Odd One Out, Ameesha Top Tease, *Forever An Opal, Quick As A Flash
Semi Finals: *Forever An Opal, Ameesha Top Tease
NE 24lb
WCRCh RISING STAR (Wiltwojs Joni Glen) -Jolly Pocher x Kingscastle Melody of Wiltwojs. Owner: P & G Gilfeather (time 13.87)
2nd WCRCh Cosmic Chaser
3rd Super Sonic
4th Cairdean Merry Monkey
Heat Wins: WCRCh Cosmic Chaser, *Rising Star, Super Sonic
Semi Finals: WCRCh Cosmic Chaser, *Rising Star
NE 26lb
*SPEED LIMIT (Liapau Time Limit) – Red Apache x Liam’s Little Lady. Owner : S Williams (time 14.45)
2nd Pushing The Limit
3rd Forever In Amber
Heat Wins: Forever In Amber, Speed Limit
NE 28lb
WCRCh LOVELY JUBBLY (Kensteen Highest Regards) – Chalkners Gone For A Run x Carlstream Pop Star. Owner: D Favell (time 14.04)
2nd WCRCh Markamy’s Son & Air
3rd Cairdean Harry Sparrow.
Heat Wins: *Lovely Jubbly, WCRCh Markamy’s Son & Air
NE 30lb
WCRCh FEILLYS GOLD (Wagtail Johnny’s Boy) – Sunlay Chermay Eff x Rock On Ruby. Owner: J & M Brearley (time 13.45).
2nd WCRCh Back To Light
3rd Markamy’s Reddie Eddie
4th Victor Quartermaine
Heat Wins: *Feillys Gold, Markamy’s Reddie Eddie
NE 32lb
WCRCh GIMME ATTRACTION (Freasley’s Archer) – Drawn to Me x Lucky Me. Owner : P & G Gilfeather (time 13.13).
2nd *Figaro
3rd Big Blueh
4th Laguna Lawns Le Lundi
Heat Wins: Big Blueh, WCRCh Gimme Attraction
Superstars Veteran Sprint
14-20lb
WCRCh VC AMEESHA LITTLE EBS (Ameesha Pure Spirit) – Busby Babe x Stokecourcy Hazel At Ameesha. Owner: E Villis.
2nd WCRCh Jett Black
3rd VC Guye’s Goldilocks
4th VC Cairdean Yoshimi
Heat Wins: VC Guye’s Goldilocks, WCRCh VC Ameesha Little Ebs
21-23lb
WCRCh THE POET (Chalkners Gone For A Run) – Chalkners Sensational x Chalkners Fun Lovin. Owner: D Favell.
2nd WCRCh VC Polly Flinders
3rd Rudy Roo
4th Gambler Jack
Heat Wins: WCRCh VC Polly Flinders, Rudy Roo
24-27lb
OUR BOY ACE (Rorross Ace Venture) – Tom Boy He’s The One x Dianes Girl. Owner: J & S Strain.
2nd VC Raffles
3rd Marleys Gold
4th VC *The Were-Rabbit (withdrawn)
Heat Wins: Marleys Gold, Our Boy Ace
28-32lb
WCRCh(s) STAR ATTRACTION (Jolly Pocher) – Drawn To Me x Carlstream Popstar. Owner: P & G Gilfeather.
Heat Win: WCRCh(s) Star Attraction