4th WCRA Championships plus Veteran Sprint – Full write up and results

HEART OF ENGLAND PWRC, SHUTTINGTON on 13 OCTOBER 2024
240 yards bends, veterans 140 yards at ½yd/lb plus yd/yr

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Bend racing, these days an all-too-rare feast; a pleasure to see talented dogs strutting their stuff in ideal conditions, each race an event to savour. If I wanted to be picky, I suppose we could have ordered slightly warmer weather but Saturday afternoon setting-up was mostly dry and Sunday was rain-free. The Saturday night cook-in certainly warmed us and there was plenty left for Sunday night too, many thanks to all the ladies who slaved away through the weekend, their canteen is something else. We’re spoiled rotten.

Raceday; after a fortifying canteen breakfast it was on with the business. The running order was bend heats – bend semis – veterans – bend finals, despite a battery problem in the last veteran heat we were done just after four. Congratulations to all weight class winners and particularly to the three new Racing Champions Penderyn’s Poppylicious, Mach’s Kamikaze Mars and Chiefton Challenger.

Some standouts from the bend heats and semi-finals; a tight three-dogger in the 18lbs, Ameesha Little Devil, *Winterfell Must Be Love, ultimately 1st and 2nd in group with Avril Caunce’s Kissy Suzuki unlucky to miss out with a tough draw. In the 24’s, WCRCh Gimme Delight and Ryamber Too A T progressed at the expense of Denise Pitcher’s fine half-coat *Foxie Flyer, he struggled mightily to overcome a poor trap but the other two just wouldn’t let him in. In the 26’s, a great tussle and local derby clash between WCRCh Scrappy Doo and the Brearley’s *Murphy’s Gold with Ian Tegart’s Fantazi Dreamcatcher running a great race to be only three lengths down.

Towards the end of the set we had two spectacular duels. Two 28lb half-coats, *Sea The Moon and *Mista T, Graham’s dog took the lead near halfway but Jo’s boy sling-shotted out of the bend and led down the run-in, three-quarters of a length. The next race, in the 30’s, Joe Cocker and *Danger Dash swapped the lead at least twice, Joe Cocker coming off the bend on the inside, the shortest line to the finish.

In the semis, three whippets bowed out after great runs. In the 26lb group, Ruth Mabb’s All Eyes On Ike was only a length off runner-up WCRCh Tik Tok Tia and two behind WCRCh Scrappy Doo; and Jason Cooper’s pair Gambler Midnight Runner and Gambler White Tip (in the 28’s) both finished close-up too.

In the veterans, the heavyweights had semi-finals with WCRCh VC Feilly’s Gold and WCRCh The Cooler King coming through unbeaten. The lightweight final was a solo for Liz Villis’ WCRCh Ameesha Summer Rocket.

In the 21-23lb final Christine and Mark’s ever-dependable Ryamber Stan The Man broke a sequence of creditable finalist placings to win the group from Avril’s VC Ms Moneypenny and Jason Powell’s Golden Delicious, well done.

The 24-27lb was taken by John and Sheila’s The Mighty Finn from Sarah’s VC Winterfell Let Me Loose, retiring today; followed by the Cuttlers’ WCRCh VC Call Me Enchanting and the Jennings’ Machine Gun Kelly.

John and Maggie’s fine WCRCh VC Feilly’s Gold took the heavyweights, pushed all the way to the line by Vanessa Trickett’s Alpha Brava, flying the flag for the Scottish PWRC with distinction. Third, my WCRCh The Cooler King, retiring after eight years of racing, with Sue’s Victor Quartermaine a good fourth.

On to the Championship groups. Unfortunately, the damp chill got into the timer after the bend semi finals so Fastest Time was decided on the earlier races. First up the little ‘uns, it was a tight duel till almost round the bend but then Nicola Groundwell’s WCRCh Penderyn’s Poppylicious drew ahead to claim her title from Sarah Layfield’s *Winterfell Tangfastic. Liz and Richard had both heat winners in the 18lb final and parlayed that into a 1-2, *Ameesha Little Devil winning well from Ameesha Atomic Blonde. Third was Sarah’s *Winterfell Must Be Love and fourth Terry and Mandy’s WCRCh(s) Mamma Mia.

The 20lb final was effectively decided on the first bend where Rebecca Villis’ *Villiers Rocketman squeezed out Avril’s WCRCh Black Fairlane, who gamely kept the deficit down to 1½ lengths, 3^rd was the Brearley’s Bertie’s Gold and 4^th Gary Hogan’s Mistress.

The 22lb group, similarly settled on the first bend but a closer finish, Sarah Layfield’s *Winterfell What The Heck edged out John and Nicola Walton’s WCRCh Pure Delight by a length, with creditable runs from Dave and Carole’s Call Me Special 3^rd and Jason Powell’s youngster Senior Smarty Pants 4^th.

The Waltons went one better in the 24lb final with their WCRCh Gimme Delight. Christine and Mark had 2^nd and 3^rd, WCRCh Ryamber Too A T and Ryamber That’ll Do. Sarah and Vince’s Charlie Brown was a commendable 4^th.

WCRCh Scrappy Doo, the master of the sling-shot off the bend. Each time he ran the same game-plan; coast into the first bend giving the others a lead, then push from where the hill steepens at halfway. In a tight 26lb group he was unbeaten, winning his heat by a head, his semi by a length and the final by a length. Second was the Strains’ *Return Of The Mac, 3^rd and 4^th Terry and Mandy’s Here Hugo and WCRCh Tik Tok Tia, only two lengths covering all four whippets, a great final.

In the 28lb final, a race with three half-coats, Mark & Charlotte Bursey’s WCRCh Mach’s Kamikaze Mars was “made up” at the first attempt, winning in terrific style from Garry Comber’s Ury Got Me, Garry’s worked hard and long to get Ury racing. A creditable third and fourth were Graham Gilfeather’s *Mista T and Jo Lock’s *Sea The Moon

The 30lb group may have had only three runners but all high-class. Two half-coats started, three finished; George Whalley’s *Joe Cocker has been knocking on the door all year and won neatly from the Fusis’ *Danger Dash and Holly McClean’s *Do You Love Me, *Joe Cocker also claiming Fastest Time in his heat.

Five runners in the 32lb group, all chasing the elusive “other half”.  Only three made the final; a great race to close the 2024 season. Colin and Tina’s WCRCh Chiefton Challenger was fast away, ran a perfect race and although Mark and Charlotte’s *Machs White Toed Brodes gamely made several tries to push inside him, Harley wouldn’t give an inch. They finished three-quarters of a length apart with Graham Gilfeather’s fine heavyweight *Gimme Some Action only two lengths further down.

So that’s it for another year. I can’t say it too often, our friends at Heart Of England do really make us feel at home and this weekend was no exception. The ground was superb, the teamwork excellent; many thanks to them and to all those who helped us on the day.

Report by Mark Etheridge.

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Full Results

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Main Championships

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NE 16lb

1. WCRCh PENDERYN’S POPPYLICIOUS (new Champion) (Penderyn’s Poppylicious – Devil Hall Of Fame x Tonjonic Sweet Lady). Owner : Nicola Groundwell
2. *Winterfell Tangfastic

Heat Wins: Penderyn’s Poppylicious, *Winterfell Tangfastic

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NE 18lb

1. *AMEESHA LITTLE DEVIL (Ameesha Angel Of Beauty – Dance With The Devil x Ameesha Blue Spirit). Owner: Liz Villis
2. Ameesha Atomic Blonde
3. *Winterfell Must Be Love
4. 4th WCRCh(s) Mamma Mia

Heat Wins: Ameesha Little Devil, Ameesha Atomic Blonde

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NE 20lb

1. *VILLIERS ROCKETMAN (Ameesha Ice Warrior – Duncton Rude Boy x Ameesha Midnight Star). Owner: Rebecca Villis
2. WCRCh Black Fairlane
3. Bertie’s Gold
4. Mistress

Heat Wins: WCRCh Black Fairlane, Mistress, Bertie’s Gold
Semi Final Wins: WCRCh Black Fairlane, Villiers Rocketman

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NE 22lb

1. *WINTERFELL WHAT THE HECK (Winterfellin What The Heck – Red Ferrari x Winterfellin Let Me Loose). Owner: Sarah Layfield
2. WCRCh Pure Delight
3. Call Me Special
4. Senior Smarty Pants

Heat Wins: Winterfell What The Heck, WCRCh Pure Delight

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NE 24lb

1. WCRCh GIMME DELIGHT (Kentwone Lalande – Freasley’s Archer x Sheer Bliss). Owners: Nicola & John Walton
2. WCRCh Ryamber That’ll Do
3. Ryamber Too A T
4. Charlie Brown

Heat Wins: WCRCh Gimme Delight, WCRCh Ryamber That’ll Do

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NE 26lb

1. WCRCh SCRAPPY DOO (Lowlake Cross My Heart – Red Ferrari x Medlarway Iridescents Pearl). Owners: Vince and Sarah Hart
2. *Return Of The Mac
3. Here Hugo
4. WCRCh Tik Tok Tia

Heat Wins: WCRCh Scrappy Doo, Here Hugo, WCRCh Tik Tok Tia, *Return Of The Mac
Semi Final Wins: WCRCh Scrappy Doo, *Return Of The Mac

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NE 28lb

1. WCRCh MACH’S KAMIKAZE MARS (New Champion) (Goodad Run To Freedom – Goodad Across The Bay x Goodad High Revving Bird). Owners: Mark & Charlotte Bursey.
2. Ury Got Me
3. *Mista T
4. *Sea The Moon

Heat Wins: *Mach’s Kamikaze Mars, Gambler White Tip, *Sea The Moon
Semi Final Wins: *Mach’s Kamikaze Mars, Ury Got Me

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NE 30lb

1. *JOE COCKER (Joe Cocker – Wagtail Radley x Wagtail Paisley). Owner: George Whalley.
2. *Danger Dash
3. *Do You Love Me

Heat Wins: Joe Cocker, *Do You Love Me

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NE 32lb

1. WCRCh CHIEFTON CHALLENGER (new Champion) (Last Roll Of The Dice – Red Apache x Toyah Flowing River). Owners: Colin & Tina Jennings).
2. *Machs White Toed Brodes
3. *Gimme Some Action

Heat Wins: *Chiefton Challenger, *Machs White Toed Brodes

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Fastest Time Rosette

*Joe Cocker, (time 15.06)

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Superstars Veteran Sprint

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14-20lb

1. WCRCh AMEESHA SUMMER ROCKET (Ameesha Indian Summer – Billy On Show x Ameesha Pure Spirit). Owner: Liz Villis

Heat Win: WCRCh Ameesha Summer Rocket

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21-23lb

1. RYAMBER STAN THE MAN (Ryamber Living The Dream – Sandspring Special Envoy x Ryamber My Golden Girl. Owner: Christine Howard
2. VC Ms Moneypenny
3. Golden Delicious

Heat Wins: VC Ms Moneypenny, Ryamber Stan The Man

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24-27lb

1. THE MIGHTY FINN (Ryamber A Special Moment – Star Of Mountdillon x Ryamber A Moment In Time). Owners: John & Sheila Strain.
2. VC Winterfell Let Me Loose
3. WCRCh VC Call Me Enchanting
4. Machine Gun Kelly.

Heat Wins: The Mighty Finn, VC Winterfell Let Me Loose.

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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. Alpha Brava
3. WCRCh The Cooler King
4. Victor Quartermaine

Heat Wins: Alpha Brava WCRCh The Cooler King, WCRCh VC Feilly’s Gold
Semi Final Wins: WCRCh VC Feilly’s Gold, WCRCh The Cooler King

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