While litter sister had a bad night when eliminated from the Derby on Friday, spirits would have been lifted by the run of Queen Georgia landing the Time Greyhound Nutrition Three Steps To Victory on Sunday. On a fairly benign track, the blue beat Savana Heross by four in 38.88. It is the fifth Cat One win for the litter.
The Towcester choice is a simple one, the 500m record equalling run by Georgia’s kennelmate and current Derby favourite King Memphis.
But it wasn’t all about the Derby. On Sunday, Ballymac Taylor tuned up nicely for the Dorando Marathon by taking three lengths off Aayamza Royal’s 942m track record with a 57.91 run. Not So Slow became the third fastest hound over the 270m course with a 15.51 run. Only previous track record holder Havana Class (15.45) and current record holder Flashing Willow (15.42) have gone quicker.
Like Balllymac Taylor, Dazl Rolex missed out in last week’s Kent St.Leger Final. But he was back at Crayford on Sunday and ran like a 1/3 chance should with a near six length win in 44.97, equalling his PB set back in March.
The speed in which youngsters learn is never easy to predict. Ante post favourite Rioja Bungle did well to qualify after finding trouble in the opening round of the BGBF British Bred Maiden Derby heats. He knocked half a second off his time in the semi finals and kicked on again with a very respectable 28.37 in the final. It was only 14 spots outside Clona Curly’s FOY. A mention too for March On Frankie with a new FOY run for the 640m, 38.91.
Which seamlessly leads on to a few words about March On Freddie at Hove. While the A1 was won in 29.90, and supporting 500m opens were timed at 29.47, 29.54, 29.60 and 29.64, the David Mullins trained 20 month old youngster romped up by nearly 10 lengths in 28.98 (+10). Roll on the 2025 Derby!
Most weeks, the Sunderland top performance goes to an A1 winner. This week the track staged three top heats but all were overshadowed by six length A2 winner A Lucky View whose 27.29 was quicker than all of them. No doubt he will find himself in top heat as he attempts to complete a hat-trick.
Pelaw completed the week’s racing with their sole meeting on Sunday evening where the highest grade was an A2 featuring defending Performer of the Week, Rapido Spooks. Her reign is over. For one week at least, bragging rights go to Mags Star with the night’s quickest run, 26.05.
Back in March, John Campbell’s Sallowglen Hope clocked 29.25 on his first trial over Swindon’s 476m. He clocked 28.77 (+20) winning an A5 on debut, found himself struggling with a grade hike to A2 but produced a new PB of 28.00 (+20) when taking a maiden open on Thursday.
With no opens this week, there would be a case for Roanna Grout being the Nottingham POW following a 29.92 A3 on Monday. [This is the same course and distance where Billy The Fish won an A9 just a few days later in 33.05 (-40).]. However, how can be ignore the 17.97 D2 win for the ‘almost five’ De Bumblebee in career outing no.90?
The ‘mobile’ Coral Coronation Cup, traditionally a winter event returns to a June slot this year – it was also held in the summer in 2022 – gets underway on Friday. A few ‘probables’ were in action on Friday night, the most impressive of which was locally trained Maiden Derby finalist Miami Bullet with a 35.21 run.
Tromora Rex, who has recent 35.27 (calc) form at Romford was made favourite to land Saturday night’s 659m open at Yarmouth. But he was turned over by kennelmate Chelms Chris whose 40.73 was the quickest since August last year (though it would only have made him the seventh fastest in 2023)
The Hurlock kennel had four of the five runners in Harlow’s toughest A2 on Friday. At 9/2 Goodboy Chubbs was the biggest price of the quartet but he got home with six lengths to spare in the fastest time of the week, 26.30.
At Suffolk Downs, puppy Savana Robbie attempted to defend his POW crown. But he was beaten by the draw as Bronson seized the draw on the inside and held on in the quickest time of the week, 23.95.
Monmore staged a selection of Saturday night opens but the outstanding performance came in graded company earlier in the week as Richie Taberner’s 2023 Derby quarter finalist Aero Arran just nabbed Saka Falcon in the final stride of an A1 event and recorded 28.21 in the process.
It was a similar situation at Doncaster, when admittedly the open racers had to beat the weather and a slow track. Nevertheless the 29.40 (+20) A1 success for Droopys Cozy just about edges it. Jimmy Gaskin’s runner was a £1,750 bargain at last year’s Greyhound Trader Oxford sale.
At neighbours Kinsley, there was one 28.00 and two 28.01 times clocked this week. But quicker than them all was Ballymac Don with a 27.90 run in. A2.
Asbo Lenny! There’s only one Asbo Lenny! With the Racing Manager having thrown in the graded towel, Asbo Lenny took full advantage of an open race opportunity to take the feature open race at Central Park on Saturday night. He shaved one spot on last week’s effort to clock 29.29 with three wins and two seconds in his last five outings.
Clocking the quickest time of the week is generally a good way to get on the chart. At Perry Barr, it was De Sting who was quickest this week with a 28.28 run. But that was in A3 company and on +30 going. The better run was probably Swizz Star’s A1 success in 28.36 (+10).
While the Perry Barr selection is rotating, not so the Perry Barr runner who heads down to Wales every week. Kate Harrison’s Different Speed extended her winning sequence to 11 on Sunday with a bloodless near six length win in 15.98. SP 2/9.
There were a string of fast times at Oxford on Saturday including Jet Stream Angel’s 26.56 for the standard and Alright Gordy’s 39.53 for six bends. But the selection is Mustang Ojay for a 14.90 sprint open race win which is just one spot off the fastest run of the year.
