The first of the big post Derby events kicked off on Sunday with the heats of the heats of the Ladbrokes Champion Hurdle. Step forward the new star of jumps racing, Razldazl Barkley. Honest on the flat and a 714m open winner, Ricky Holloway’s novice jumper clocked 23.38 in his first official trial over the sticks and clocked the fastest 380mH time of the year in his heats – 23.31 – which also just happened to be quicker than all of the days 380m races, minus the obstacles.
With the Coral Sussex Cup and PGR Regency due to start next Saturday, some of the likely contenders were in action at Hove on Saturday. Haka Carlo was the quickest over the stayers trip with a 42.04 run, but the star of the night was Droopys Clue with the fastest time of the year over the 515m course, 29.75. (He has a 29.69 solo trial on his card). Significantly, the Cahill Kennel’s Greyhound of the Year would probably start as ante post favourite for whichever event he was entered in.
Next weekend also sees the start of the BetGoodwin Pall Mall at Oxford. There were a number of impressive trialstake winners on Saturday night, but the most noteworthy was surely Aero Sacundai. Not only was the Towcester sprint record holder the quickest on the night, with a 26.52 run, it was his first look at the circuit (TR 26.44).
Meanwhile at Towcester, Not So Slow took an unsuccessful shot at Sacundai’s 270m clock. On Derby final night, the Janssens’ won a supporting race in 15.46, and was 11 spots adrift of the Monmore hound. On Sunday, the gap was reduced to five spots though it was only a four runner field for which Slow started as the 1/8f.
Jonny Whiskers made his reputation at Sunderland with Harry Burton for whom he won the Classic. His Newcastle form was less spectacular – until Thursday. Now with Savva Roberts, the white and black clocked the fastest of the Time Nutrition Northern Flat trialstakes with a 28.37 run and must be one of the favourites for the main event which closes today. A mention too for November pup Blackhouse Kim who clocked 28.28 (+40) when winning a A3 on Friday.
Back at Sunderland, Long Cailin continues to be a money spinner the for the Mackem punters. She went to traps for the ninth time last Wednesday and made it six wins with two seconds and a fourth. Chantelle McNickolas’ black – unraced in Ireland – clocked the week’s quickest A1 in 27.03.
Yarmouth’s East Anglian Derby is a couple of months away but the track are still staging occasional Saturday night opens. Quickest over four bends this week was Swanley Bolt (27.73), while Ballymac Nova (41.14) was best over the stayers trip. But the selection is sprinter Jura Go Bucko who was just half a length off the quickest time of the year when winning in 16.26. A decent run for a dog whose last four bend outing was in A6 company.
Essex Vase fourth Romeo Hotshot, now with Yarmouth’s Craig Morris, was back at Romford on Friday night in Cat 3 company and the dog with winning form over New Destiny was back to his best with a flying 34.89 run over six bends.
At Nottingham, the versatile Kylenoe Bilbo was a length off the fastest 255m sprint of the year with a 15.01 heat win of a competition which concludes tonight. Lynn Cook’s black contests A1 and B1 graded, and regularly breaks 18.00 for the 305m course.
We made reference last week to Dashing Dude being a ‘streaky’ greyhound. Well the latest streak was extended to five. Talk about consistency, too. The last four wins have come in 15.27, 15.20, 15.21 and 15.19.
This time last year Goodboy Chubbs had just made the mover from A5 at Central Park to A7 at Harlow. Despite being marked ‘awkward’ 37 races ago, the Debbie Hurlock trained black has continued to progress and on Wednesday produced the week’s outstanding performance with an A2 win in 26.44.
Not too many youngsters around this week which provides a decent reason to mention Mike Burton’s Cassidy. Not only did the home bred clock the quickest 460m run of the week at Valley, he also extended his recent run of form to five wins in his last six outings. He has found 171 spots since his first qualifying trial last December.
Quickest of the Suffolk Downs week was Brennans Bambi’s 23.82 A2 win. Carols Clown produced a 13.50 for the sprint gets her into the ‘top 10’ times of the year in race no.86. But the selection is Bob Copping’s inform Mouse Amore with an impressive S2 victory. The 24.5 kilo black has finished in the tricast places in her last 14 races (5 wins) which have been over two, four and six bends.
No opens at Monmore this week but a 28.20 win for the standard trip is not too shoddy. That is two from two for Alan Jenkins’ recent arrival Fine Thanks who was beaten in his only Irish race. His breeding certainly suggests he could have ability. He is out of mark Lowther’s former star Tibet, who has previously thrown the likes of Make Noise, Givemeabreak, Coppice Tenzin and Hellofakerfuffle.
Across the Midlands at Perry Barr, defending POW Good Spark went to traps as a 100/30 chance in the tougher of two competitive A1s on Saturday night. The layers opted for puppy Swift Maxwell as their 11/4 favourite but it was kennelmate Mt Heaton Boyo who turned him over in the quickest run of the week, 28.34.
Asbo Lenny suffered a rare defeat at Central Park on Saturday as he went down by half a length to Droopys Prymtime. That’s six wins in his last ten outings. A mention too for the decent 40.81 staying run by Punkrock Warrior (FOY is Coonough Crow’s 40.38).
Some cracking racing at Doncaster this week not least from Avongate Venus who turned over track champ Agile Annie in a flying 29.19 for the standard. But earlier in the day, Jimmy Gaskin’s Skywalker Tino had clocked 16.63, the fastest sprint in 2024, which coincidentally equalled the best two bend run in 2023 by Kilbarry Meadows.
Thirty miles further south and there was an even tougher call at Sheffield with at least five decent contenders. Two of them were both trained by Sean Davy and clocked the identical fastest ‘500’ of the week, 28.80. Stay Large gets the nod over Epic Gold on the balance of being the defending POW and the continued run of form (4 in a row) following serious injury. A mention too for the in-form Skywalker Amanda (28.83), Farneys Willie (28.87) over ‘the wrong distance’ and a decent staying run from Trickyscinderella with the fourth quickest 660 of the year (39.13).
Completing the Yorkshire triangle, Kinsley was running particularly slick earlier in the week where Springfield Best produced the quickest run of the week, 27.78 (+40) in A3. But all the locals know that the real race of the week was Sunday’s A2 featuring most of the top heat stars. POW regular Lynnway Touch was installed the 2/1 favourite, Ballymac Frisby was 9/4, Kilara Thyestes was returned 100/30. But ex-Pelaw A2 runner Clonleigh Robin won similar grade first time out in 27.90 (+20).
On the subject of Pelaw, Beechtree Jim recorded the second quickest 435m run of the year on Sunday when winning an A3 in 25.45. Only Tromora Supreme (25.40) has gone quicker.
