It was a great week for the KSS Syndicate with the highlight being Queen Dusty’s victory in the Bet365 Puppy Oaks Final. In all honesty though, the Towcester Performance of the Week has to go to her kennelmate Queen Georgia whose 28.98 was a neck short of 10 lengths quicker.
The previous night, Georgia’s ‘cousin’ King Memphis (Olympic) and Droopys Clue (Curtis/Ballyregan Mem.) clocked slower runs than last week but were still the fastest winners of the semis in their respective competitions. Memphis has 10 wins from 17 races, Clue has 16 from 25.
He might have been put slightly in the shade of big brother King Memphis who just nabbed him by three quarters of a length in the English Puppy Derby Final, but King Capaldi is a fabulous young hound in his own right. His 28.67 in the BGBF British Bred Derby semi was one spot slower than his first round run. It is added to a CV that includes 27.87-476m Swindon, 26.76 460m Oxford and 28.88 500m-Towcester.
The KSS Syndicate were also to the fore at Oxford with fastest semi winner Havana Lover and track record holder Havana Top Note both through to the final of the Bet365 Challenge Cup. This will be the sixth Cat One final that Lover has contested (491-710m) with two wins to date. (And did you spot the 26.86 run from our recently featured puppy Brentfordpenguin?)
There might be a temptation to think that Newcastle was running slower than the official going allowance when viewing Swift Silly’s fastest winning time in the All England Cup first round. But the 28.72 (-30) wasn’t markedly quicker than Swift Josh (28.93 -20) in the puppy open or Wraysbury Katie (28.97 -30) in an A2 time that would have won four heats of the big comp. Nevertheless a fine run from the early paced Hale hound who would much prefer fast summer going.
Going was also a factor at neighbouring Sunderland this week where -30 to -40 was pretty much the order of the week. The fastest time was the 27.74 (-30) from Canya Wildcat. Although there was at least one other faster calculated time, no one could begrudge the pup her first win after five losses.
The Crayford selection will cause debate. In selecting Laughil Jess, we freely acknowledge that she was not the fastest on the clock. Her 34.28 win was only the fourth fastest 540 on the day, and we need to achnowledge the 33.74 of Dazl Hermes. We haven’t – primarily chosen her for completing an eight-timer of for being unbeaten in 19 races over course and distance – though it clearly played a part. No – this was a selection based on the greatest example you are likely to see of a greyhound refusing to be beaten.
The delayed first round of the ARC National Sprint saw five of the six favourites turned over at Nottingham on Monday. The exception was the aptly named Bombout Bullet (4-5f) who produced the stand-out run of the night, 17.57, just half a length outside the FOY.
Nottingham’s Barry Denby has almost a 30% strike rate for his open racers and his dogs seem to love Doncaster. Another treble this week headed by the remarkable Leahs Dream. Her 29.31 on Saturday was only five spots off Agile Annie’s FOY for the 483m.
Unfortunately the Denby coffers could not be swelled further at Perry Barr this week as there was no open racing. So taking Bellmore Cricket’s POW place was John Lambe’s On The Tail. He took eight attempts to land his first A2, though following a recent A3-A2-A2 hat-trick, the most recent in 28.51, the grader is unlikely to be as benevolent next time out.
Harlow’s defending POW Front Alice kicked on for her fifth win in seven races for trainer Kevin Proctor. Her Wednesday evening open race victory was her quickest to date, 26.38 (-10).
There can’t be many 19 month old pups who have ever produced a seven-timer. Yahoo Megan has. The Patrick Janssens trained brindle pup produced her fastest Suffolk Down 388m run to date, 23.65 (-10). The track record is 23.32 (N).
Ballyard Shawny won his fourth consecutive race at Henlow on Sunday night, landing a 460m open in 27.25 (-10) for Jason Bloomfield. (The fastest time of the year is Bombay Joker’s 27.19, on normal going, in the heats of the Maiden Derby). A mention too though for Ron Peckover’s Salthill Sniper who avenged his most recent defeat by Kilara Elk when equalling his own FOY for the 277m trip. That’s 9:13 over course and distance.
This week’s Romford selection is a head-to-head between two of Maxine Locke’s kennel (a head lock? ?). Storys Hybrid looked to have sealed with his first win since taking the Henlow Maiden Derby Final, a 23.85 run in Friday’s opener. Only to see that run usurped by Whitewood Lenny with a 23.81 – both on .10 slow.
The opens were back at Swindon on Thursday where Angie Kibble’s Ballymac Zeela led home three Hutton raiders in 28.28. A mention too though for Sean Gresham’s 17 month old Ballymac Madgie is landing a maiden in 28.56.
It wouldn’t be very often that a new track record would fail to get the POW. But we are swerving the new 645m clock at Valley. The distance is still very new and with a winning distance of a head. . .we’ll see. Besides, how could we ignore his kennelmate Glenmalure Flyer who has been unbeaten since the place opened its doors. That 28.84 win was his sixth open in a row, aggregate winning distance, 41 lengths.
Bob Pattinson’s Fine Prosecco missed out when beaten three lengths by last week’s Central Park POW, Lostrigg Paddy. This week’s A1 was a much easier proposition and the white and blue brindle needed no second opportunity to clock the fastest time of the week.
There wasn’t much in terms of relative quality between the open race winners over four different distances at Monmore on Saturday. Who would you choose: 15.52 (264m), 28.51 (480m), 37.95 (630m) and 42.00 (684m)? We’ve gone for Longacre Nutty’s win over the ‘short six bends’. This year she has won opens on four different tracks between 500-714m.
Pelaw’s defending champ Annadown Cuddles went to traps at 8-13f for Sunday’s top heat. But a slow break was her undoing and the honours went to Milagro who appears in this feature for the third time this year.
When Ay Up Frederick went to traps for Sunday’s A2, the British bred black had five defeats in her (no gender mislabeling on here) last eight races. Three were at the paws of Dairyhills Best, two were down to Droopys Alyssa. The field also included the defending POW Outback Abigail. All three were in the field but not could live with the winner’s 27.59 six length win.
When Alberts Legacy went to traps for Wednesday’s A1, the Yarmouth bookies seemed keen to make a point by making him a 1-6f. To be fair, he had won his last five A1 races and had two ’27.56’ winning lines of form. But the grader had the last laugh when the ‘only needs to turn up’ favourite was beaten a length and a quarter by Ballinabola Elsa in 28.02 (-30). Which worked out just one spot slower than Albert’s last winning time.
