What a week for the KSS Syndicate. Between last Sunday and Saturday night, four Cat One wins. The latest belonged to the increasingly dominant King Memphis with his 11th win (5 seconds) in 18 races. The Coral Olympic was one of the best middle distance events of the year and the 34 kilo black and white won it like a champion. He shares top billing with Droopys Clue, the dominant force of staying racing and similarly unbeaten throughout the Curtis/Ballyregan Memorial. That’s 26 races, 17 wins and a third Cat One of the year.
Having been among the also-rans in the finals of the Hunt Cup, Champion Stakes and Summer Stayers, Havana Top Note finally landed his first Category One decider in the Bet365 Challenge Cup. His winning time was back on his track record, but given he had to ride first bend bumping, it was overdue and deserved victory.
Queen Joni’s racing career only extends 14 races. She has won 10 of them. On Tuesday, aged two years and three days old, she won her second Cat One event in the BGBF British Bred Derby at Sheffield. She is also the reigning Produce Champ, Swindon track record holder (27.53) and fastest over the Perry Barr 480m trip this year in 27.90. She could be a bit useful when she is a little older and more experienced!
Untold Paanga might have had a Cat 2 win to his name had the Maiden Gold Cup Final been staged back in September (though the smart money would have been on kennelmate Untold Kwacha). Paanga’s had a few near misses since, but impressed at Romford on Friday when finally getting his trapping together and clocked a decent 35.30 (-20) for the 575m.
Last Monday’s National Sprint penultimate stage saw another commanding performance from the dominant Bombout Bullet. Belinda Green’s black speedster has seven wins in his last 10 races.
Back in September, Jonny Whiskers led a Newcastle A1 to the run-in and was picked up by Crooks Patsy, clocking a calculated 28.86. He had won in 28.90 on debut. He was hugely impressive at Sunderland but was caught by the third bend in the opening round of the PGR All England Cup and the question marks about his stamina remained. They don’t any more. He was majestic in the semi finals and his calculated 28.40 is a testament to his improvement.
Meanwhile Sunderland lost half of their Christmas Eve meeting due to a local power cut. All of which left Rattling West’s 27.54 (-10) A1 win on Friday as the week’s outstanding performance.
Most weeks, a 25.74 run at Pelaw would be enough to earn the POW recognition for Ellie O. Not so this week when the impressive Alecs Garden managed a 25.73. Some run for an 18 month old pup who was followed home by litter brother Alec The Miner.
Laughil Jess finally had her colours lowered attempting her 20th consecutive Crayford 540m win. She looked a little weary as Ritzy Empress held her off by a couple of lengths in 33.71. However that time was bettered by one spot by Jess’s kennelmate El Tornillo. The March ’22 pup first featured in this column when at 19 months old, he clocked the fastest 450 of the year at Doncaster – a landmark that remains intact.
Talking about Donny, Jimmy Gaskin seemed determined to take the POW title on Saturday when sending out Starcash Henry and Still On Fire, A1 winners in 29.66 and 29.69, followed by 29.58 open winner Slippy Doreen. However, all were thwarted by Phil Barlow’s Inca Gerry who popped up with a 29.51 O/R win.
The majority of maiden opens are contested by aspiring graders. When Tinks Abbie won Harlow’s sole open of the week on Wednesday, it was a genuine open class 26.01 run and the fourth fastest 415 of the year. That was a seventh race for five wins and two seconds for Sharon Saberton’s white and black.
No Christmas Eve meeting for Kinsley leaving Friday’s 28.24 run by Magna Silver in A4 as the quickest run of the week. That’s three in her last six for Darren Hammond’s strapping (33.4 kilo) wench.
Having been turned over at 1-6f last week, Alberts Legacy was in no mood to let it happen again at Yarmouth on Wednesday. Sandra Clayton’s black and white went to boxes at a slightly more conservative 4/5f and after clocking his joint fastest sectional (5.20), proceeded to pull away for a 27.74 win. Order duly restored in the Caister corner of the universe.
Some greyhounds shine brightly from the outset, others are slow burners. Ontheperkyside took a while to ignite but is a deserving POW for Swindon. Angie Kibble’s blue began life in A6 and 10 races later was still in A5 company. It was race 35 before he won his first A2 in 28.58. That was back in July. On Thursday afternoon, in his 51st race, he finally nailed his first A1 and set a new PB of 28.13.
Suffolk Downs produced one of the hardest selection conundrums of the week following Notesinurpocket’s fine 23.66 (-10) eight length open win. Eric Cantillon’s youngster first featured in this column in mid November. However, while Yahoo Megan was nine spots slower in a different race, she is a month younger than ‘Notes’ has beaten him in his last three races. Patrick Janssens’ pup has now won eight in a row.
Monmore was tricky too. Droopys Cando clocked the fastest 480 of the week, 28.56 in A2. But it might be a good week to acknowledge the stayers and S1 winner Cooladerry Habs. Not blessed with the classiest Irish card (0:12), she has showed continuous improvement for Team Taberner and has three wins in her last five.
After qualifying in 28.59 Darley Diglake was always going to find life tough at Perry Barr. But the March pup has learned plenty in the last three months and produced his best run to date on Saturday, a comfortable A1 win in 28.38.
While Laughil Jess and Hollow Man saw their long winning sequences come to an end, not so Glenmalure Flyer at Valley. A three runner field for a hound who had won all six races by a combined 41 lengths. Update that to seven and 53 lengths for the 1-8 chance.
The final three selections were determined on Christmas Eve afternoon and they share a common theme. Exactly three months after running Crafty Shivoo to half a length in the Empress Stakes Final, Charming Girl returned to Towcester in considerably easier company. She went to traps at 4-9 and ran like a 4-9 chance should in easily the fastest time of the day.
In was on October 29 when Asbo Lenny finished between Romeo Command and Droopys Clue when taking third spot in the PGR Kent Derby Final. The grader had the temerity to assume that a recent lay-off might have taken away Lenny’s edge and placed him in graded company! Paul Donovan’s black – reputedly slightly miffed – went to traps as a 4/9f A1 favourite and duly completed a hat-trick in the quickest run of the week, 29.67 (-10).
Ballyard Shawny is no stranger to the Kent venue having finished one place behind Flashing Willow and Gougane Jet in the ARC Silver Salver Final. Shawny was surplus to requirement for the MWD Partnership and has since moved onto Jason Bloomfield at Henlow. Shawny is currently repaying his purchase price in £250 chunks. An 8-13 chance up against the top local grader on Sunday afternoon and won his third consecutive O/R over course and distance.
