Times, consistency, durability, and race prestige all play a part in the weekly selections. Sometimes they clash and become impossible to separate. The case for Hollow Man at Romford is compelling. Nine in a row culminating in a Cat 1 win in the PGR Champion Stakes. Hawkfield Ozark’s win in a Cat 2 final on the same card might not appear quite as strong until you factor in the second fastest run over course and distance ever recorded – just five spots outside the track record. (But spare a thought for Aayamza Sydney who was quicker than the Champion Stakes winner in a supporting open, and just two spots outside his track record, in 34.56).
The PGR Oaks reached the semi final stage at Perry Barr on the same night and the quickest winner was the bitch who beat Hollow Man in their last race in Ireland, Jet Stream Angel.
King Memphis was 11 spots outside Coolavanny Shado’s 450m track record when landing his semi final of the Cowley Puppy Collar at Oxford on Friday night. Interestingly, his pedestrian 4.12 sectional was 12 spots slower than his penultimate run. An interesting one for the sprint where Mustang Ojay was credited with the sprint clock at 14.86 despite the fact that Coolavanny Finn clocked 14.78 earlier in the year. The discrepancy seems to be due to Finn’s run being handtimed. There is a similar ‘query’ over the 650 clock.
Memphis is one of three runners on the 26.80 mark at Oxford alongside Fabulous Azzurra and Eze. The Pall Mall runner-up is unbeaten in his last four outings at his home track, the only surprising thing was his time on Thursday. Off his fastest ever sectional (4.04), Angie Kibble’s runner clocked 28.17 (N) compared to his previous run of 27.78.
The next big final scheduled is the PGR Kent Derby Final where Droopys Clue took eight spots off of his own 491m record. He is now surely one race away from being an odds-on favourite for the Greyhound of the Year title? Discuss.
Given a difficult few weeks, it was a triumph for trainer John Mullins to produce Swift Iconic to land the £8,000 Bresbet Steel City Cup at Sheffield on Tuesday.
He then followed that up on Sunday with a win for the Signet Goofy in the BGBF Stud Book Trophy Final at Towcester. It was the seventh final of his career of which he has now won three with prize money totalling £16K.
Returning to Yorkshire, the fastest time of the Doncaster week was a 29.52 (+10) for Onefordotsy. Slightly slower, but not on calculated times was Frankton Sal in a 483m open on Saturday. It is a dual distance event with John Sharp’s bitch narrowly holding off Trewmount Fury in 29.57. Sal is herself a 660m open winner at Sheffield. Firebird Mane, who boasts a string of six bend open wins at Towcester landed the other semi in 29.62. Should be a great 661m final and huge credit to the racing office for their innovation.
Kinsley’s top race this week was an A3, or more precisely three A3s. Two were won in 27.70 but on a tie-breaker, Dave Cooper’s home bred Ay Up Frederick gets to play the puppy card. A fifth win in his last eight.
Perry Barr raider Cappaneale Rocky made it six wins in his last eight outings by landing the £500 sprint final at Nottingham on Monday. John Lambe’s 19.07 Galway 350 yard winner covered the Colwick 305m in 17.71.
Blue Diamond, a Jan ’22 son of Sheldan made a very favourable impression when landing a Suffolk Downs 388m open. But it was a pup out of another former Kevin Boon trained dam who gets the nod this week. Bettys Jack, a son of Bettys Hope, turned over the local track champ Glengar Daisy in 24.07 (-40).
Opens over four distances at Hove on Thursday. Not a lot to choose between them, but the quickest over the most competitive trip was Matt Dartnall’s Droopys Riddle with a 29.51 (-10) run. But then on Saturday, admittedly in an A2, Brighton Belle finalist My Girl Mia showed she is well on her way back to her best form with a 29.47 win on similar going.
Newcastle’s defending Performer of the Week Bramble Nickeen was elevated to A1 this week and the step up the ladder proved a fraction too wide as local favourite Droopys Biggy produced his trademark last-to-first run in 29.07 (-20). That’s career win 26 for 83 outings.
It would have been easy to make a case for Barmouth Pearl after a 45.22 win over eight bends at Crayford on Saturday. But given the defending POW Moaning Rossi produced the quickest 540 on the same card . . .That’s three in a row and never out of the forecast places in his last seven.
But whereas Rossi gets the gold ink after a slower run, Paul Sallis’ Slippy Thriller consolidated his position with a fabulous 28.17 run at Monmore on Saturday night. That is four wins in his last five at the Wolverhamption venue, seven months after making his debut in A5.
It was a similar story for Jill Sutherst’s Witton Supremo though her 27.05 A1 win was only four spots slower than last week’s run and nothing has gone quicker since.
Things didn’t go quite so smoothly for Pelaw’s defending champ Annadown Cuddles as she tackled a four-timer on Sunday. Ronnie Knight’s pup ran on gamely but just failed to catch the Garry Hamilton’s Tells Lad.
A 27.66 was good enough to secure the Yarmouth selection for a second consecutive week. It went to Slider Mccoy, one of the hounds sold onto Jason Bloomfield as the MWD Syndicate slimmed down its racing strength. Litter sister Swift Loves has been a regular selection in this feature and has a best of 27.52.
Three hounds broke 26.50 for the Harlow standard this week though they were on normal, -20 and -40 going allowances. So, the apparent slowest of the trio, Curtistown Mac, clocked easily the quickest time.
Henlow’s five and six bend FOY times were recorded on Sunday night. Untold Kwacha completed a hat-trick over the 550 course in a flying 33.08. Quickest over the 692m course was Droopys Moose in 42.27. Guaging the quality of the run isn’t easy. There have only been four races over the trip this year, none last year and one in 2021. A better guide can only be given with a long term view. So how about this for a fact? The last hound to go quicker was St Leger winner Fizzypop Buddy with a 42.18 run six years ago.
