We showed the first video footage of King Memphis when he was just six weeks old. We wrote about him before he had even run an official trial. So there is definitely a huge degree of benevolence towards the Kent bred youngster as he kicked on again on Saturday at Towcester. His 28.65 was just seven spots off the track record that he shares with Droopys Clue.
The difficulties facing greyhound punters can be nicely summed up with ARC Kent Silver Salver winner Magical Bluebear. In the opening round of the competition, he was made a 4/7f to beat My Lennie (7/2) who prevailed in 16.29. In the final, My Lennie was made the 15/8f, led to the second bend and was beaten by Bluebear (2/1) in 16.24.
There was a new 575m track record for New Destiny when landing the Coral Coronation Cup at Romford on Friday, one spot inside Hollow Man’s previous best. Destiny’s clock was recorded on +15 going, Hollow Man’s on +20, though his sectionals were consistently quicker. The night also saw a new FOY for the 400m for Druids Say Go (23.48). That’s 13 wins from 18 races over c&d.
The opening round of the ARC Puppy Trophy at Sunderland saw a new fastest 450 of the year for Tom Heilbron’s youngster Madabout Peck. The son of King Elvis only had one win in his first 11 races but if he continues to produce 4.70 splits, it will take a very decent hound to get past him in the next two runs.
Steve Caile’s Delvin Cat was one of Newcastle’s top performers earlier in the year and was on a decent winning sequence before a lay-off. It has taken him a couple of runs to get back to match fitness but back-to-back A2 and A1 wins suggest he is somewhere near his best.
Eight miles to the south, a mention should be made for Pelaw top grade winner this week, Taneisha with a 26.01 win. Although, Adamant Elsa’s 25.85 was in A5, two lengths is two lengths! Anyway at 24.4 kilos, we’ve got to stand up for the little ‘uns. (That’s just under 54lbs for us oldies.)
Last week’s Nottingham selection Bettys Jack returned to Colwick Park and won again, though his winning time was back a couple of lengths. Meantime, Dave Lee’s El Tornillo bounced back from his Derby elimination with a 28.45 run for the 480m course. Only Velvet Madrid (28.41) has gone quicker this year.
A 29.42 was enough to seal last week’s Hove selection for Droopys Rosie; a 29.45 open win on Thursday was enough to see Rioja Woody prevail this time. That’s three wins and two seconds in his last five for Richard Rees’ runner. He previously has a calculated 29.17 on his card but has clearly mislaid his go-faster trapping boots.
13 races ago Baran Maggie made her debut in A6 at Hove. Eight wins later she was fending off Oaks winner Jet Stream Angel in 26.62 for Oxford’s 450 metres. Jamie Kingsley’s brindle already has 26.58 and 26.67 winning form over course and distance.
For several months Dashing Dude dominated the Swindon section of Performance of the Week with six wins in seven followed this year by five in a row. He then hit a more modest patch of form but Thursday’s open win completed a hat-trick and the times are starting to tumble. The 15.20 run is just 14 spots off his own FOY.
Selections are easier to make when the times are quick and they are produced in decent class company, notwithstanding the complications over going. Tax You Tonight clocked the quickest 415 at Harlow this week – 26.43, but it was in A2 and on +20 going. However Britbull Panama’s 26.45 was on going estimated at +10 against the track’s best in A1 company. Di Jinks’ runner has been exceptional in recent weeks with eight wins and two seconds in his last 11 races.
Lemming Spirit was between distances at Harlow, beaten in all four D2s but then failing to get home after leading an A3 field. Now with Michelle Brown at Suffolk Downs, she has gradually built her form and confidence with four wins in her last seven including the best 388m run of the week when seeing off an A1 field in 23.85.
On Saturday night, it was a year to the day that Away Jazz ran his first solo at Monmore. He qualified with a best of 28.86 and debuted in A4. It is then perhaps interesting that on his anniversary, Kim Billingham’s fawn clocked his a new PB of 28.22 when landing a decent quality top heat.
Over in Brum, there were a couple of very competitive A1s on Saturday. Kilara Jacko won his in 28.58 but was ‘outclocked’ by in-form Bob Hall’s Mt Heaton Boyo with a 28.42 run.
There would be a good case to select Farneys Willie as the Doncaster selection based on his clocking the joint second fastest time of the year over the 661m trip. However, we’ve gone for Agile Annie following her win in 29.29. Though it is some way off her own FOY for the 483m (29.19). She is now unbeaten/unbeatable in her last four.
There was nothing pulling up trees at Sheffield this week with the quickest graded winner being Marlfied Diaz with a 28.87 run in A3. So we will play the puppy card and choose the 28.91 A4 winner Easy Ride Bo. (The quickest 500m winner on the day was an A2 -28.89). The 25 kilo black pup is just 18 months old.
On the night that litter brother Ballymac Slick was winning a quarter final of the English Derby, his less celebrated litter brother Ballymac Nova was clocking the fastest 659m race of the year at Yarmouth. With the track staging its first marathon of the year on the same card, it looks a pretty good bet that Pam Cross’s near eight length winner might just step up in the next set of opens.
That ‘Ballymac’ prefix probably features more than the ‘Droopys’ Performers of the Week at two tracks in particular, Swindon (Angie Kibble) and Kinsley (Bev Heaton). It looked as though ‘Boomer’ would be the latest from that line to feature when he clocked 27.93 at Kinsley this week. But on Sunday, that run was eclipsed by Leticias Pride with an impressive 27.89 run. Not that she isn’t without some Ballymac genes.
14 unlucky for some. Different Speed overcame the superstition barrier last week but failed in his attempt at a 14-timer. (Though it was his 13th race at Valley!). We must choose a new champ and that accolade goes to Unwanted Present whose 28.19 for the standard was just half a length off the quickest of the year.
Dave Lee’s El Tornillo is one of the kennel’s most adaptable performers having run on ten different tracks and won opens on seven of them. On Sunday night he was back at home track Crayford where he clocked the fifth fastest time of the year, 33.39, just 13 spots short of the quickest run of the year. Readers who are still paying attention may have noticed that it isn’t Tornillo’s only appearance this week!
