The normal expectation would be that the Derby semi finals would almost certainly head the Towcester POW selection. While wanting to acknowledge De Lahdedah’s 28.79 run, it was the slowest of his last three outings and was eclipsed on the night by Romeo Command’s 28.69. A mention too for Aero Sacundai’s 15.43 effort just one spot outside the clock. But the nod has to go to Coonough Crow for a new track record of 42.43 for the 712m. That is 10 wins and 2 seconds for a bitch generally reckoned to be a touch inconsistent in her first season. What an absolute star she has turned out to be.
Teaboy Brownie had been quickest hound over Romford’s sprint this year with a 13.49 run. On Friday’s Nathan Hunt’s British bred fawn shaved three spots off that with a 13.46 open win.
While on Saturday night, kennelmate Cunnigar Yousir – beaten by his Brownie when the pair last met over two bends – recorded the seventh fastest time of the year for Monmore’s standard distance, 28.05.
No Better Feelin was rated a 10/1 shot when he went to traps for the semi finals of the ARC Puppy Trophy at Sunderland. But he is unlikely to start at double digit odds for Friday’s final after clocking 26.76, just one spot off the fastest time of the year. That was his ninth race and he has been in the frame on eight occasions.
Swift Depot was bigger still – 14/1 – when he picked up the quickest 462 of the week at Yarmouth for John Mullins. As his price suggests, the run was a real turn-up after 12 consecutive losses.
Not a lot between the Monday night open winners at Nottingham. The same can’t be said for Tyrone who picked up a Thursday A2 by 10 lengths in 29.75. For anybody questioning whether the going was freakishly fast, it is worth noting some of the meeting’s other winning times: 31.22, 31.32, 31.35 and 31.85.
It was a similar story at Sheffield where graders outshone the open racers. Although Trickysteddybear clocked 28.70 in A2, that was probably as tough a task as Sunday’s quickest open winners, Epic Gold who clocked 28.86 (+20) in a maiden.
The Doncaster selection was another tricky one. Until Sunday, Barry Denby Clonkeen Syd was in the box seat following a 13 length 29.49 open race win. But then Skywalker Tino made it four sprint wins in his last five with a 16.75 run. Only two dogs have gone quicker this year, kennelmate Ballymac Canter (16.69) and Across The Field, (16.73).
Ower Mystery’s Derby exploits only lasted two rounds but June Harvey’s runner is more than holding his own at Hove. He has seven wins from a dozen races at his home track including the pick of Thursday night opens, a 30.14 win over the longer four bend course.
A cracking 476m open at Swindon on Thursday featuring three of the best hounds at the track in Eze, Ballymac Rocky and Sallowglen Hope. Eze finished top dog in 27.95 at the start of the month. John Campbell’s runner turned the tables in 27.99 this time around.
Kinsley, provided its own conundrum this week. Black Buzzer set the standard early in the week with a career best, 27.76. That was bettered on Sunday by Sober Ballad with a 27.67 run in a competitive A2 which featured most of the better hounds at the track. He is the selection. However the situation was complicated by Ballymac Alyssa, clocking 27.44 in a handicap, albeit off scratch. The right call or no?
The toughest decision of the week was not to select Flyers Vialli despite his clocking the fastest 415 at Harlow this year. The issue is, he did it in A3 company on going rated at +40. Whereas Era Lucky beat a competitive A1 field in 26.26 on +15. While it is never ideal to be beholden to estimated going allowances, that is a huge difference.
Harlow D1 winner Headford Hero was at Oxford on Saturday where his 14.87 run was nine spots outside the track record but the quickest sprint of the year. A mention too for Longfellow with a 26.55 run over the standard, the sixth quickest of the year.
It was a slightly easier call when selecting Delvin Cat at Newcastle. Even though he was slower than A2 winner Slingshot Skylah on the same card, the Cat was running in a higher grade and was the defending POW. That’s three in a row and six of his last eight for Steve Caile’s runner.
The margins were even closer at Suffolk Downs where Rapido Ken clocked the quickest run of the week, by one spot, from kennelmate and defending POW, Lemming Spirit. That’s five in her last eight for Michelle Brown’s bitch.
On the flip side, Swizz Star (28.89) and Good Spark (28.67) both won good top heats at Perry Barr this week. It was Spark’s fifth of the year. But a mention too for Spark’s kennelmate, the young British bred bitch Devilgate Suzi, who landed an A3 earlier in the week in 28.55.
Good Spark’s last raiding trip was to Central Park where he came fourth best behind the unofficial track champ Asbo Lenny on his own manor. On Saturday Paul Donovan’s runner clocked the quickest 491m run of the week, 29.48. That’s six wins and a second in his last seven.
Unwanted Present landed the pick of Sunday’s opens at Valley with a 28.52 run to remain unbeaten in three UK outings to date. A special mention too though for A2 grader Bluetooth, not only for his 28.44 A2 win earlier in the week, but also as some kind of Slimmer of the Summer award. The less lardy Bluetooth has shed four kilos in six weeks.
There were some fabulous times clocked at Crayford on Sunday. Newinn Lotto went within two spots of the 380m record with a 22.87 run. Patterdale Zorro was four spots outside the 540mH clock. But given the prestige of Crayford’s main eight bend events, the outstanding run was probably Razldazl Rolex’s 44.57, just five spots outside Stardom’s TR. All three were the fastest times of the year to date.
Grand Prix winner Farneys Willie was back in the North East on Sunday and contesting a rare open at Pelaw. Rarer still, it was a six-bender which he won by almost 11 lengths in 35.71. That is 10 spots outside Katies Vixen’s track record set in 2017.
