John Mullins has performed miracles with Swift Iconic this year having recently landed the Bresbet Steel City Cup and also having just missed out in the East Anglian Derby. On Friday he was quickest in the PGR Classic heats at Sunderland to extend his recent record to six wins and three seconds in his last nine outings.
The Mullins kennel were also on the mark at Yarmouth as the grader dared Wrighty to repeat last week’s destruction of an A1 field and the Gymcrack runner-up didn’t need a second invitation, finding three spots on last week despite slightly slower going.
Stormy News – another heat winner at Sunderland, clocked 27.75 when landing the puppy final, which puts Outback Abigail’s 27.67 in graded company at Kinsley on Friday into some context. It is a new PB for a bitch who graded into A8 back in June.
Oaks semi finalist Queen Shakira was the quickest of the littermates who dominated half of the RPGTV Puppy Derby trialstakes at Towcester on Sunday. The 28.99 winner was quicker than the three Kings, Memphis (29.28), Capaldi (29.14) and Combs (29.47). The overall quickest of the quartet? We’ll go with Memphis, when he remembers his trapping boots!
Anyone following the Oaks couldn’t have failed to be impressed by Ballyhimikin Mel who finished third in the semi finals but running on powerfully. On Saturday, she took on the Doncaster champ Trewmount Fury and was never troubled, winning by six on a rain drenched track. Hugely impressive from the fastest 660 Perry Barr winner this year.
It was a year ago this week that Maximum Security finished runner-up to Coolavanny Aunty in the Three Steps Final following wins in 27.57 (480) and 28.42 (500). His calculated time in the final was 39.36. A fortnight ago he was made a 9-4 chance when beating Ballymac Archer in a calculated 39.38, last week, at 11-8, he beat the same rival in a calculated, 39.42.
On the subject of big race wins, Hunt Cup/St.Leger winner Havana Lover has the Ladbrokes Gold Collar on her immediate radar – it starts next Saturday at Crayford. So a 33.44 trialstake win – just a length off Antigua Sugar’s FOY – suggests she is nicely tuned up.
There were several worthy contenders for the Hove selection on Thursday night, but since Getup Me Boy was one of them, and since he is current holder of the belt. . . .That’s four from four for Belinda Green’s black.
Loads of guesswork based on different track conditions at Harlow. But we’ve gone with the sprint open winner La Reina who clocked 15.49 (-20) on Wednesday.
Similarly, a wet track took the edge off of times at Swindon on Thursday. Various contenders but we’ve gone for Ballymac Loca, who justified her 4-11 SP when winning by just under 16 lengths in 41.92 (-30) for the 682m trip.
There would be a very good case for Glideaway Bono’s S1 win to be the Suffolk Downs POW. He beat great rival Naney Jezabelle in 34.37 (-80) on a day when the other two 548m races were won in 35.81 and 35.93. Instead we will go for 18 month old A1 winner Yahoo Megan whose 24.22 was clocked on -30.
The Newcastle selection was always going to be about who won the 2.19 on Thursday as it featured the defending POW Gartcloss Tam and the multi time selection, Droopys Biggy. They finished third and second respectively, to the new and undisputed, blah blah champ, is Crooks Patsy with a 28.67 knock-out. Narcos Escobar actually went quicker (28.58) but in lesser company on Saturday.
You could argue that using a similar formula, Cloverfield Formula should be the Pelaw Grange selection having won the A2 in 26.09. However, although Adamant Elsa’s 26.02 win was in A6 company, it was only the second race in the kilo of the 24 kilo January pup. And she found 10 lengths on the clock!
Ballydorgan Gemma has a best of 26.94 in an Oxford A1, which may work as a useful guide to Valley which staged its first meeting ‘under rules’ on Friday. Mike Burton’s white and black clocked the fastest 480 of the day, 28.09.
Since this feature started, 95% of Nottingham’s selections have come from their Monday night meetings (Derby excluded). But the quality of the Friday opens is improving steadily since their introduction. This week there was a 29.75 (500m) run from Culture Day plus a double for the Nathan Hunt trained Antigua Eclipse (28.46-480m) and Hopes Knight with the fifth fastest sprint of the year. He also has the third fastest run (17.58).
No opens at Romford due to a meeting shift leaving midweek A1 winner Droopys Try as this week’s standout performer. It was a new personal best in 23.71.
Oxford did race on Friday night – but no opens. No problems in picking the best graded winner though – the only hound to break 27.00 for the whole week. Chris Hamblin’s Smurfs Queen began life in A8 some 10 months ago.
Similarly, there were no Sunday opens at Central Park this week and the Performance of the Week took place on Wednesday’s card where Franco Jessica landed a tasty A1 in 29.44 for Dave Puddy. That’s four wins in her last seven for a young bitch whose career began in D4.
It is six months since Rallying Range saw off a Monmore A3 field in 28.31. After three months in convalescence, Graham Rankin’s runner looks set to step up on that after landing the fastest top heat of the week in 28.65 (-10).
New FOY runs are a bit thin on the ground by early November but Ron Peckover’s Salthill Sniper did just that on Sunday night with a 16.34 (hand timed) run over the 277m course at Henlow. That’s six wins and two seconds in his last nine outings for the course specialist sprinter.
