BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

There are ‘horses for courses’ and while it might only be eight races into Deelish Frankie’s racing career the Ladbrokes Premier Puppy Derby winner certainly doesn’t perform like a Monmore specialist. His strong backstraight and finishing pace suggests he will be favoured by a few extra metres and a bigger circuit. But when you have that much class. . .

At Yarmouth, the only previous Premier Cat One winner Bellmore Sally extended her winning run to five with the quickest of the George Ing Semi Final wins. With going allowance included there was a 35 spot improvement on her first look at the track despite early trouble costing her a couple of lengths on her sectional.

There were at least four contenders for Romford’s Performance of the Week. We’ve given it to Golden Sprint winner Rail McCoy, but not primarily as the result of a 24.13 run. Zara Rosie (23.87) went quicker, Fight The Power (35.16) returned to his best 10 month old form and Lylas Boy produced the best sprint so far this year. No, we are simply acknowledging a great training feat, taking a Henlow A1 regular who has had two lengthy spells on the sidelines in the last five months, and producing him to perfection on the night that mattered.

Sunday’s Towcester card also featured two hounds rewarding their trainers for their patience and perseverance. Diane Henry’s Savana Cody clocked the fastest 500 of the day with a 29.56 run, his first win since the Laurels heats last April. But we’ll edge it to British bred Baggios Champ who was just 30 spots off the fastest 712 of the year in his first win in six months.

At Nottingham last Monday Shockwave Onyx was once again the most impressive of the British Bred Stakes qualifiers, winning his heat in an improved 29.65. On the same night, puppy Lightfoot Jarvis produced the fastest time of the year for Doncaster’s four bends. In what turned out to be a Parker v Calvert event with the kennels supplying all six runners, Sean’s May youngster won by seven in 29.66 off a flying 4.10 sectional.

On Tuesday John Walton’s Gurtnacrehyblake stretched his unbeaten UK record to four when turning over the almost invincible Freedom Whiskey in a Sheffield sprint. While back at Whiskey’s home venue, his kennelmate Freedom Sky was clocking the fastest first round heat of the Northern Flat for Tom Heilbron.

On Wednesday night, the big Harlow showdown took place between March On Henry and Front Society went in favour of the Hove runner. But Henry was almost five lengths slower than Tommys Ranger whose 26.57 was recorded on -60 going.

The weekly Crayford nomination goes once again to ‘whoever beat Woodcocks Akia’. A fortnight ago it was Brutus Bullet in 34.26. Last week it was Bens Lad in 33.80. This week it was A4/E1 and S1 winner Rising Coco in 33.97 (-20).

We were expecting to be choosing between the most impressive Silver Salver and Springbok heat winner but the re-scheduling of both events to today means we are looking to the graders. No huge loss though with a calculated 29.00 run in A1 for Tony Collett’s Jewel Of Madonna.

Playbook still has the fastest race time at Suffolk Downs with a 23.91 run. This week though the reigning POW found one too good in Sharky Jezabelle whose 23.99 was recorded on -30. Remember this is a bitch with 27.33 form at Henlow.

The oldest Performer of the Week was Chris Gilbert’s five year Lambstown Lagoon whose 28.76 was the fastest four bend run seen in the last seven days at Perry Barr.

The clock is usually of assistance and if it were down to that alone, Was Just Thinkin’s 27.35 run at Sunderland would be the POW. But there was another A1, where defending champ Mucho Macho Jack was taking on the ultimate track champ in Matts Mink. The result saw Graham Strike’s runner stretch his unbeaten A1 winning sequence to six. The time, a moderate 27.48.

Another falling into the category of ‘what use is the clock’ . . . Kinsley’s sole A2 this week was won on Sunday in 28.27 by Madabout Power. Though the same meeting also featured an A3 in 28.27, with another in 28.31, plus an A4 and an A5 both won in 28.28.

However, nobody needed a grade number to know that the fifth race on Sunday was Pelaw’s best race of the week. It was won, in a suitably impressive 25.70 by Paul Worton’s Diego Ranger (one of four Droopys Jets in the field of five runners). Similarly Henlow only staged one meeting this week with the A1 recorded in the fastest time of the day by Cloncunny Walker.

The week finished on a track record breaking run for Headford Flash who took two spots off the previous clock held by brother Headford Harry.

Finally, we really don’t like doubling up on a Performance of the Week but how would you possibly separate this pair at Hove. May puppy Cochise clocked the fastest standard distance race seen at the track in the last 17 months while Droopys Senorita clocked the quickest 740 in nearly nine years!