BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

If anything sums up Performance of the Week it was Space Jet’s win in the final of the Coral TV Trophy at Hove on Sunday. No matter how many ‘what ifs’ punters may try to make for the other four runners, including age, current form and any trouble in racing – they have as much value as a discarded betting ticket. Jet gave them all a start and a beating; an absolute running lesson. She is clearly the no.1 marathon hound in training.

The weekend’s other feature event was the Matchbook Exchange Maiden Derby at Towcester and while many punters might have assumed that Coolavanny Shado would be nailed on for the POW. However his 29.29 run was bettered by Brendan/Damian Matthews’ Wide Open whose 29.20 is the second fastest time of the year.

Shadow’s kennelmate Lautaro is the only hound to have gone quicker (29.15) and he was the Performer of the Week when winning on debut back in November. Looking ever much more the finished article these days, he produced the fastest time in the Laurels Trialstakes at Perry Barr.

There was a double for Big Patrick at Romford on Friday when Blackrose Tadgh won at Romford. Owned and bred by Eric Cantillon, Tadh is out of Blackrose June, who was an open race winner over 428m, 460m & 550m at Henlow, Tadgh looks particularly well suited to this course and distance.

Track records are always going to attract special attention and we were never likely to ignore the exploits of Coolavanny Galiv at Sheffield on Tuesday. He bettered the previous best of Brogan Tee Bone by a couple of spots. The two hounds who have previously come closest in the last six plus years were Walk The Talk and a certain Walshes Hill who both clocked 15.69. Galiv will be looking to better his PB tomorrow night.

Sticking with the same prefix and kennel, Coolavanny Aunty was the star of the first round of the ARC Grand Prix at Sunderland with a 39.29 run.

Like a lot of tracks seeing a decline in their minor opens, Nottingham have souped up their A1s in recent weeks. Last Monday, the 500m open and A1 were won in identical times by Bellmore Rossi (A1) and Bluejig Jet. We opted for the latter based on the overall quality of the race which included the POW for the previous fortnight, Shockwave Iolite.

There was a similar example at Swindon on Sunday where Ballymac Ino’s 27.94 victory in the A1, wasn’t only faster than kennelmate Ballymac Intent in the open, it was actually the fastest 476 of the year to date.

On Wednesday, Yarmouth wheeled out the three most prolific POW winners of recent weeks Gracias Lorenzo, Maxi Twister and Montrose met in what can only be described as an A1+ event. Montrose beat Lorenzo by a neck with Olive Blossom. The 1-2-3 are all offspring of American sire Pat C Sabbath.

Kinsley called their top race an A2 on Sunday (Come on Mr Curran – we all know it was an A1 – splash the brass lad!). It featured the cream of the local four bend stars including the reigning Performer of the Week, Olympic Boyo. But that title is now owned by 27.84, and double A2 winner Balltadhg Peg.

Meanwhile at Pelaw, the ‘resident’ track champion Marinas Artist, beaten in his last two outings by usurper Liffeyside Patsy, was out to reclaim his crown. He kind of did with an impressive 25.74 win. Of course with no Patsy in the line-up. . . (This has Fury v AJ written all over it).

Newcastle run several A1s every week. The quickest, and arguably the best, in the last seven days was won by Gas Man who was 9-2 when seeing off a field that included Droopys Hooray, Hardy Rebel and Bellmore Pepper in 28.70.

Harlow pretty much have Wednesday to themselves when it comes to open racing. Picking through the times and going allowances, After going allowance of -240 was taken into account Ballyea Sally clocked a calculated 50.75 for the 769m in mid-March. Last Wednesday, on going calculated at -120, she clocked a calculated 50.75.

The fastest time at Suffolk Downs was a 23.94 on Monday. But nobody could seriously argue that Friday’s A1 on -20 going wasn’t the week’s top race. It went to Mister Eventful whose loss of his crown to Sharky Jezabelle lasted only a week. Eventful’s previous 23.70 remains the quickest winning time on the new course.

Jason Ray’s runner was was D1 and A2 at Henlow where he was a regular 27.80-27.90 performer. This week, three hounds broke 27.70, the quickest also being the youngest. Tymekangaroodown (all together now!) gets the nod, not only because he was the quickest, but also the youngest. A wry smile surely for Richard Devenish, who bred the winner, but trained the third!

Burgess Harrah was last week’s Crayford selection based on a 45.39 run. She went seven spots quicker this week. Special mention too for Knockard Rory’s 23.28 for the 380m, the second fastest run of the year.

Most weeks, we look for the outstanding A1 at Doncaster. On that basis, it would have gone to Ferryforth Davy with a 29.81 win in the weekly Parker/Calvert sweepstake. But we reckon that was overshadowed this week by a new FOY for the 450m course by Lightfoot Quitly.

The week started with a tough call with two £5K finals at Central Park. We’ve edged it to Tintreach Jet on the basis that his 16.09 in the final was the fastest sprint so far this year. Lenson Doolin’s 29.39 was only the second fastest run over the hurdle course this year. (The fastest was the 29.29 on .20 slow going, recorded by. . Lenson Doolin).

Trumps Benefit left at least four lengths on the track when making his six bend debut over 630m at Monmore. The Regency’s presumably an option for Carol Weatherall’s black.

* There was a phenomenal 15.34 sprint trial by the returning Signet Ace at Swindon last night. The 262m track record is 15.40.