BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

THE Performance of the Week must surely go to Coolavanny Aunty following her sensational track record breaking run at Sunderland on Thursday. Given her defeat over Yarmouth’s 659m after leading in the Ing St.Leger, it looks as though the 640m might just about be her optimal trip.

Thursday night also featured a fabulous run by Trionas Travel in the ARC Laurels at Perry Barr. The 27.96 was equal to Skywalker Cilla’s best run over c&d in 2021. Interestingly, Travel’s 3.55 sectional was three spots slower than his best, which is the same number of spots that he was outside the track record.

The Matchbook Maiden Derby saw another flawless performance from Irish raider Wide Open who found two spots on last week’s performance.

Recent Sheffield track record breaker Coolavanny Galiv was 21 spots back on last week’s run but with no obvious challenger, he holds onto the belt when completing an open four-timer.

Burgess Hannah was another to hold onto her title at Crayford. Rated 8-13 when winning an E1, she was 8-11f when landing a 714m open last week and followed up by winning a Track Championship heat at 1-4f. Only three winners bettered that time last year, all in the Cesarewitch, with the quickest being Alaskan Dawn (56.15). Steve Caile’s Gas Man is another ‘copy and paste’ after completing a 267-1 Newcastle four-timer.

Harlow’s eight bend opens have been rotating in recent weeks. Tinks Beaut turned around 16 lengths of form to beat last week’s selection Ballyea Sally (3^rd). Both the winner and runner-up Lubagh Silver contest A7 over four bends.

She might have been a bit short of her 29.29 (500) or 28.23 (480) form at Nottingham on Monday, but Churchill Holly remains a class act and clocked the fastest middle distance clock in Monday’s open.

Most of the Romford, Hove and Monmore stars were at Crayford for the Track Championship, but Derek Knight’s Crystal Knight (11-8f) put up a perfectly good A1 win in 29.32, in a field that included Faughan Rebel , Bonjour Bullet and 29.33 winner Greedy Punter. The Monmore selection is trickier with nothing standing out, so the selection is Skyfall Ruben who joined Taysof Majestic at the top of the race leader board with his sixth victory of 2022.

It isn’t very often that a midweek graded race outshines the best of the Friday night opens at Romford. It happened last week though with a six length A1 win for Farran Patsy who was just six spots off the fastest time of the year.

A hurdle career didn’t map out for Charlie Trend who reached the semis of the Springbok, but he has returned to flat racing as good as new and clocked the third fastest 450 of the year in Saturday’s B1 at Central Park.

With minor opens in decline, we’ve mentioned the return of genuine A1 events recently. Not a field of A2 winners who have been promoted but several prolific A1 winners in the same race. A good example came at Suffolk Downs on Friday. They were all there, Glenvale Tony, Mister Eventful, Paper Straw . . .The layers reckoned that Sharky Jezabelle (8-13f) was still have a grade too good and so it proved with the week’s only sub-24.00.

There was a similar story at Kinsley. Four of last week’s A2 field, including winner Balltadgh Peg, met again. This time Ross Magic improved a place, Peg was fifth. Ferryforth Davy (1^st), Barnside Luther (4^th) and Go Go Wink (2^nd) contested last week’s top Doncaster A1. This week they finished Barnside Luther (1^st), Ferryforth Davy (3^rd), Go Go Wink (6^th).

Among the ‘new champs’ is Henlow’s Baby Bullet who turned over Tymekangaaroodown (all together now), in Henlow’s top A1 of the week.

Of all the tracks where ‘grade’ normally equals ‘fastest time’ none is more consistent than Pelaw Grange. Unusually this week that wasn’t the case. A3 winner Paisley Abbey recorded 26.18 and was marginally quicker than Mustang Tyson in the A1. We’ll give it to the latter. Though whether he can mix it with the real big hitters, Marinas Artist and Liffeyside Patsy is the bigger poser.

Yarmouth’s was an even simpler equation. One winner broke 28.00 this week, and did so with plenty to spare. She was Andrew Wilson’s Drumdoit Lucy.

A tougher call at Swindon on Sunday where reigning champ Ballymac Ino won in 28.26 but was eclipsed by Café Au Late, Ballymac Intent and Jet Stream Chief who all won in an identical 28.21. On ‘countback’ we’ll go with Ballymac Intent who beat Chief in 27.98 last week.

*Signet Ace clocked 28.06 before racing.