BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Following on from Jaguar Macie landing a third Cat One event, Coolavanny Aunty also completed that rarest of hat-tricks with another fabulous run at Sunderland.  Thursday also featured another flying run from Trionas Travel in the fastest Laurels semi final at Perry Barr. Ernie Skeech’s black is unbeaten in five over course and distance.

Returning to the subject of multi Cat One winners, Crosssfield Dusty returned to racing on Saturday and was just two spots slower than Signet Mafia’s fastest sprint of the year on a slow track. So bragging rights go to kennelmate Bockos Brandy who took 10 spots off Salacres Pippy’s Towcester 712m clock on Sunday.

There was an excellent performance from 21 month old Boardwalk Buster at Sheffield on Tuesday, a 28.58 for 500m, just a length off the fastest time of the year. Hove’s recent opens have given the locals a chance to gauge themselves on the clock. The fastest 500m run this year is Cochise’s 29.09. So Lasair Breno‘s 29.24 in A1 isn’t too shoddy. There is a similar story at Newcastle where Killieford Defoe bounced back from a KO last time out to clock the best A1 of the week.

Harlow’s Wednesday night opens usually produce the main performance. Not this week, with Millview Blondie producing the fourth fastest 415 so far this year. Unfortunately, one of the other open race staples – Nottingham Monday – appears to have gone by the wayside for a while. But there have been some decent top heat races with the strapping (32.5kg) Sandyhill Molly winning her last two.

Romford are still staging their Friday opens but the proliferation of Category One events elsewhere has seen an absence of many of the high profile runners. But the place continues to prove a big draw for Yarmouth runners with Montrose – a regular POW winner at his home track finally cracking Romford at a fourth attempt. Montrose’s PB at Yarmouth is 27.70, some 17 spots quicker than this week’s fastest winner, Conna Cuckoo. That said, Kevin Cobbold’s bitch puppy isn’t two until September.

Millbank Peach hasn’t achieved huge success on the open scene but Dan Brabon’s bitch has come back all the fresh to Central Park and produced the best 480m performance last week. Really slim pickings at Crayford this week – the fastest 380 was 23.49! So the nods goes to Rising Coco, winner of the 714m maiden open in a modest 45.91.

Doncaster has been running well with a series of sub 29.00 runs for the 483m. But among all the A2s, the big lads turned up for the only A1 which went to Go Go Wink beating the veteran Kilara Bugle.

Neighbours Kinsley have also seen some faster racing conditions and sub-28.00 runs. Even though racing in Sunday was a bit slower, there is no doubt that the week’s toughest contest went to 28.22 (-20) winner Balltadhg Peg. That’s three of her last four A2s. Also on Sunday, Errill Can took advantage of the absence of Pelaw’s big hitters by taking the A1 in a respectable, 26.15,

Returning to the subject of Golden Oldies, that great Henlow pensioner Layton Shrek was at it again with the fastest 460 of the week. Ballymac Tessa was a prolific D1/A1 winner at Henlow but has taken equally well to Suffolk Downs. Her 23.92 run was her second A1 win in as many outings.

The week concluded with a fabulous run by Ballymac Ino at Swindon. Forget the time, she ran an absolute cracker to miss her break and beat the most competitive field on the card that night.