A Category One double header from Monmore this week with Warzone Tom and Move Over Cha taking the honours. Which was the better of the two runs? We’ll edge it to Tom on the strength of a 37.86 (-25) run. The FOY is Coolavanny Bani in 37.82 (N). Gougane Jet is mentioned in despatches after completing a four-timer.
But for missing out in the semi final ballot, Antigua Sugar might have been contesting Saturday’s final. Skip forward to Sunday and Mark Wallis’s Juvenile Classic winner made an impressive 712m debut. There was a decent 29.45 first win for Chelms Jet too!
As at Monmore, there was a close call over two different distances at Newcastle where Stuie Tighe’s Skidrose Buick produced a very decent 480m open win in 28.53. But we’ll give the nod to the veteran Nottingham specialist Barnagrane Amber (winner of the 2021 Select Stayers) after a hard fought six bend success.
Romford regularly presents a double distance dilemma. Doghouse Dazzler – on the form of his life – should have hung onto his reign after clocking 34.96 over the trip. But he was up against the fastest 400 metre performance of 2022 to date, courtesy of Romeo Hotshot.
The first name on the chart this week was Barrie Draper’s Puppy Classic semi final winner Distant Podge with a 29.78 run. His first look at the track a month earlier was clocked at 30.23. Interestingly, despite his age, his entire racing career is on the card – just three races.
When Coolavanny Shado went to traps at Yarmouth on Saturday, his entire career had only spanned four races. But he nevertheless produced the fastest 462 time recorded since last September with a 27.45 run in the Bresbet East Anglian Derby. There is an interesting line of form through the previous faster winner in 2022, the local, Gracias Lorenzo. On a track rated -10 on Saturday, Mark Brighton’s runner clocked 27.78 (calc 27.68). His previous best run was a 27.47 on +20 (calc 27.67).
Shado famously won his only race in Ireland in 28.28 at Tralee, an identical time to Fromposttopillar who made a successful UK debut at Central Park on Sunday clocking a fabulous 29.04 (-20). It wasn’t quite good enough to get the selection though. That went to last week’s defending champ, and home bred kennelmate, Queen Gaga. She was three spots quicker and giving away two months in age. Both potentially have fabulous careers in front of them.
Sticking with the Brits, Patrick Janssens handling of Fabulous Azurra has been,well . . . .fabulous. Despite picking up a hock injury in the Blue Riband semi finals at Towcester – and missing her break on Sunday night – she continued her winning sequence to eight when taking the BGBF Oaks at Henlow.
At Harlow, the final of the BGBF Sprint went to Sonic Emjay in 15.09, though there was a quicker run by Tell Boy on the night, a new FOY. Emjay was in action again on Sunday night but found one too good at Swindon in Jack Brain’s Laughil Gordon.
At Sheffield, Lisa Stephenson’s Blue Kia is in the form of his life. Having spent the early part of his Owlerton career looking like a regular A2/A3 grader, he has really cracked on in the last six weeks with four wins in his last five outings including a career best open race win in 28.65 for the standard.
The top Suffolk Downs performance was effectively between two Wallis runners. Antigua Littlun won an A2 with plenty to spare but Muxton Lottie clocked the fastest 388 run of the week (24.04 -30).
Crayford’s last two Performers of the Week, Huntsman and Punk Rock Doll met again on Saturday morning with Huntsman coming out the 23.46 winner. Although Cherissethediva was in easier company, she was a bit quicker and was able to play the ‘puppy’ card for the last time.
Wraysbury Babe had few issues defending the Doncaster belt after seeing off a good class A1 field in consecutive weeks. Plenty of value about too, 11-2 and 4-1.
Most of the Hove elite stars are away open racing and last week’s Hove champ Springside Annie was turned over by kennelmate Mustang Diva this week. The 29.95 is far from spectacular though the track was rated -40.
Though Drahbeg Dandy didn’t quite clock the fastest 480 of the week (Rock On Ronnie – 28.68), his 28.77 was recorded in a decent A1 including the reigning POW Bower Pat. But it was his most impressive win since his comeback. Gerry Ballentine’s black broke a hock in the semi finals of last year’s Puppy Classic and then spent six months in recovery.
When it comes to consistency, there are few to match Pelaw grader Inniskeel Josie who went to the Pelaw 435m boxes to contest her ninth race on Sunday and came away with win number seven. The biggest surprise? She was returned at 100-30.
Kinsley stage three meetings per week and despite the Four Day Rule, local grader Easy Cookie managed to clock the fastest time of the day at two of them and beat the defending Performer of the Week, Kilaharry Maisie.
We conclude with a superb home bred litter treble on Wednesday for Jill Sutherst. Witton Clem landed an A2 in 27.39, sister Witton Hopetown picked up an A3 in 27.44 and Witton Survivor clocked the fastest time of the week in the A1 in 27.25.
