In the several years that we have been producing the Performance of the Week feature, we’ve only had a handful of double nominations. This week, it is impossible to split the three big race winners from Nottingham’s Monday night card.
Anyone who cannot see the merit of Distant Podge coming into the Jenningsbet Puppy Classic unraced, and then winning it unbeaten is probably on the wrong website.
Then there is the achievement of Brookside Richie being expertly guided back from a long lay-off to win the most prestigious invitation event in the Calendar. Last but not least, the Select Stayers win for Savana Ruinart. It was only her second race since February, and her first staying event in six months. All of this done when training conditions could hardly have been made more difficult by the weather.
The issue at Suffolk Downs wasn’t so tricky despite three hounds jointly sharing the fastest time of the week, 23.99. We’ll eliminate Vilamoura Jet on the basis of grade (A4), leaving a face-off between two A2 winners.The final eliminator must be recent form with Suzie Jezabelle beaten in her previous two outings while Jim Daly’s Gortown Clic has three wins and two seconds in her last five appearances.
Returning to the subject of the much underrated skill of nursing greyhounds back to full health, there are few better than Mark Wallis. On Friday night, Golden Sprint winner Rail McCoy, who faced two significant lay-offs totalling four and a half months in the last year, went to within a spot of his personal best for the 400 metre course.
The week’s shortest priced winner was 1-9f Fabulous Azurra -fresh from last week’s BGBF British Bred Oaks victory – in the heats of the Bet365 Empress Stakes at Towcester. That completes an incredible nine-timer for the Dave Firmager bred, Patrick Janssens trained blue. Azurra clocked 27.51 at Henlow last week. This week’s quickest run went to Les Of Rhyl with a 27.41 run, just one spot slower than The Grifter’s FOY.
December pup Do Not Disturb was sold at the last Towcester sale for a bargain £1,500. But the youngster produced the outstanding run at Sunderland last week, going quicker than the A1 and A2 on the same card when winning an A3 in 27.23.
Staying in the North East, it is nine months since Hardy Rebel ran third in the All England Cup. Now back among the graders, he showed that he is still a cut above most with a 28.43 A1 win at Newcastle last week.
The next major events to launch are the PGR St.Leger and Lambe Memorial Birmingham Cup which get underway next Thursday. A number of likely entries were in action this week. Master Ten Ten was quickest over four bends (28.50), but ex-Romford S1/E1 performer Guiri Steve, who reached the final last year, narrowly edges it with a 43.41 run.
Meanwhile ex-Perry Barr A4 runner Aughaboy Evie has settled in quite nicely at Pelaw where she landed this week’s sole A1 contest in 25.80.
Flying Ada produced a very decent 660 run at Sheffield on Tuesday, but on a night when the next fastest 500 run was a 29.01 by last week’s top performer Blue Kia, we’ve got to go with the 28.77 recorded by Skywalker Mint.
Staying in Yorkshire and Wraysbury Babe is the selection for the third consecutive week. Jimmy Gaskin’s former Newcastle runner is in the form of her life. The bookies have copped on though. No more 11-2 or 4-1, a much more respectful 11-10f. While Kinsley’s Easy Bookie hangs onto her top ranking after adding an easy A2 win to two A3 successes and a first sub 28.00 run.
Scratching around at Harlow this week. There can’t have been many occasions when a 26.77 is quick enough to secure the slot, even on -30. But a tough battling performance for Phil Ward’s 24 kilo fawn, Millview Blondie.
Although not quite the fastest 540 of the week, Gemma Davidson’s Killeacle Amelia deserves the accolades at Crayford after clocking 34.27 (N) in a Saturday morning open. That’s five wins in her last seven outings combined between six and eight bends, graded and opens.
Any pup that wins an open in its racing debut is always going to attract attention. Step forward Sudden Spike with a 29.14 run at Central Park on Sunday nighty.
There aren’t many graded runners with winning form over Jaguar Macie at Monmore. But following 13 consecutive losses – opens and graded – Seomra Razl was given a drop in class last week. Maybe it was the chance to shine, maybe it was pure indignation at finding himself in A2 company, but Jason Heath’s white and black skated home by seven lengths in the fastest clock of the week, 29.64 (-20).
Until Saturday night, Carols Legacy’s 29.67 (-20) Hove A1 win was the highlight of his career. But the 18-1 chance made a mockery of those odds when beating Coolavanny Shado in the Bresbet East Anglian Derby second round clocking the fourth fastest time of the year on -10 going.
While at Monmore, a long overdue mention for Aero Squeak. It isn’t so long ago that Arran Dunn’s runner rattled off D1, A1, and a 630m open. But the former Romford A1 runner has excelled even his own best form with a nine length A1 win in easily the quickest 480 of the week, 28.38 (-10).
Last but not least a Big Kev double starting with a fabulous welcome back to racing for Oxford. Under normal circumstances we wouldn’t acknowledge a track record after only two meetings, but the racing office appear to have it spot on with Coppice Josie. A couple of points to note, her Irish form includes a 28.29 run in the Irish Oaks at Shelbourne and a 28.43 at Limerick. The next fastest time recorded at Cowley is 27.31. (The original track record for ‘450’ was 26.20 recorded by Up For Sam in 2020, though the course has since been extended).
One night later, Kev’s home bred Signet Otis took 11 spots off Cadbury Hero’s Swindon 476 metre track record when beating litter brother Signet Goofy by eight lengths in the first round of the Produce Stakes at Swindon.
