We are now approaching the end of the month of McNober and there has been an application from a kennel in Kent for it to be extended by another six weeks. It was another great weekend for Queen Liz, who sent out Warzone Tom to land his third Cat One event – the £20K PGR Champion Stakes – and remind racing fans that he is prepared to graft for his wins as well as dominate from the front.
On the same night, Team McNair picked up both semi finals of the RPGTV Puppy Collar with Havana Allablaze and Fromposttopillar. That’s three from three for the son of Droopys Sydney with an aggregate winning distance of over 25 lengths.
There was to be no glorious treble though with favourite Havana Lover turned over in the Hunt Cup Final. But no one could begrudge Chelms Cub his big pay out having reached the finals of the Regency, Stayers Classic (beaten by Warzone Tom) and St.Leger (beaten by Havana Lover). A nice £106 forecast too for the Heath kennel.
Later on Sunday night, Arkady clocked the fastest time in the opening round of the PGR Kent Derby. Inexplicably distracted in the ARC Puppy Final at Sunderland, the David Mullins trained runner went lame next time out but reminded punters of his quality – he is still the fastest dog this year over the Sunderland 450m course – with a ‘bang and gone’ display to clock 28.88 (-20).
The next major decider is Thursday’s PGR Oaks and Thursday’s semis were dominated by a Janssen treble headed by the remarkable and unbeaten Slick Sakina. Connections won’t be taking anything for granted though. Last year’s Oaks was dominated by the unbeaten Skywalker Cilla (27.96 semi) only for it to go wrong on the big night.
Team Wallis don’t have too many superstars in the kennel but their record for big race wins is incredible. Golden Sprint winner Rail McCoy picked up the Coral Standard on Friday night. What a cracking gutsy hound who began life in A3 at Henlow and contested 13 graded races there. Earlier in the day, kennelmate Saffrons Dash beat another Imperial Kennels resident, and reigning POW at Suffolk Downs, Antigua Littlun in the track’s top A1. Adjusted for going, he was 12 spots outside his own track record.
Rail McCoy’s fastest time at Henlow was a 27.39 A1 win. This week’s top A1 went to Peejays Forever in 28.36 on going rated -60. An open race winner over Romford’s 575m in 35.35, her personal best at Henlow is 27.45 (+20).
There would be decent grounds to choose Lemming Extra for the top Monmore performance after a 37.95 run for the 630 metres. But she is being overlooked in preference to her 18 month old kennelmate Team News who won for the first time in his career in 28.38 for the standard.
The Nottingham Monday night opens have bounced back; how much is due to ARC dropping its ‘must trial’ order is open to guess. Defending Performer of the Week Headford Chief won again. There was another brilliant performance from the ‘Queen of Colwick’ Churchill Holly with a 29.42 run. But we have to acknowledge the fastest 480 of the year to date by Boony’s puppy Farneys Trend.
Sheffield’s selection didn’t take a lot of picking, and was also over the 480m course. It was of course the 27.25 track record from Sean Davy’s Nolas Pride. The much travelled black began life in A2 at Nottingham when trained by Annaleise Thompson and was two spots inside Roxholme Kristof’s previous best. The difference between the pair though is that he stayed 750 yards at Shelbourne, Nola led and was beaten over 575 at Romford, her furthest trip to date. The extra 20 metres might be do-able but 660 looks a tough ask.
Hove’s outstanding middle distance run also took place on Tuesday when Seamus Cahill’s Thunder Black produced the performance of his career to date with a 29.18 clock for 500 metres.
Only two hounds broke 28.00 for the standard at Yarmouth this week. Young Burke produced a 27.88 run, just a length and a half slower than his litter brother Lakeview Floyd. That’s four wins and a second in his last five the Kevin Cobbold’s blue.
Last week at Harlow, Huntsman picked up the POW nomination with a 25.92. Jura Go Max was just two spots slower in a separate open. The pair met this week and it was Dave Lee’s runner who retained the belt.
Things didn’t go so well for last week’s Crayford selection Burgess Hannah who went to traps at 1-2f to land a 714m open on Saturday morning. Even if she had repeated her 45.51 run, it wouldn’t have been good enough against Blue Tick Jenny’s 45.41 (both +30).
Doncaster champ Lightfoot Tereza didn’t fare any better. She finished third to 30.01 A1 winner Ballymac Rocker. But even he was outshone earlier in the week by a fellow inmate in the Gaskin kennel, Fill The Till who’d seen off another A1 in 29.70 (-10).
A fairly average week by their standards at Newcastle. The fastest clock was a 28.67, though it was produced by a youngster; Angela Harrison’s Cashbale Lulu in a puppy open. Another bitch puppy shone at Sunderland as Glasmeen Flow landed an A1 in a FOW, 27.22. The North East treble is completed by Pelaw veteran Hollyhill Magic. Third behind last week’s POW Holyhill Ace (25.89), the ex-Perry Barr A3 hound claimed the crown with an A1 25.81 run.
They were waiting for John Curran to retain his Kinsley Conker Championship title before staging their next A1 but it was worth waiting for. The 19 month old locally bred littermates Acomb Alfie and Acomb Irene landed the forecast for Kevin Ferguson.
The week concluded with a win for another British bred hound. Despite having reached Produce Stakes and British Bred Derby Finals, Sleek By Design is probably the fifth or sixth string in a sensational year. On Sunday night she tackled her longest trip to date to land a 682m open and replacing half brother Signet Mafia as the Swindon Performer of the Week.
