A week decimated by weather with cancelled and abandoned meetings and going allowances all over the place. At least nine meetings didn’t take place at all with another couple abandoned midway through. The most notable was Towcester’s Sunday card featuring the RPGTV Puppy Derby second round.

Hove’s surface was a credit to the track staff of Saturday when the year’s fastest 515 and 740m times were recorded by Deelish Frankie and Space Jet respectively. Great to see the Monmore Puppy Derby and TV Trophy winners back to somewhere near their best. There was also a sensational run by the beaten Frompillartopost, who gave a very fair impression of a young Moral Standards. But make no mistake, Space Jet’s run was just sensational, the fastest over course and distance in nine years.

Sister track Monmore was considerably slower on Saturday night where the slowest 480 and 630 winners were timed at 31.00 and 40.13 respectively. In fact, 29.00 was only broken twice during the week. So what better time than to mention Aran Dunne’s Scullys Grace? She picked off an S1 in 38.87 which was not only her sixth win in her last eight races, she is now the track’s most prolific winner in 2022 with 13 wins split between four and six bends.

There were fastest times of the year over two bends, by the remarkable veteran Shrewd Call, and 680m by the classy Bellmore Sally, at Nottingham on Monday. Although Slick Sakina’s 29.75 wasn’t even as quick over 500m as another remarkable veteran, Churchill Holly, this feature is about more than clock comparisons. Slick Sakina’s seventh consecutive victory across two PGR Category One events is a fabulous example of class, versatility (she won from T5 four times and T6 twice) and of course, consistency.

If Shrewd Call’s run was the third best sprint of the week, the second best came at Yarmouth where on a track rated ‘N’, Quagos Jack beat sister Quagos Peggy in 16.02, just two spots outside their sire’s track record (recorded on +05 going).

The top sprint though has to be Impact George’s 15.10 track record at Swindon – a whopping 15 spots inside the previous best. The 37 kilo giant fawn will be three years old in May but was only contesting the ninth race of his career. Credit to the trainer for his perseverance, but also to the Swindon track staff.

(The night was also probably unique in Mr Hutton achieving a 75-1 treble at Swindon – helped by the fact that the three beaten favourites were from the same kennel. We can think of a few ex-flapping lads – with less integrity than Big Kev of course – who would have dreamed of being able to manufacture three results like that!)

Tuesday night’s British Bred Derby heats were a tremendous example of competitive home bred racing and once again the Hutton kennel were in the thick of it. There was less than two lengths between the four first round winners, with last year’s runner-up Signet Otis one of a quartet from the Bale/Natalee litter through to tomorrow’s semi finals. Between them they have already won five Cat One events.

Also on Tuesday we had the final tune -up for the forthcoming PGR All England Cup fancies. Quickest of the three winners, though only just, was March On Larry. Talk about consistency, that is five in a row for the brindle with the last two wins coming in identical times on identical going. Heading in a similar direction is Sunderland grader Rattling West who followed up last week’s 27.18 (+20) win in A2, with a 27.30 (N) win in A1.

There was only one spot separating Harlow’s two Wednesday night open winners, the quickest of which was Nathan Hunt’s Storys Direct. Once known as Droopys Direct, he began his career in an unraced stake at Clonmel where he finished second to Jackslittlething with Fabulous Azurra back in fourth.

With no Thursday card due to frost, the Suffolk Downs weekly A1 didn’t happen. So attention switches to Monday’s Kingwood Costa with the week’s only sub 24.00 run. It was his fastest run to date having dropped from welterweight to featherweight (a kilo and a half) in the last six weeks.

Towcester is the most weather exposed venue in the country. They haven’t race since Tuesday when the fastest 500 of the week was clocked at 29.91. Pro rata, there was a quicker run from Pennys Oxo who saw off the D1 in 15.98 (-05). Central Park also lost their Sunday opens leaving tony Collett’s A1 regular and minor open winner Jewel Of Madonna to take the honours in 29.27 (-20) earlier in the week.

You would have had big odds on Henlow racing on Sunday night having lost their Friday fixture. Not only did they race, but times were remarkably consistent, between ‘N’ and ‘-10’. Quickest on the evening was A2 winner Caseys Tommy with a 27.93 (-10) run.

Perry Barr didn’t lose a meeting and on Thursday staged opens over three different distances. The most notable was probably Lakeside Lady’s 28.78 win in the bitch’s open. But there was a quicker run in Saturday’s A2 by Phil Holder’s Moyar Glory. That’s four wins in his last six for a dog who started out in A8.

Oxford did well to race on Friday night but the price paid to avoid a frozen track was -90 for the second round heats of the B365 Challenge Cup. In a five-runner field featuring Savana Ruinart (Ev.f) and Havana Lover (11-10) it was Maxine Locke’s 7-1 shot Droopys Garden who not only prevailed but also clocked the quickest time, 40.88.

The Romford surface was nowhere near as slow on the same night, -40 for the six benders. Quickest over the standard was Oh Cosmopolitan with a 23.97 run but we’re opting for the Yarmouth sprinter Getouttamyway with a 13.36 (-10) run for the sprint – that’s four in a row and five from his last six outings.

Last week’s Crayford POW Ritzys Spirit was selected for having gone almost as quick over the 540m hurdle course as the quickest open race flat runner. This week it is kennelmate Lenson Doolin for a 23.29 run over the 380m hurdle course – actually faster than all the flat opens on the same day.

Brood bitch Droopys Knox completely dominated top heat at Doncaster this week. On Wednesday, Dingys Ronaldo (by Candlelight King) clocked 30.41 (-50) when taking the A1. He was out again on Sunday when beaten (6th) by Lightfoot Doak (1st) and Lightfoot Snapp o(5th) out of his dam’s youngest litter.

Finally, balance has been restored in the universe, at least in the Kinsley bit of it. Last week we reported that Sylvia Oakes’ Glenvale Gav had been beaten for a second consecutive week. On Sunday afternoon he met his two deadly rivals Brynoffa Bob and Million Wink for a proper Yorkshire sort out. Bob had laid his 27.92 hand last week. The veteran Gav trumped it with a 27.91 on Sunday with just half a length to spare. Million Wink was third.

Move over King Curran, King Gav rules!