These ratings are based on all sorts of criteria, times, age, consistency, durability, and yes, sentiment. So although Mohican Tara’s win in the £10K WDS Diamond Stakes Final at Oxford wasn’t technically the best run of the night, it was in inspiration that honesty and persistence sometimes matter more than pure ability.
On the same night, Aayamza Magic was marginally the quickest of the three Coral Essex Vase semi final winners. Interestingly, there are nine spots between the four inside runners on semi final form and identical clocks for the outside pair. All six are railers with defending champ Coolavanny Aunty the best drawn.
After all their recent issues, Towcester was in great nick on Sunday afternoon with two virtually identical fast runs in the Blue Riband semis. Hopes Paddington’s 29.15 was eclipsed by spot by Deelish Frankie. (Last week’s fastest first round winner was Fabulous Azurra with a 29.13 run).
Last Sunday, the Central Park selection went to Ccesarewitch winner Cochise but mention was made of the flying pup Havana Allablaze following her calculated sub 27.00 run for the 450. She tackled the extra 30 metres this week and clocked the fastest time of the day, 29.22 (-30).
The next major event in the Calendar is the PGR Golden Jacket. The trialstakes are already underway though the quickest winner over the 714m course on Saturday was Paul Young’s Bubbly Bluebelle in a maiden. The beaten Puppy Oaks favourite clocked 46.12 (-60) off a 23.62 sectional which would have been good enough to win any of the meeting’s 380m opens.
Last Monday we mentioned that Glatton Gianni was the last hound to secure a Performance of the Week nomination after winning an impressive Henlow top heat. The following night, brother and sister Shockwave Zircon and Shockwave Amber won the two heats of a Nottingham sprint. Little sister Amber went quickest.
At Sheffield, Tom Heilbron’s Darbys Delight produced a hugely impressive 660m open race win when clocking 38.78. It was equal to the fifth fastest time over course and distance last year, as produced by Coolavanny Aunty (who also had the fastest – 38.63).
The weather once again wreaked havoc on fixtures, particularly in the North East. Newcastle lost all five of their meetings to the weather while Pelaw lost their sole Sunday fixture. Henlow failed to race on both their Friday and Sunday fixtures.
Monmore did get their Saturday night meeting staged though it was at the expense of a track (conservatively) running a full second slow for the 480. The selection is a dog highlighted by Kevin Hutton in a feature last week, then exciting puppy Rioja Joey.
Cancelled meetings at Yarmouth are virtually unheard of, but even they lost their Wednesday fixture. The track generally ran aound -30 for the standard with nothing close to breaking 28.00. Instead though we’ll go for Andrew Wilson’s June pup Drumdoit Annie who romped up by seven in A5. Given her age, to get within 13 spots of the fastest time of the night was some performance. Check out her breeding too!
Suffolk Downs only staged one meeting last week due to the weather. Fortunately, it featured the reigning champ Glenside Micro and the previous week’s fastest winner, in a lower grade, Olivetree Deano. The result was a sixth win in eight for the reigning champ.
Similarly, Doncaster only staged one A1 this week and it proved a great buckle between Fill The Till (6-5f) and Ferryforth Davy (11-8). It went to the latter with a winning margin of just a brindle head. However, we can’t ignore the second outstanding 450 win by the super consistent Cold Fact who retains his title with a 27.83 (-20) run.
Hove’s quickest run of the week came from A1 winner Imahappylassie. Carl Gardiner’s black has slimmed down by around a kilo and a half since her sprinting days and has won three of her last five, the most recent being on a .10 slow track.
No opens for Swindon this week but the likely locals contested a decent A1 instead where puppy Ballymac Zeela, won in 28.45. That is four wins and three seconds from her last eight races.
28.63 was the fastest 480 of the week at Perry Barr and it was jointly recorded by Bogger Lilly and Lakeside Lady. In terms of going allowance, and grade, A3 v A1, it has to go to the latter who was completing a five-timer for Shirley Aveline.
Most of Kinsley’s big hitters were missing from their feature race of the week, a Sunday A2. The field included Easy Cookie, fourth in last week’s equivalent won by Glenvale Gav. Although running over a trip far short of her best – she has open wins at Sheffield over 500 and 660m – she looks to be coming back to form and won well in 28.50.
With no open races, it looks as though the highlight of the Harlow week will be a 26.98 (-30) in A5 for Errill Lucey.
The graded performance of the week though must surely go to Jill Sutherland’s Witton Venus with a 26.73 run for the 450m. Next quickest at the same meeting was the A3 winner in 27.52.
