The PGR Golden Jacket will dominate proceedings for the next fortnight. Last week Mark Wallis revealed his uncertainty as to whether Minnie Bullet and Aaymaza Magic would see out the 714m. Only one did, in the fastest time of the day, 45.30 off 23.28 sectional.
Later in the day, Monmore began preparations for their Puppy Derby and saw a remarkable performance from Droopys Fidget. It was the fastest clock so far this year from an 18 month old. Special mention too for the KSS clean sweep of the BGBF British Bred Stayers heats for three members of the King Sheeran/King Danni litter, (there were only five pups in the litter), headed by Queen Pink’s, 37.80.
On the subject of prolific litters Lightfoot Patel went quickest at Doncaster this week with a 29.77 run. That is four member of the litter by King Elvis to have been selected as POW at the track.
Still in Yorkshire, Kinsley staged three A3 contests on Sunday though all three were eclipsed by A4 winner Deaneys Delight with a 28.45 (-30) run
Meanwhile down on the south coast, there were opens over four different distances on Saturday. The best of them? Possibly Candolim Monsoon’s 30.22 (-40) for the 515m, a time that would have won one of the 500m maidens.
On Thursday night there was a hugely impressive performance from ante post favourite Links Maverick in the ARC Northern Puppy Derby at Newcastle. Tom Heilbron’s litter brother to Havana Allablaze clocked the FON 28.67 and has now won his last five in a row.
There are few hounds in better nick than Paul Sallis’ Crokers Brandy. The fastest this year over Monmore’s 630 and Perry Barr’s 660, he completed an open race hat-trick on Monday with a 41.64 run for Nottingham’s 680m. Only Bellmore Sally (41.42) went quicker in all of 2022.
Less than two months ago, Bockos Palace finished runner-up at Colwick Park in the Eclipse. On Tuesday, Kevin Boon’s black produced the best performance of the week at Sheffield with a 28.86 open win over 500m.
New ground was broken at Suffolk Downs on Thursday with the first race over the new 548m course. It was won by Dunbolg Thor in 35.13. The winner is an A5 type over four bends, and using Henlow’s 550 as a guide, we might expect open racers to be clocking some way into the ‘33s’.
The Romford Friday night options were split between the fastest winners over two, four and six bends: Getoutamyway (13.40), Slider McCoy (23.71) and Swift Mellow (34.95). The comparative merits are difficult to split, but we’ll go for the latter on his recent record of seven wins in his last 13 attempts over course and distance.
Meanwhile at Oxford, Chelms Champ’s 27.03 run for the standard trip makes him an automatic selection. The run was recorded on -20 going. Fromposttopillar’s clock is 26.82 (N), though he also ran a 26.89 (-10).
Swindon are still to fill any of their Saturday morning opens leaving the A2s to battle out the selection. Quickest this week was Brickhill Jethro with a 28.27 run. There was a similar story at Perry Barr, where despite a lack of opens, the grader put together a cracking A1 in which last week’s POW Home Bronagh (9-1) was pitched against two of the best hounds at the track, joint 2-1 favourites Lynnwood Assin and Lakeside Lady. As it turned out, all three were turned over by Glenhill Evie who has worked her way up from A5 company and has recent 28.39 form over c&d.
After battling the weather in recent weeks, there were a number of sub28 runs at Yarmouth on Saturday. Quickest of the lot was Mark Brighton’s Barnfield Helena with a 27.76 run, an identical time to her last win in December.
Sub 27.00 graded times are even rarer. Minnies Mira did just that this week (26.97) but was overshadowed by Trinity Best with the fastest sprint so far this year.
The relationship between grades and time is always quite flexible at Harlow. The quickest run this week was produced by A7 grader Badminton Ash with a 26.47 (+10).
But there was no argument on times or pecking order at Pelaw Grange when the 2022 FOY (25.39) performer Inniskeel Josie returned from a successful spell on the open race scene to see off the pretenders to her throne with a 25.60 run. Only one meeting this week too for Henlow where Caseys Tommy won impressively for the sixth time in his last eight races.
By their standards, some fairly moderate fare on display at Towcester on Sunday. Pick of the crop, two Kevin Hutton winners, Jet Stream Wind (29.55) over the standard, and an even more impressive 15.65 (TR 15.42) for Swindon record holder Impact George over the sprint.
Finally a mention for Katie O’Flaherty’s Feora Poppy: 8-1, 20-1, 9-1, 25-1, 22-1 in her first five races in Britain and beaten in the lot, the first being A5 at Romford. On Sunday afternoon at Central Park she was tried over the 642m course. She won by eight, clocking a calculated 39.97, just 20 spots off the quickest run of 2022. And she returned the 6-5fav. Lovely jubbley!
