Monmore is going to play a big part in our open race watching for the next month. Saturday featured three semi finals of Ladbrokes Winter Derby leading to a ridiculously competitive final. But in terms of performances, none stands in the shadow of stayer Low Pressure. It wasn’t just the four and a half length defeat of Darbys Delight, but his winning time. Any sub 38.00 run is always worthy of note, Lindy Green’s fawn broke is by more than three lengths.
Only Antigua Sugar bettered that last time year (37.50). Which seamlessly leads us into Friday night at Romford, where last week’s Bussey Memorial winner continued to prove that she is one of the best in training over the ‘short six bend’ trips with a 34.73, eight length victory. From her last 15 races, Sugar has nine wins, four seconds and a third.
Another of last Saturday’s Crayford winners, Droopys Jungle, successful in the 874m marathon, stepped back to 847m to defeat recent Diamond Stakes to defeat Mohican Tara by six lengths at Oxford.
Yet another Crayford reference and the Ramsbottom Hurdle where Borna Rhythm had beaten Bobbing Gnavatar and Ritzy Spirit by a neck and the same. The trio went again a week later and Spirit gained his revenge in a flying 33.91, which was faster than two of the flat opens at the same meeting.
Nottingham had opens over four different distances on Monday with little to choose between the fastest runs 17.89-28.79-29.87-41.97. On balance, it is going to Mark Newberry’s sprinter Getouttamyway with his 10th win from his last 14 races, on four different tracks.
There was a similar story at Sheffield with ‘okay’ clocks over three different distances (15.91, 29.17, 39.72). Again we’ll go for the sprinter. To date this year, 16.00 has been broken four times, of which three are attributed to Lisa Stephenson’s Youmeanirene. Her 15.91 goes alongside a 15.94 and 15.98. (Crystal Countess has the FOY with 15.85).
Puppy Private News looked head and shoulders the best hound at Harlow on either of its Wednesday meetings. Her 26.46 (-10) open race win makes an interesting comparison with the day’s earlier A8 winner Newinn Dysert who clocked 28.53 (-50).
Things should have been a little easier at Swindon with the track’s top middle distance runner Ballymac Conti confirming his position – just – in a 476m open on Thursday. Angie Kibble’s runner, who has a PB of 27.93, just held off the tenacious Arthur Trifle by half a length. But even that was far from a gimme since kennelmate Haverhill Lad went slightly quicker in Friday’s A1. (Going allowance suggested they were inseparable).
Things were similarly tight at Perry Barr – which is running pretty well at the moment. In midweek, Dark Treasure clocked 28.55 in A2. Then on Saturday night, there was a 28.56 from Mustang Kim (A2) and a 28.55 from Swift Prank (A3). We will use ‘age’ as a tie breaker with Prank edging it in his last race as a pup.
Then on Sunday, there was ‘much of a muchness’ about Diego Ty’s 16.58 (-20), Blastoff Mason’s 27.62 (-40), Droopys Request’s 29.52 (-40), Glenpadden Onyx’s 30.22 (-40) and Amaze Me Seb’s 40.88 (-80) for the 265m, 450m, 480m, 500m and 642m respectively. So, as much as to do with the impending Kent Plate, as any other factor, we’ll edge it to Tony Collett’s runner who also happens to be joint quickest over the standard this year.
Earlier in the day, there were FOY runs for Swift Iconic for the sprint and Night Time Danny for the 712m at Towcester. A tough call, but the nod goes to John Mullins sprinter who was 22 spots outside the clock (Danny was 79 spots off the stayers record) with his 12th win in 23 races (52%).
The Suffolk Downs 548m trip is now nicely bedded in with enough times on reasonable going to be able to make reasonable judgements. Quickest to date is Nassau with a 34.11 on going rated +60. But on ‘normal’ going on Thursday, he led and was beaten on merit by Energize App in 34.36. That is five in a row in West Row for the A2/S1 runner.
No opens at Hove but a minor open class 29.68 (-20) run for Nora McEllistrim’s Marine in top heat. That is eight wins in his last 15 outings but drawn out in an injury ravaged seven months.
Kitty The Step was quickest over Sunderland’s standard with a 27.02 (+30), while Witton Nora landed a different top heat in 27.16 (+20), with Minnies Mira clocking 27.18 in yet another A1 on the same card. Mira’s win was arguably in the toughest company (Witton Survivor, Was Just Thinkin) and was recorded on +10 going. So. . . . .we’ll edge it to Yvonne Bell’s fawn and white. But if someone could have a word with Joe Frelford and arrange to settle this between the three of them…? Thanks!
Staying in the North East, Killieford Goram was made favourite to land a Northern Puppy Derby semi but finished third. On Thursday, Neil Black’s youngster bounded back to win a competitive Newcastle A1 in a respectable 28.72 from Droopys Biggy. Completing the southern corner of triangle is Pelaw Grange. Although he found Iniskeel Josie to hot to handle, Emers Tom remains one of the best dogs on the strength as he proved with a gutsy battling A1 win on Sunday lunchtime.
With Monday and Saturday fixtures, Yarmouth are not too inconvenienced by the four day rule. Kevin Cobbold’s Wee Fat Mac clocked the fastest 462 of the week on Monday, and although he was caught and beaten into second by Longvale Molly on Saturday, he gets the nod. (Plus, we love his name!).
Sharpys Desmondo (T3) getting his ‘second yellow’
Meanwhile, a bit of drama, at Donny. Multiple winner Singalong Dovee is now off open racing (Nottingham tonight) leaving the POW title wide open. Last week’s A1 winner Sharpys Desmondo looked a major contender going into this week’s equivalent. Unfortunately, he received a second yellow having received the first in just his previous race. Some consolation then for the savaged Keady Moment, with a photo fully vindicating the judge (referee).
The week concluded with the Kinsley and Henlow meetings and some very similar times over the 462/460m trips. The fastest Yorkie was Tip Top Rachel with a 27.83 run. At Henlow, Timmys Rover clocked 27.78 (-10) which equalled Bourlick Lotto’s quickest run (going adjusted) but Jason Gornall’s youngster achieved his success in A1.
That was just the seven successes for Droopys Sydney then!
