With the relocated Bet365 Hunt Cup (first round), ‘Trialstakes’ taking place on Friday, Lively Lauren put herself among the leading fancies with a new 650m track record last weekend. Third behind Fromposttopillar and Havana Allablaze in the Cowley Puppy Collar, Matt Dartnall’s strapping fawn took 10 spots off the previous best held by kennelmate Fifty Nine.
Last year’s Hunt Cup runner-up Clongeel Ozzie returned to Towcester on Sunday – he finished half a length behind Chelms Cub there in last October’s decider – and once again showed his class. Jason Heath’s black beat a decent field including Low Pressure in a time of 43.66 (-30).
The fastest over that distance this year is Roll On Sydney with a 43.50 (N) run. He also has a 43.21 (+30) last year. Paul Young’s 36 kilo brindle and white landed the 750 at Romford on Friday night. But his selection following a fairly average 47.64 is in recognition of his persistence and class, rather than a sparkling winning time. Unlike Crayford, where he ran-up in the Golden Jacket, he just doesn’t look suited to the place.
Bens Lad also likes Crayford, as evidenced by his fourth consecutive win over the 540m trip on Saturday morning. Three of the wins have come within seven spots. He is the shortest priced winner on the chart too at 1-4f.
With a record of eight wins from as many races, it is impossible not to select British Breeders Stakes winner Romeo Command as the Nottingham selection. But mention should be made of John Lambe’s classy puppy Hurry Up Jordan with a slightly quicker clock, 29.82, albeit with estimated 20 spots going allowance in Command’s favour. Both should have big summers in front of them.
On the subject of pups, Sheffield’s Steel City Puppy Derby closes tomorrow and Ted Soppitt’s Skywalker Isak will be one of the main fancies. His 29.20 trialstake win doesn’t sound impressive, but he left a ton on the track when coming through the field from last place. Capable of much quicker, he clocked 28.80 at 18 months when winning on debut.
The puppy interest will remain in Yorkshire as April wears on with the Bresbet Gymcrack due at Kinsley. A number of their more precocious youngsters were in action at the weekend including Fearmore Delboy (Sep ’21) and Ballymac Frisby (Jun 21) in a competitive A2. But the quickest winner of the week was another A2 winner, the experienced Easy Cookie who clocked 27.85.
The next major final to take place is at Newcastle where Brookside Richie will start favourite to land an event won last year by Jaguar Macie. His last three runs over course and distance have been clocked within three spots of each other. Jimmy Fenwick’s Select winner has trap five in the decider. His only previous appearance in orange didn’t go well, when he was the beaten favourite in the Steel City Cup Final.
This weekend’s biggest final was destined to be the Kent Plate which was called off due to a waterlogged track. It has generally been running at -40 or -50 for the last week with Dan Brabon’s Sandling Prince putting up the best run with a 29.87 (-50) A1 victory.
Most of the Hove top heat winners have also been clocking around the 29.80 mark but on tracks running closer to ‘N’. Quickest of the week was Richard Rees’ Kilara Show who saw off a field of prolific A1 winners, Marine, Gatling Gun, and Pocket Lulu, in 29.67 (-10).
Times are still on the slow side at Harlow where Millview Slide produced the best open race run on Wednesday. That is three out of four for the 29.14 Drumbo Park winner. Shinbone Jack clocked an identical time in A6.
It is nine months since Saffrons Dash set a new Suffolk Downs 388m track record of 23.55. Some 14 races later, which included a string of defeats, the white and black once again showed his love for the place when taking a further 23 spots off that record.
Henlow’s fastest hound in 2022, Les Of Rhyl also returned to something like his true form. The ungradeable blue from last October – where he polished off four consecutive A1s – has had a few setbacks since and it was his first win in six months and only a handful of races. His 27.58 was the fastest of the week on a track in very good nick, though still some way off his 27.22 PB.
No Swindon kennel appears more in this feature than Angie Kibble’s and this week she is represented by a new hound, Harrys Sagar. A 28.89 (-40) A1 win on Thursday completed an impressive four-timer.
Sunderland’s Grangeview Lady was the Performer of the Week when clocking 27.16 when she last appeared on a racecard in early March. She returned on Friday and went even quicker, 27.04, the fifth fastest time of the year.
Staying in the North East, most weeks, the Pelaw Grange selection goes to a sub-26.00 A1 winner. Last week the closest to it was Ballyriggan Girl. This week it was puppy Knockalton Ally who saw off an A4 field in an identical 26.01.
For Pelaw read Yarmouth and A1 corresponding to sub28.00. For the first time in a very long time, the Norfolk track only staged one A1 throughout the week – they sometimes have four on the same card. It went to Maxi Twister in 28.20, though the quickest run was recorded by All About Gold. The litter comrade of Bockos Belly clocked 28.03 in A2.
The quickest run at Perry Barr this week was Scarsdale Lassie’s 28.57 (+10) on Saturday. But instead we have chosen 18 month old Moyar Brow for a 28.69 win on ‘N’ going. That’s five wins from seven outings from a bitch being kindly steered through the grades. Her winning SPs were 4-1, 2-1f, 3-1, 3-1, 5-2jf. Who says it can’t be done?
A couple of A1s to choose from at Doncaster this week but with 22 spots between them, the selection has to be Footfield George. A notoriously slow breaker, he found himself in second place early on and then pulled away for his fastest run in 21 races over course and distance.
Finally, a acknowledgement to Team Billingham for their perseverance with Beaties Sparkle. Unraced in Ireland, the youngster was giving away months to her rivals when she started out in open race puppy company last October. It has been a tough learning curve including one open at Oxford where she was ‘distracted & fell’. With a row of 15 defeats behind her, the 30 kilo white and black round herself in Monmore A1 company on Saturday, and in what will probably be her last race as a juvenile she did the biz in 28.31.
