An outstanding performance from Fromposttopillar to win the delayed Kent Plate. His winning time of 30.03 was recorded on -30 going which is still some way off the 29.46 clock held by King Eden. The FOY is Clairekeith Remy’s – fourth in the final – 29.88 (-50). Liz McNair’s powerful white/black is currently the 10-1 English Derby favourite
‘Postie’ was only five months old when Brookside Richie had his first qualifying run at Romford. But on Thursday night, Jimmy Fenwick’s runner made it 25 wins from 42 races when going unbeaten through the ARC All England Cup. That 66-1 for the Derby might look huge value three or four rounds in!
Which leads nicely into another beaten favourite in the ARC Puppy Trophy, who hasn’t fared too badly since, Arkady. After leading and finishing down the field behind Frompostopillar in the Kent Plate, David Mullins’ runner just scraped in within the four day rule to contest the RPGTV Juvenile on Sunday where he produced a flawless fastest time of the day, 29.50.
Staying in the North East, the ARC Grand Prix gets underway on Friday, entries close tomorrow. With no races over the six bend course this year though, we continue to scrutinise the 450 distance where Rattling West produced the most notable run of the week, an A2 five length win in 27.19, following a six length win in similar grade the previous week.
Saturday night was dominated by the Steel City Puppy Cup and the impressive Droopys Fidget franked her recent Monmore form with the fastest time of the opening round. Apart from the time, it is also worth noting that the white and blue was also the joint youngest winner as an August whelp and she has now won half of her eight races.
Meanwhile at Hove, Seamus Cahill sent out a similarly aged open race double in Maree Champion (29.45) and Fidget’s litter brother Droopys Clue whose 29.36 (-10) was the first race of his career. Interestingly, the pair’s mum, Droopys Natalia, ran graded at Henlow for Eric Cantillon where her best winning time was 27.54.
Sticking with the puppy theme, the start of the Bresbet Gymcrack (June pups and younger) is less than three weeks away and locals will be hoping for a decent showing from one of their own. The only age qualified runner in this week’s top graded event, an A2, was Bev Heaton’s Ballymac Frisby who finished second to 28.08 winner Ay Up Sydney. But the quickest winner of the week was the returning Gortroe Rainbow who is the Kinsley POW for the seventh time.
One potential entry could be September puppy Glenvale Bjorn who clocked the fastest time of the day at Pelaw Grange on Sunday. It was just the seventh race of his career for George Walker’s black youngster who just happens to be a half brother to the locally trained multiple open race winner, Glenvale Gav.
Friday night’s Oxford meeting was curtailed after five trialstakes for the Hunt Cup. The going allowance varied from normal to -20 as the rain set in making time comparisons difficult but Meenamoynamona, who was the quickest on ‘N’ going probably just edges it. It was just her third win in 20 races.
On the same night, there was a comparison to be made at Romford between a 23.73 over four bends for Roxys Bullet and a 35.24 for Silverspring Ria over the longer trip. The nod goes to Paul Burr’s runner with what proved to be the tenth fastest time of the year in his last few hours as a puppy. Fancy he will do even better over six bends.
Bullet was beaten in his last four A1s at Yarmouth but the dual attachment of Paul Burr has seen a decline in the number of A1s at the seaside track in recent weeks. For the first time in living memory, they staged more stayers races than A1s last week: 3 v 2. The two A1s were interesting in being Monday/Saturday, half the field contested both. On Saturday, Swift Unkind won in 28.34 (-30) with Droopys Sport second and Quagos Peggy fourth. Earlier in the week, the trio finished second, third and sixth respectively. The 28.01 winner was Irene Barnard’s Del Shannon.
On the subject of dual attachments, Nathan Hunt has certainly enhanced the Monmore high grades with no better demonstration than Wicky Curly. A winner of four of his last five races, the 17.79/28.68 Drumbo Park winner produced an exceptional 28.25 run in A1 on Thursday.
Another ex-Northern Ireland racer, Porthall Buck was also making a big impression at Midlands neighbour Perry Barr. A 29.22 (-20) winner at Drumbo, Neil Slowley’s runner had failed to match his 28.74 and 28.77 trial form in race company. Until Tuesday! A 5-1 chance in A3, he hit the front before the first bend and extended his lead to more than eight lengths when clocking 28.50.
Crayford provided some high quality performances on their Saturday morning card with Lenson Doolin particularly unlucky not to feature in this column after clocking the fastest time this year over the 380m hurdle course. But how could you deny Bens Lad who completed a five-timer and recorded his quickest run to date over the 540m course?
Harlow’s fastest 415m winner this year – Jura Max (26.39) – was also turned over on Wednesday night when finishing fourth behind Front Mali. The pair have a fabulous rivalry. In Mali’s ten races at Harlow, he has raced against Max on six occasions with Mali winning three, Max winning two and both finishing down the field behind Private News. For the record though, the quickest run of the week came on Sunday with Sharon Saberton’s pup Essay John. That -20 going allowance looks generous but the return of the popular Tinks Boy – beaten half a length at 8-15f – will add some great competition in the opens.
Having had a pop at the local trainers for failing to take advantage of the new six bend trip (after months of whining that they wanted it), it is only right to acknowledge a big improvement this week with FIVE 548m races on Thursday’s card. Most impressive – by far (literally) – was 11 length winner Lens And Pens with a 34.22 run. She hadn’t broken 35.00 in her previous five races, though it was also the first time she had ever led into the first bend in 25 attempts.
We don’t normally have a problem in the Nottingham selection, but this week is a complete mystery tour. Within two races the standard distance going had fluctuated between +30 and +50 before reverting to +20 later in the meeting. So errrrrm, Black Tower, winner of an A2 in a quicker time than the opens but on +50.
No opens at Swindon but Thursday’s A1 was practically an open race field. The winner, in 29.00 on -60 going was 11-8f Ballymac Ino, a dog with a PB of 27.94 on his card.
It was going to be a tough call between Doncaster A1 winners Trewmount Star and Tasi Lava. Fortunately, Onefordotsy simplified the whole matter by clocking the fastest 450 for the first three months of 2023 with a 27.71 run.
The Henlow decision was always going to be simpler – an A1 on Sunday night that featured Les Of Rhyl and Savana Raven, the ‘Messi and Ronaldo’ of Lower Stondon. Defending POW Les went to traps at 15-8, Raven was priced at 10-11f, and the punters got it wrong. Go Les – in the fastest time of the year to date.
