Given the complexity of racing, overcoming bad draws and bad luck, there are at least half a dozen contenders for the Performance of the Week at Towcester in the Derby second round.
We’ve taken the easy way out by going for Swords Rex who clocked the fastest time and has now won his last three in sub-29.00s. But a special mention for his kennelmate Romeo Magico who seems to love the venue and looked somewhere near his best when clocking 28.97.
Next weekend will see the final of the £12,500 ARC Kent Silver Salver featuring two of the three fastest sprinters on either side of the Irish Sea – Gougane Jet and Flashing Willow (Gizmo Cash would be the third). But we are swerving both semi final winners in favour of locally bred pup Queen Joni. In only the third race of her career, the 18 month old was only 14 spots slower than Flashing Willow. Not sure that either her dam, Queen Jessiej or granddam Skate On, would have matched that at this stage of their careers.
It is just possible that Untold Rupee has found her optimal distance of the Romford eight bend course. She impressed at Oxford, less so at Crayford and positively took off in the heats of the Maurice Newman Memorial Marathon. In 2022 only Blueberry Bullet, at the height of her powers went quicker (46.57) than Dupree’s 46.64. Tricky orange draw in the final though!
Swithins Teejay was destined to be the Oxford POW based on his 27.00 A1 win on Monday. But all that changed on Friday with his 26.91 open race win. That is three in a row for Richard Yeates’ black and five wins from 11 race in the UK to date. His Irish form is interesting. Teejay was one of three littermates trained by Peter Cronin for the Kiltrea Unraced Final at Enniscorthy. The 6-1 chance led but didn’t see out the tough Wexford four bends and was beaten a couple of lengths by brother Faypoint Angry. Sister Angry Angel was fourth.
Distant Emma landed a Cat One event on the third time of asking when taking the final of the Time Greyhound Nutrition Three Steps To Victory Final. The Draper Kennel have previously won the event with Farloe Hack (’04), Ballymac Eske (2014) and Bull Run Button (2019).
Nottingham A1 regular Magical Flash had never contested a sprint race after 36 race over four bends. But following an injury lay-off he hasn’t looked back. A fortnight ago he finished second to Farneys Trend’s 17.53 FOY. Last Monday he clocked 17.54 with his first sprint open win.
Kevin Cobbold, a regular Monday night visitor to Colwick Park might have another useful member of the raiding team following an impressive Yarmouth debut for Freedom Odin. Having already trialled in 30.69 at Colwick Park, he clocked an impressive 27.80 back in Norfolk on Wednesday.
Suffolk Downs staged the heats of the Betgoodwin Coronation Vase where Kevin Boon’s Gutsy Jet was narrowly the fastest heat winner in 33.99 on his UK debut. An A1 winner over 575 at Shelbourne the choicely bred black will have many more six bend opportunities in the UK than he would in Ireland.
Whats Up Eva who is in the form of her life at Hove though even by her standards, Thursday’s victory over a triple Cat One winner was a bit special. The Richard Rees trained black clocked a very decent 30.24 (-20) when holding off Fromposttoillar. Her PB for the 515 is 29.91 (N) with a 29.29 for the 500.
It would be very tempting to select Ballymac Zeela on the basis of the FOW open race win on Thursday in 28.45. However, it wasn’t the toughest open on the card. That went to defending champion Singalong Stacey who missed her break and came through a very decent field to get up on the line in 28.49.
Times were even less irrelevant at Doncaster. In terms of the fastest time of the week, that went to My Blue Boy with a 29.55 A1 win on Monday. Only Star Cash Henry (29.51) has gone quicker this year. But on Sunday, Blue Boy was out again, started at 11-1 and was beaten almost four lengths by Nolas Moment.
As for Harlow, one sub 26.80 run, Cheetara, in A5.
Ritzy Lady was unlucky to miss out last week with her FOY for 380 (23.00) being overshadowed by Low Pressure in the Kent St.Leger. She had to work harder this week after missing her break, but Jim Reynolds’ Oaks runner-up still produced the week’s outstanding run of 23.29. (“Stick with a bitch in form”).
Like Lady, Droopys Biggy is also plying his trade after mixing it on the open race scene. The double Northern Flat finalist is in the form of his life for Angela Harrison having made it six wins and a second from his last seven outings at Newcastle including the week’s most impressive A1 win in 28.76.
It wouldn’t be very often than a sub27.00 graded winner at Sunderland would be overlooked, so connections of Chasing Colbert (26.96) might consider themselves unlucky. But Rackethall Ruth’s 15.74 in D2 is only six spots off Definitive Force’s fastest sprint of the year. Now that would make a decent D1 match-up. (If Joe is brave enough to give Force another graded challenge!!)
We have a similar story at Kinsley where Glenview Pat clocked the sixth fastest sprint of the year to complete a dual distance hat-trick. Bev Heaton’s fabulously versatile black is also the second fastest hound over the 462 metre course this year with a 27.39 run.
There was also a particularly impressive graded sprint at Monmore from Crossfield Larry. Only Narcos The Great (15.11) has gone quicker this year. That’s a D1 four-timer for Richie Taberner’s black.
Jaguar Pestana contested 14 races at Monmore for a solitary win but has enjoyed much better fortune at Pelaw Grange where he won for the third time in eight races setting a new PB of 25.81 in A1.
It’s been a while since we’ve featured a ‘local’ in this feature. The wait is over courtesy of Rathrea Ron who drew the attention of the stewards when clocking the fastest time of the night in A4 on Saturday, 28.45 (+10) following a 29.10 trial just over a week earlier. To be fair to owner/trainer Conor Smith, Ron does look like the sort who would ‘find a bit more’ in company. That is six wins in his last seven.
It was gone nine o’clock on Sunday night before the week’s final selection presented himself. Slippin Jimmy was contesting Henlow’s sole A1 and duly made it four wins from his last five outings in 27.79.
