For ‘It’s a sprint not a marathon’ read ‘It’s a Derby, not a Monkey’.
Romeo Command had to battle to get up in the first round. He found half a second next time out. Then a further 30 spots to clock the fastest time of the third round. The 28.75 run was only two spots off the track record and Derby winning trainer Patrick Janssens’ assessment – that Command is the fastest hound he has ever put a lead on – is beginning to sound more and more prophetic.
Rioja Joey caused one of the bigger shocks of the Derby first round when eliminated at 4-9. He returned at Swindon on Thursday and clocked the fastest 476 of the year to date, 28.06.
Anybody watching Ballyhimikin Mel in the first round of the Derby – where she clocked the joint fastest ‘from halfway’ – would have made a mental note to follow her when she stepped up in distance. They didn’t have to wait long. On Saturday night the Barry Denby trained bitch romped up by more than 12 lengths on her six bend debut and set a new FOY for the Perry Barr 660 with a 39.91 run. (The quickest run last year was Savana Beau’s 39.67).
Mark Wallis’ youngster New Destiny confirmed her massive potential when clocking the fastest 500 of the year to date at Hove. It was only the second race of her UK career and followed a 28.04 run at Monmore.
On Saturday night, Destiny’s half sister Coonough Crow was plying her trade at Monmore. The Grand Prix winner went within two spots of the fastest time of the year with a 37.76 open race win over the 630 metre course.
Things didn’t go quite so well for Imperial Kennels the following day when despite sending out four finalists in the ARC Kent Silver Salver, they were soundly beaten by an emphatic Flashing Willow. The result was never in doubt after the Irish runner took a flyer on his way to the second fastest time recorded over course and distance, a single spot outside Troy Bella’s track record.
Returning to the subject of pups, Sunderland’s ARC Puppy Cup, worth £6K to the winner gets underway next Friday and Ballybough Mags laid down her marker with a 26.95 run this week. Harry Burton’s white and black already has a 26.89 on her card.
There can’t bee too many trainers with a better strike rate than Sunderland trainer Jill Sutherst who took Nottingham by storm on Monday. Witton Venus (29.67) made it four in a row and five of her last six. Witton Razl (29.84) made it seven in a row and eight wins from her nine career starts. Definitive Force made it five in a row and was just a spot off the nine year old 255m track record.
On Friday there was a new track record at Oxford for Angie Kibble’s pup Eze. Beaten in his previous five outings, the big brindle and white’s last win was in A1 at Swindon in March. The new clock of 26.75 is six spots quicker than the previous best, though with the track now well bedded in, that too looks vulnerable.
There would be a very good case for making Chelms Jet the top Romford performer after a 34.97 win over Antigua Sugar over the 575m course. But that would be ignoring the fabulous lung busting run from Night Time Danny in landing the final of the Maurice Newman Memorial Marathon. A fabulous display of tenacity and trackcraft from the four and a half year old.
Similarly, Blooming Rodney’s 28.61 was the fastest 480 of the week at Newcastle and would have decent claims as the top performance. But that would be very tough on defending champ Droopys Biggy who returned to the staggered starts and just got home off the back mark. That is seven wins and a half length second (off scratch) in his last eight outings.
Meanwhile in Durham, Jaguar Pestana attempted to defend his POW title from among others, kennelmates, Glenvale Bjorn and Bellmore Chief. The latter has a pile of sub 25.70 form only needed a 25.85 to take ‘top dog’ status in George Walker’s kennel.
Only one meeting too for Henlow this week which included a four-timer for Peter Harnden. Pick of the crop is September pup Salacres Ellie with a 27.72 run and with a style and breeding to suggest the future will be in staying open class.
Wraysbury Babe ruled in a particularly competitive A1 at Doncaster with an entire field of top heat winners. Jimmy Gaskin’s half sister to Fromposttopillar made it eight wins from her last 15 outings when beating Lightfoot Tereza in 29.76 (-10)
Still in Yorkshire, Glenview Pat’s reign is over after a week with the A1 going to Brynoffa Bob in 27.97. But quickest of the week in 27.82 was the improving Ballymac Frisby, a litter brother to Derby hopeful Ballymac Marino.
At Suffolk Downs, Gutsy Jet completed the job in the Betgoodwin Coronation Vase by taking the £1,000 final over 548m. The Kevin Boon trained black has had little trouble adapting from the bigger Irish circuits and came from behind to win on merit by a couple of lengths.
Litter brother and sister Acomb Felix and Acomb Irene were both winners on Sheffield’s open race card on Tuesday. Timewise there wouldn’t be much to choose between Felix’s 15.97 for the sprint and Irene’s 28.87 for four bends though we’ll edge it to the latter on the basis that distance generally being more competitive. All six members of Kevin Ferguson’s March ’21 Acomb litter (Alfie, Felix, Irene, Jasper, Johnny, Mabel) have now won open races. All five members of the first cross (Fatima, Hugo, Jenny, Lillian and Winston whelped in 2018) also won in open company.
‘Much of a muchness’ about the winners over the four different distances at Crayford on Saturday. On balance, it possibly just goes to Jurassic Rose who came out in front after a tough buckle with Beach Babe over the 714m course. Her 23.38 split was only half a length slower than the 380 open winner Huntsman.
No opens this week at Harlow, and a best of 26.48 for the 415 from Corcass Nimble following 19 consecutive defeats. So the selection is Di Jinks’ fabulous old stager Signet Mafia with a 15.02 (-5) romp in D1. That is the fastest sprint this year from a dog just three months off his fifth birthday and the oldest old boy on this week’s chart.
The 28.00 mark pretty much represents the A1 barrier at Yarmouth and it was breached five times in the last week. Quickest of the quintet was Sandra Clayton’s Alberts Legacy with a 27.70 run. That’s five wins in nine races to date. Can he make it six from ten tonight in a particularly competitive A1 at 8.27?
Stan Kennett (left), event organiser and lifelong friend of the late Mo Newman, is first to congratulate Steve Rayner, with kennelhand Lea Cairns (right) after Night Time Danny’s Maurice Newman Memorial Marathon win Photo: © Steve Nash
