Swords Rex went to traps for the 11th time this year on Saturday and completed a five timer and eighth win (with two 2nds and a 3rd). His last four wins have come in 28.93, 28.95, 28.93, 28.93, though the latter was recorded on -15 going, suggesting he had improved 15 spots. On that basis, his calculated time was just two spots off his track record breaking run in the trialstakes.
The ARC Puppy Trophy first round was staged on Friday night and local pup Ballybough Mags completed a four-timer in 26.75. But that wasn’t enough for her to retain her POW title which goes to the younger Glenvale Bill. A pre competition 26.62 trial ensured that Graham Rankin’s September pup would go to traps at very short odds but the 4-7f favourite proved well worthy of his SP with a 26.65 debut win. Unraced in Ireland, the son of Dorotats Wildcat has a flying 21.28 trial on his card for 400 at Dundalk.
Things were a bit quieter at sister track Newcastle where Coppice Psyche was the best of the graders with a last gasp 28.66 win in A1. Equally comfortable over six bends in open company, Lautaro’s litter sister presumably has a breeding future.
Dorotas Woo Hoo currently stands at stud with Psyche’s trainer Jimmy Fenwick and his reputation is being regularly enhanced by son Bellmore Chief at Pelaw Grange. It has taken a little while for the Walker runner to return to form but that is three A1s in a row and he is clearly the current track champion.
Before racing Fenwick’s Brookside Richie was the headline grabber at Nottingham on Monday and the Select Stakes winner duly romped up in 29.59. However it would not turn out to be the quickest run of the night. That honour went to Paul White’s A1 regular One Day Tom who had clocked 29.47 in open company just 15 minutes earlier. A mention too for Richie’s kennelmate Lightfoot Clark with a new FOY for the 730 (44.97).
There was another Yorkshire bred double for Kevin Ferguson at Sheffield on Tuesday with defending champ Acomb Irene finding 27 spots (before allowance) on her previous run. That was five wins in her last eight races at Owlerton. . . . .until she came out again on Sunday and made it six from nine.
There was a new FOY at Harlow on Wednesday for Front Mali with a 26.23 run in a four-runner open. But considering puppy Newinn Diamond was only 11 spots slower in a full field of graded runners, she gets the nod. Beefed up by a kilo to a chunky 25.2kg, the ex-Hove A5 runner seems much better suited to the shorter distance.
There have only been a handful of 220m opens at Suffolk Downs to date, but in the absence of any sparkling runs over any of the other distances, it is only fair to acknowledge the efforts of Dereen Diva, whose 13.49 open race win is the quickest over course and distance to date.
Hove is building to the Regency/Sussex Cup/Springbok treble header in July. In the meantime, the Thursday night opens are progressing niceley with decent wins for Macho Comacho (30.19-515m) and Crafty San Diego (30.26-500mH). But the star of the week was Bubbly Scorcher who joined Wastehouse Woosh on the 42.07 (FOY) mark.
Angie Kibble’s Ackerman has flattered to deceive in his career to date. On the bunny, he flies. If he doesn’t come away, he looks lost. But the August puppy is definitely learning and produced by far his best run to date in Thursday’s opens with a 28.07 (-10) run, just a single spot behind Rioja Joey’s FOY.
Time Greyhound Nutrition Thank You Maurice Newman Final in Romford on Friday night was Chelms Jet.
Chelms Jet was knocking on the Romford door last week after clocking 34.97 in the heats of a six bend Cat Three comp. (We went with the Newman Memorial winner Night Time Danny). Now Jet is ringing the bell too, with a 34.81 run in the final for the Darren Witton trained blue.
The Pall Mall starts on July 15 and some of the leading locals were staking their claims of Friday including new track record holder, Eze (26.75). He finished fourth behind Seamus Gaughan’s Mustang Sam who beat just held off Ivanexile in 26.85. The following night’s A1 went to Minnies Kharkiv, by a short head, in 26.94. That is going to be some event!
Although stayers can seldom reproduce their early pace against sprinters, there would be a good case to suggest that Luna Jezabelle would have won *almost any of Saturday’s opens at Crayford. Keith Robins’ Kent St.Leger finalist did a 23.10 380m split on the way to a 45.16 run for the eight bend course. (*Don’t know whether she can jump).
Following his runners-up spot in the Kent Silver Salver, Gougane Jet returned to his favourite venue on Saturday and equalled the fastest time of the year for the 264 metre course. That is 15 wins in 17 races in Wolverhampton. (Or maybe it’s just a Midlands thing. He has never been beaten in four outings at Perry Barr.)
On the subject of sprinters, there is a new 277m record holder at Yarmouth as Farneys Trend became the first hound to break 16.00. The previous best was Kilmore Lemon’s 16.02.
Perry Barr has been running a bit slower in the last week, but that hasn’t really affected form and the A1 went as expected with favourite Druids Move On duly doing the biz in 29.00 (-30). His PB is 28.64. John Lambe’s runner must rate as one of the biggest lads currently in training at around 39kg (86lbs).
Swerving the 483 Doncaster runners this week in favour of a face-off between two bend specialist Aughris and 450 specialist Onefordotsy. The latter has won her last three and has the third and fourth fastest runs of the year, 27.69/71. But we’ll edge it to Debbie Calvert’s Aughris who has the third and fourth fastest sprints and has won her last four, and seven of her last ten.
The final two races of the week determined the last two Performance of the Week places. At 9.16, Craig Brown’s Brynoffa Jens, a dog with 28.58/28.59/28.60 winning form at Waterford, saw off a Kinsley A2 in a comparatively modest, 28.06. Two minutes later, Pete Henman’s Flitwick Club picked up her fifth win in her last eight outings with victory in the week’s sole A1 at Henlow in 27.87.
