Another fabulous night at Monmore with Links Maverick extending his winning sequence to nine and Droopys Clue getting a chance to confirm his flying trial with the fastest win in the Summer Stayers semis. On balance though, we’re going with puppy Crafty Shivoo (T2) whose 27.96 was just a spot slower than Maverick’s run. That completes an unbeaten hat-trick since arriving in England and entirely endorses her final line of Irish form, a Shelbourne Park (525) 28.14 . As for her bend positions, just a mass of 11111111s.
The toughest decision of the week was overlooking Quago Jack’s (T5) new sprint track record at Yarmouth. The locally bred son of the former Janssens sprint Kilmore Lemon and 27.84 (462) winner Barnfield Ten, knocked three spots off Farneys Trend’s record with the ex-clock holder three quarters of a length adrift. But, on reflection, we’ve got to go for Coolavanny Shado (T4) for landing the XL Windows East Anglian Challenge after a fabulous head-to-head duel with Signet Goofy. At three years and a month old he might just be learning – though he still hasn’t figured out that first bend! Unfortunately, the defending POW Easy Boss (T2) was given a red card in the same race.
On Friday night Shado’s remarkably classy and consistent kennelmate Fabulous Azurra (T3) held off the courageous No Rush by a short head to successfully to defend her BGBF British Bred Oaks title at Oxford. That is win 28 in a career of 44 races (64%), all run in open class company. The four year old was just 20 spots outside Shado’s track record. What a fabulous advert the race was for her the home breds in general. A mention in despaches too for Long Raven with a similar clock when winning an A1 by six lengths on Saturday.
One of the few Azurra defeats came in her first race of 2023 where she was beaten three lengths by Coppice Fox (T6) in an ‘Official Trialstake’ for the Blue Riband. Seven races later he was DQd in a Central Park open and even over hurdles, he has an ‘awk’ on his card. Nevertheless the Holloway hound finally landed his first race over the jumps on Saturday with a 35.05 run in the semi finals of the Ladbrokes Grand National. If he wins the final, he is virtually nailed-on for a Hurdler of the Year nomination. As for defending National champ Bobbing Gnavatar (T2), he had a very late red card from the judge, and following a previous one at Towcester some 19 months ago, he’ll be heading for a sofa.
Rick Holloway was also on the mark at Towcester on Sunday afternoon. The former Janssens runner La Conquistador had a 29.19 trial over the Derby course back in May but a dog who had been a lot kinder to the bookies than the punters had struggled to repeat anything near that form in race company. He finally put matters right in a fairly average maiden when leading almost every stride in 29.28 (N). It wasn’t actually the quickest run of the week. On a flying Tuesday, Unlikely Flame saw off an A2 in a Derby class 29.08 (+30) and Milton Noah won an A1 in 29.15 (+20).
The weekly 400 v 575 contest to decide the Romford selection took on an extra element this week thanks to a flying sprint by the John Mulllins trained Pennys Oxo (T6). It was probably the the best run of his career for the 37 kilo journeyman blue brindle with the third fastest sprint seen at London Road this year, 13.30.
We gave King Memphis (T5) plenty of hype after his first qualifying trial, a 27.56 over what was then Central Park’s 450m course. At 18 months old, he led and was collared by half a length by New Destiny at Towcester. He led and was beaten a similar distance at Swindon last week. On Thursday afternoon, contesting just his third race, the 20 month old ran within 20 spots of Signet Denver’s 476m track record.
It only seems a blink of an eye since Jaguar Macie was strutting her stuff (apparently her first litter are ready to start schooling at the end of the month). In the meantime, Graham Rankin has unearthed another fabulous hound in Glenvale Bill (T2) who was the stand-out star of last Monday night’s Jenningsbet Puppy Classic first round. By any standards, 29.54 for the 500m course is a fine run, and that was franked by pre-meeting trialists Romeo Command and Ballinabola Ed who clocked 29.55 and 29.54 respectively.
Stuie Tighe’s Trouble Shooter (T5), who finished third behind Ballybough Mags and Glenvale Bill in the ARC Puppy Trophy, produced the outstanding run at Newcastle last week with a 28.57 win in all-aged company. There should be more to come too, when he combines this early pace with one of his better breaks.
The other two North East selections weren’t decided until Sunday morning. At Pelaw Grange, a couple of previous POW winners, Mustang Tyson and Jaguar Pestana (going for a hat-trick) were in opposition in A2 along with youngster on debut Random Prince (4-5f). Instead it was last year’s Sunderland Classic finalist Hurleys Spring (10-1) who popped up with the only sub26.00 run of the week for Pete Richardson.
At Sunderland, the debutant Bluejig Hank saw off a very decent A1 in the only sub27 run of the week. Yvonne Bell’s 21.52 Dundalk winner weighed in for his final trial at 41.4kg. Is there a heavier greyhound in training anywhere?
Earlier in the week it was Hank’s little brother Blulejig Baron (a mere 35.3kg) who impressed Harlow regulars with a 26.43 open race win on going rated -15. Dave Lee’s brindle has 28.37 form at Shelbourne and looks one for an *asterisk in the notebook.
*Update – that was the original comment. Then four days later Bluejig Baron (T4) returned to Central Park where he had been beaten in his first two sprint sighters and ran away with a 491m open in the quickest time of the week.
There are ‘opens’ and there are ‘opens’. As great a servant as Maximum Security (T3) as been at Sheffield, it says something of the calibre of Tuesday’s Cat 3 heats that the veterans went to traps at the shortest price of his entire career, 2-9f. But the judgement appears well justified as Nigel Saunders’ Three Steps runner-up overcame “EP,Rls&CrdRnUp,LdRnUp” to clock 28.55, equalling his best run of the last nine months.
Staying in Yorkshire, it might be worth remembering the expression about ‘a bitch in form’. On August 21 last year, Wraysbury Babe clocked 29.65 on her way to an A1 four-timer. In May/June she won three from four and on August 16 this year, Jimmy Gaskin’s lightweight (24.4kg) black beat the very capable Trewmount Fury in 29.62. You’ve been warned!
Trainers are reminded that Doncaster’s Wednesday night opens – over four different distances and including bitches, puppy and maiden confined events – close at Noon today (Monday)
Glengar Daisy returned to Suffolk Downs following a successful campaign at Crayford and made it five wins from her last six outings at West Row. Her 23.89 (-10) was the quickest of the week but puppy Bettys Jack (T3) was only five spots slower on -20 going when going unbeaten through a Cat 3 competition. Maybe fate is paying back Boony who only had two races out of his dam before she was prematurely retired!
Hove was a tough call between two very decent performances. As the Septic Tanks might say, ‘the first runner-up’ with a 30.09 run over the 515m course is Derek Knight’s Hollow Man. That’s three in a row and follows a 29.40 run over the shorter course. But, on balance, based on time and the quality of opposition, we have to edge it to Jacktavern Magic (T6) following a great buckle with the talented Low Pressure. The Wallis runner prevailed by three quarters of a length having probably run an extra 15 metres. If you ever doubt that there is still a role for genuine wide runnners. . .
Hove remind trainers that their Thursday night opens close at Noon today (Monday)
We can expect Magic to be off to Perry Barr for the Leger next month where the 2021 winner Space Jet is expected to make her swansong. She was in action over the Leger trip on Saturday and finished third behind Salacres Smasher (T5). But while her defeat at 1-3f might be the talking point, it should not detract from a fabulous performance from Peter Harnden’s blue and white dog. How good was it? 1) It was the FOY, 2) It was only 20 spots off the 2022 FOY recorded by Havana Lover and 3) it was quicker than Salacres Pippy’s best calculated run over c&d, 43.29, after she led and was caught by Smallmead in the 2020 Leger final.
Sunday evening saw the ‘actual’ first round of the Betgoodwin Henlow Maiden Derby where John Mullins’ Bombay The Joker set a new fastest time of the year for the 460 metre course of 27.23. With the ante post favourite Salacres Blake eliminated, the former Romford A1 runner looks set to head the market.
The last graded winner of the week was Kinsley A2 winner Caydens Destiny who – after three consecutive defeats by Ballytadhg Best – took full advantage of her absence. It has taken eight months for the 28.99 trialist to produce a new personal best of 27.58.
