It was buzzing in the Midlands on Saturday night and nowhere louder than at Perry Barr with the Brum Cup and Leger first rounds. Pick of the night has to be Droopys Clue’s 42.76 over the 710m course. If he can repeat his 16.22 sectional in the next two rounds, the dog who threatened to run away from Fromposttopillar over Monmore’s 630, is a massive player. Rioja Joey went quickest in the Birmingham Cup with a 28.03 run.
The Perry Barr record holder Coolavanny Shado (27.77) was otherwise engaged at Yarmouth in the second round of the East Anglian Derby. Fastest over course and distance last year (27.33), he set a new PB with a 27.28 run. Only one dog has gone quicker in the last five years, Antigua Storm – though his 27.24 was assessed to have been recorded on +40 going. Shado’s run was on -10. King Elvis jointly holds the track record at 27.17 (+10).
Meanwhile at Monmore, the outstanding middle distance performer this year, Links Maverick turned out for a final exhibition appearance before getting a few weeks on his bed. The 27.70 Gold Cup winner covered the same course in 27.86. (All four recent Monmore sectionals were between 4.22-4.26). He returned at 1-10f and extended his sequence to 11.
Crafty Shivoo’s only defeat since arriving from Ireland took place on the Gold Cup undercard. But the MWD owned Irish Oaks winner made it 5:6 with the fastest heat win in the Empress Stakes at Towcester. The 29.26 run was recorded on a track rated -20.
King Memphis became the fastest hound over the Swindon 476m course with a 27.82 in the second round of the Produce Stakes on Thursday. Sister Queen Shakira clocked 27.91 when landing another heat. Brother King Capaldi did 27.92 in another. Yet another litter comrade King Combs is also through to the semis.
With the Coral Romford Puppy Cup due to start on Friday (closes tomorrow) it seems appropriate to concentrate on the most impressive trialstake winner this week and that was Droopys Doughnut. Whether he is a ‘Romford type’ is still to be determined, but he certainly has gears. That 23.70 run does not reflect Friday’s performance.
The most successful litter in this feature this year – by far – are the ‘Bluejigs’ – specifically the June ’21 by Droopys Sydney out of Blue Of Diamonds. Bluejig Ophelia was the first to make HIS make his mark– yes he’s a big strong 37 kilo blue – at Nottingham back in July and he returned there again on Monday to set a new PB of 17.60 for the sprint. That’s some litter with Baron, Hank and Tank already regulars.
It was a close call for honours at Suffolk Downs where Eric Cantillon’s Wave Me On was just 34 spots off the 388m clock when going faster than both the A1 and open race winner, with a 23.66 run on Thursday. But we are going to the S1 winner Lizzy Jezabelle who was just 30 spots off the 548m record with a 33.97 clock.
Oxford’s Saturday afternoon card was due to feature the semis of the Maiden Derby and supporting opens but was cancelled to the hot weather. But there was a perfectly good POW contender on Tuesday’s graded card where Kanturk Range landed an A1 in 26.79.
Henlow fared better on Sunday night when Savana Lioness clocked the second fastest run of the year, 33.32, in the Maiden Gold Cup. That’s three wins in four races for Kevin Boothby owned pup. Her previous outing was the fastest 550 of the year, 33.31
Crayford lost their three races on the their Wednesday card, and their entire Thursday meeting due to weather but Saturday meeting did go ahead and the track continued to run quite fast. For example, Moaning Spirit landed an A4 on Saturday afternoon in 23.17. On Friday Ritzy Empress won an A3 by nine in 23.09. But we will swerve times to concentrate on the 11-timer for Dave Lee’s amazing Laughil Jess. SP 1-9f.
Central Park lost their Sunday opens leaving Rydon Ranger’s A1 win on Wednesday as the feature run of the week. Out of interest his last race at Mullingar was an A2 victory in 29.68 (on a fairly standard -50), just three spots quicker than the CP run. A useful guide?
Hove’s Thursday night opens were ordinary enough with the best run of the week coming from a Friday morning graded race. Coonough Barry made it three wins in his last four outings with a 29.47 (-10) run.
No opens at Newcastle this week but three good A1s on Thursday, the best of which featured defending POW Crooks Patsy, plus the likes of Good Vienna, March On Larry and Droopys Biggy. The winner though was Riverside Lisa in 28.46. Two more to mention, Marlfield Diaz with a A1 win in A2 and the January ’22 home bred daughter of King Turbo/Bit of Grace, A Bit Of Lottie, who won an A2 in 28.75. Great credit to the grader here, looking after a pup on her way to her 8th win in 17 races.
Like Newcastle, no feature events at Sheffield this week, but a couple of competitive A1s on Saturday won in 28.83 and 28.85. But this isn’t solely a ‘time’ feature so we’ll go with the 28.89 run from March ’22 pup Velvet Hurricane on his debut.
He might be well into veteran status but who could decry Ferryforth Davy’s Saturday A1 win at Doncaster? He had finished second five times in his last eight races and his 29.69 run was just the 38th race of a career that began two and a half years ago.
The very similarly aged Barnagrane Kay – around five weeks younger – went to traps for the 67th time on Thursday. Originally based at Sunderland, she had spells at Newcastle and Pelaw before returning to East Boldon. On Thursday she produced the quickest 450 of the week when seeing off some A2 company.
It has been a while since we’ve seen any sub26.00 runs at Harlow. Until Sunday evening the quickest run of the week was a 26.79 for Victory Chimes. That was then bettered by A5 winner Olive Blossom with a 26.67 (-30) run.
Nor had there been a sub28 run at Kinsley this week – until Sunday – when there were seven. Quickest of the lot with a 27.55 was Bev Heaton’s 20 month old youngster Ballymac Alyssa. The blue was never challenged when clocking 27.55 (+40).
Defending POW champions were a bit thin in numbers this week but Milagro was among them at Pelaw Grange. A 5-1 chance last week, he followed up a 25.98 (-10) run with a 26.10 on normal going.
