BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

The most high profile meeting of the week was surely Hove’s Saturday night card. In the two Cat One events, it is impossible to split the unbeaten ante post favourites Antigua Fire and Bockos Doomie.

You might have thought that the POW at Newcastle would have emerged from the All England Cup. In fact, the nod goes to Ted Soppitt’s pup Blackstone Milo. There were numerous worthy performances at Romford on Friday, but the one that really caught the eye was puppy Signet Mafia.

On the subject of open racing, if you missed their return to Monmore on Saturday, you would also have missed the exploits of Daddys Prince winning a maiden 630. Courts Ad Joseph won a similar event in a decent calculated time at Central Park.

The table runs from Monday through to Sunday and Nottingham A2 runner Dark Ocean has won twice in the last week. The first one though was particularly special with the third fastest time of the year over the Derby course for the British bred.

Breaking 28.00 will normally give you a chance of a mention at Yarmouth. Three runners achieved the feat last week, and the quickest of all was 21 month old pup Headford Mark.

Of course times don’t always tell the story without comparisons. Perry Barr’s Dungarvan Hobo recently won for the fourth time in five races, but only Cronody Zero has been quicker over the sprint course in the last three years.

With nothing breaking 29.00 for the standard at Sheffield this week, we thought we acknowledge the versatility of Southwood Lady who followed up an A3 win with an S2. Sunderland’s Westforth Hogo matches times and consistency. His 27.02 A1 win was his third win with two seconds in his last five outings.

Crayford’s best 380 was produced by Wishful Poppy who broke 24.00 for the first time in December and now has a personal best of 23.26. At Harlow, Guncase made his second appearance on the chart since lockdown with a 25.93 win. At neighbouring Henlow there were worthy contenders for mention over three different distances last Thursday, but the nod goes to the quickest 460 winner of the week, Rockburst Dutch. There won’t be many times in a year when a 28.58 run will be quick enough to be the Swindon selection, but Ballymac Meo gets in nonetheless.

The Kinsley selection was a toss of a coin between two Kevin Seville trained offspring of the imported sire Azza Azza Azza. Sprinter Lismadine Glor narrowly misses out to kennelmate Glinn. The Towcester selection was tighter still – a dead heat in the fastest time of the week between two runners who have both charted previously, Ivy Sky High and Mr Brentford.

The oldest winner featured? Pelaw Grange’s veteran Laid Back Kev.

Easiest pick of the week? Has to be Sean Parker’s Glaise Tracy with a seriously open class 29.41 run for Doncaster’s 483m. It is the fastest time of the year. It completes a five-timer, started before lockdown, of three A1s and two B2s.

The most exciting race of the week? Well it didn’t get the nomination, but in the words of SIS’s Ryan Corrie: “Imagine doing 35 dead and not winning!! Well, sharing the spoils not quite the same is it? Smallmead (T4) running down Seaglass Sabrina (T2) was a cracker