BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

It is impossible to split the two Cat One winners at Romford. Smallmead was nine spots slower than the previous week, though the performance to win the Champion Stakes Final was undoubtedly superior. Tenpin was the fastest Puppy Cup winner since Roxholme Nidge who clocked 23.70 when landing the 2017 decider. And on the subject of Keightley runners, Roxholme Kristoff didn’t take a lot of picking following his track record breaking run at Sheffield.

Queen Jessiej was another making an umpteenth appearance on the table – the time it was as a result of the Produce Stakes Final at Swindon. ‘Yarmouth’ Derby winner Kilara Lion was the first Cat One winner of the week.

With the Irish Derby out of the way, attention will now be focused on Nottingham where Southwood Jet clocked the seventh fastest time over the Derby course this year.

Southfield Code maintained his incredible sequence 6/6 at Central Park on Sunday, though the nod has to go to Blue Tick George whose 29.74 for the 500m, the quickest return in 15 months.

Open racing returned to Crayford this week, though the outstanding performance of the week came via S5 winner Kelva Ivy with a 33.76 win over 540.

Last week we nominated the three Monmore track championship winners. This week is Hove’s turn with Feather Breeze, Britannia Will and Ten More. This week’s Monmore nomination is the dual two and four bend top heat winner Droopys Lisbon.

Corrig Heidi was mid grade at Perry Barr and Sheffield but recently rattled off D2 and D1 at Towcester. Doncaster’s Chieftain Snow boasts the best record of the week with eight wins in his last ten outings and 10 overall for the year, putting him on par with Glaisce Tracy. Staying in Yorkshire, Ballinakill Steve’s 27.68 as the best run over the standard trip in A3.

Looking to the North East, Droopys Mateo and Stranger Things were the stand out performers at Newcastle and Sunderland respectively. Dukes Magic’s 25.92 was the best run at Pelaw.

At Perry Barr last week’s POW Newinn Banger was ‘given a doing’ by his kennelmate Bower Jet in an impressive 28.53.

Elsewhere winning times have been slow and special runs have taken some finding.

The quickest run at Henlow this week was a comparatively mediocre 27.60 for Domino Joe. To be fair, it was the near veteran’s quickest run in 50 outings over course and distance.

With no performance of particular note at Harlow, we’ll go with our first ever ‘thanks for coming’ vote for Fortwood Timtom – who celebrated a one year anniversary of his last win on Sunday, some 31 races ago.