BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

The most exciting race of the week was surely the Coral Cesarewitch Final which means an instant nomination for Aayamza Royale (one of the three Ballymac Eske offspring to have made the chart).

It was, by a million miles, the most productive week for champion trainer Mark Wallis. He had a very good Sunday afternoon at Towcester where the quickest 500m winner was Ivy Hill Skyhigh. He followed up his six winners during the afternoon with another four at Henlow including the fastest heat winner in the Henlow Maiden Derby, Antigua Jet. Going forward, Mark will also fancy his chances in the ‘Young Gun’ at Central Park following an impressive first win for Antigua Bruiser. However the CP nomination goes to Blue Tick George for a second week. He was two spots slower than last week over the 500m course but on going rated twice as slow. In other words, a calculated time of 10 spots outside King Eden’s track record.

Next week the Nottingham focus will be on the Derby, and hopefully Churchill Holly will be among the headlines. The locally trained bitch has six wins from seven outings over course and distance, including the quickest run last Monday and easily the quickest ‘halfway’ according to Mark Pierrepont’s video software.

Before then, there will be the GAIN Nutrition Three Steps To Victory Final with Roxholme Kristof favourite to complete a clean in the Performance of the Week table.

A power issue cost Crayford its big Saturday night open fixture though the 23.17 run of January pup Hitthelids Bob in A4 would have taken some beating. At Hove, Alma Keppie’s Chipping Away was surprisingly beaten in last week’s Track Championship but made it five wins from his last seven with another impressive 500m run, 29.18.

There is only one sprinter among the 18 names this week, Harlow’s Doc Holliday.

Some of the tracks have been a bit slower than usual so Lightfoot Quitly’s 27.97 for 450 at Doncaster is a better run than is obvious at first glance. Staying in Yorkshire, Ur My Angel went 11 races without a win at Kinsley but has won her last two, clocking the best 462 of the week, 27.51. Going Forward’s 27.72 was good enough to get the vote for the similar distance at Yarmouth.

Heading into the North East, Freedom Whammy started out in A5 at Newcastle, but won the fastest A1 on the week in 28.48. At Sunderland there was a hugely impressive debut win for Walkaway Joe in 27.13. All the Pelaw top heat performers met in a cracking A1 on Sunday with a column regular, Skeogh Girl, coming out on top.

There wouldn’t be many weeks when a 28.91 run in A4 would be good enough to top the Perry Barr ratings, but after a long search, there was only one Long Search. Swindon, on the other hand, is running very fast, Rockmount Twirl’s 28.20 run was clocked on .40 fast.

The new Monmore circuit raced for the first time on Saturday and was rated .20 slow for the standard with winners spread across the traps. Quickest over the standard distance was Elderberry Sky in 28.33. His previous win over course and distance was 28.31 (N).