BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Most opinions about Nottingham biases have been blown away this Derby with a four railer, one middle, one wide runner final that the figures suggested should play out when the Derby started.

Heading the performance charts this weeks are the two semi final winners, Wolfe and Southwood Jet who were only separated by one spot.

(Despite the tremendous achievements of both dogs, it was a very tough task to leave out Roxholme Kristof whose six bend run was absolutely Ballyregan-bob-esque).

But even the Derby shouldn’t take the shine off an incredible performance from veteran Swift Tarquin’s 35.10 run on Friday night, beating Droopys Aoife. It was Tarquin’s 102^nd race. (Ian Greaves certainly breeds em tough!).

On a similar thread, check out Crayford S4 grader Firminos Class who clocked a career best 33.68 for the 540, just four spots slower than fellow veteran Desperado Dan when winning the Gold Collar final.

There won’t be too many hurdle appearances on the chart so an acknowledgement is required for Normansland Flyer, easily the quickest heat winner in the Colossus Bet Grand National.

Towcester might still only be racing once a week, but their A2 is always going to be quality and Dingys Marley beat a very decent field when clocking easily the fastest time of the week, 29.53. But you would have to go a bit quicker than that to get the Hove vote, this week it took a 29.06 run from Doorus Jet, while at Sheffield the mark was 29.01 as recorded by Ballyboss Con.

If we are comparing 462 metre form, Millroad Time (27.79) gets the Kinsley vote, Vigorous Kevin (27.61) was a clear winner at Yarmouth. Paul Burr’s white and brindle, who ran Roxholme Poppy to a length and a half over 659m, was again on the mark at Romford (575) on Friday.

Sticking with the dual-distance theme, Rage Storm is long overdue a mention given her outstanding recent performances over four and six bends in top company at Monmore. Stuart Buckland’s bitch has five wins and two seconds from her last seven outings.

The Doncaster B1 is probably the most competitive of all grades at the track and Ballymac Cino is always on the premises in that company. This week’s 28.03 win was his sixth win in his last 13 attempts.

This time last year Lughill Frankie was virtually unbeatable over four bends at Sunderland. His stop/start career looks to be back on track with a recent 15.88 run for the sprint. Staying in the North East. Swift Curly was the quickest over the 435 trip at Pelaw while debutant Freedom Reporter, whose form includes defeat by Newinn Taylor in the second round of the Irish Produce Stakes, clocked the quickest 480 of the week at Newcastle – 28.67.

With nothing leaping off the page in terms of times, the Harlow nomination goes to Slippy Babe, who went to the top of the graded winners table with her 12^th victory of the year. Without a high quality graded race to its name, Perry Barr is an even tougher call this week. Thankfully a sole D1 race throws up the tenacious and consistent veteran Ingalls.

Last week we noted how the Henlow Maiden Derby form was holding up with Night Time Hero producing the performance of the week. Seven days later another finalist Fernhall Roxy, gets there on the basis of a 27.57 run.

Finally at Swindon, Ballymac Karlos was not only the fastest 470m winner of the week – were there a younger winner anywhere than the May ’19 whelp?