BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

There were a string of outstanding performances at Monmore on Saturday, not least the eight bend track record for Ayzamza Royale. The nod though goes to Jaguar Macie for a FON performance well in the tradition of great Ladbrokes Puppy Derby winners.

Macie was clearly not quite as comfortable at home track Pelaw Grange and was beaten in A1 there back in January by Gartcloss Mo, who was on the money again on Sunday with his sixth win in 13 outings. Black Olive is another former Pelaw top heat winner who went on to open race success. She is now running A1 at Doncaster and produced the outstanding run of the week when getting home by short head on debut in 29.88 (-20).

Monday’s Nottingham card produced some high class action and a 41.48 680m run by Clever Airmount would have been good enough for the nomination most weeks. Sadly for her, she was taking on a 29.48 from the multi Cat 1 winning Kilara Lion.

Sticking to the 500m benchmark, we can expect to hear a lot more about Carol Weatherall’s 28.74 winning pup, in Sheffield’s A4, Candy Man. Hove times are invariably slower, though the gap was wider than ever this week with Antigua Bullet the quickest of the A1 winners with a 29.62 (-20) run, to complete at A1 hat-trick. The slowest of all was Towcester with just one runner breaking 30.00, Dingys Fred. That should all change as the open races arrive on the new Tuesday fixture.

There were also decent four and six bend performances at Romford on Friday, while Newinn Liz gets a ‘highly recommended’, the ‘best in class’ goes to Aero Madrid for a career best 23.84 run.

Yarmouth’s best run of the week came in A3 courtesy of a 28.06 run by Miss Latitude, a litter sister to a hound who has appeared regularly in this feature, Lastfortheroad. Kinsley tends to run around 30 spots quicker for their 462, though only one hound broke 28.00 – off levels – this week, Love Your Work.

Fastest times feature heavily in these selections though they are not the only parameter. If they were, Morpeth Lad (28.81) would be the Newcastle selection. Instead we are going for his 20 month old kennelmate, Swift Unhallowed. Crayford also produced a youngster of note with Only Maloney landing an A1 on debut in the quickest 380 of the week. While Henlow’s quickest winner, was also one of the youngest, the Jason Bloomfield trained, Abigails Buddy.

At Perry Barr, its 2-2 in the ongoing battle for supremacy between Newinn Banger and Bobbly Wobbly with the latter showing three wins and two seconds in his last five outings.

Harlow seldom stage a standard race above an A5, but they do run the occasional S1 and the most recent winner of one was Newry Rose. Sunderland’s Moneygall Storm had struggled in A1, but dropped to A2, he finally produced, and clocked the quickest time of the week.

As usual, the showpiece meetings at Central Park and Swindon book took place on Sunday night. Barry O’Sullivan had a four-timer at CP, the most impressive being novice hurdler, Mr Roly. Magical Silas was quickest on the clock when making his Swindon debut for Kevin Hutton.