BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

If anything gets the competitive juices flowing for a racing office it is an intertrack and the pride of Crayford, Hove, Monmore and Romford were all out at Hove on Saturday for the Entain Champiionship from which all of four Performance of the Week selections have been made.

Best run of the locals was Sharp Darcy with a 29.28 for Seamus Cahill – an identical clocking to last week’s Hove nomination Hilight Arkle. Newinn Liz went even quicker – the fastest female over course and distance in ten months – for Romford trainer Gemma Evans. Blue Tick George’s time for the 695m course (41.36) was only bettered once in 2020 (Zascandil clocked 41.27). While the night’s 740 went to Zascandil’s litter brother Southfield Code for the Monmore/Towcester handler Kevin Hutton.

In terms of winning times, Havana Class was 10 spots behind local winner Hardy Rebel in Northern Flat Trialstakes at Newcastle, but he is nevertheless the selection, given the pup was tackling the circuit for the first time. The Laurels winner’s 4.47 sectional wasn’t too shabby either – Ice On Fire’s best ever split is 4.44.

Roxholme Sheikh returned to Nottingham where he had previously clocked the fastest 480 of the year, and repeated that clock to the spot, though apparently on slightly quicker going. His 28.28 (x2) runs make an interesting comparison with his two best Perry Barr 480m wins, 28.20/28.21. Bower Turbo was a little off that pace with a 28.49 run in A2, but it was still a personal best for the in-form dual distance hound.

Several member of Abigails Canary’s litter are regulars at Perry Barr with the best known being marathon track record breaker Affirmed. Meanwhile his little sister secured the Yarmouth nod with the fastest 462 of the week.

Open races return to Sheffield on Tuesday which should present plenty of opportunities for Sheffield’s fastest female in 2021 Ballyboss Con whose A1 win in 29.08 follows 28.71 and 28.80 victories over the standard.

Towcester’s Tuesday meeting was brought to a halt after a latch broke on the starting traps but prior to that, Ivy Hill Skyhigh beat a field that included two Juvenile runners and his talented kennelmate Drumcrow Brent in 29.42, a time only bettered by Faughan Rebel so far this year (29.36).

Of the seven times that a ‘Gartcloss’ dog have featured as the Pelaw selection, six went to Gartcloss Mo. On Sunday though Gartcloss Pamer appeared for the second time when beating last week’s POW nomination Derrytagh Razzy. With no A1 or A2 races at Kinsley, the only options are a couple of D1 sprints with Newinn Bonner, the quicker of the pair.

The Doncaster nomination provided a split decision for Jimmy Gaskin with kennelmates Ballymac Lydia and Rural Reward clocking identical times for the 483.Lydia gets the nod though on the basis of competing in tougher company: A1 v A2.

The Sunderland selection was altogether easier to fathom, two A1 events, the fastest of the pair, by far, went to Mr Know All. There was a similar story at Henlow where Jimmy The Snail beat a good A1 field that included recent POW performer Rail McCoy in 27.51

The clock also ruled at Harlow where 26.03 was the fastest winning time for Moors Bronco. (Incredibly, the slowest winning time last week was 29.04 – that’s nearly 38 lengths slower).

As usual the Central Park and Swindon nominations weren’t decided until Sunday night. Nomansland Flyer was the fastest of Ricky Holloway’s four Grand National finalists.

At Swindon, five former Performance of the Week winners went to traps for a competitive 476m open They included Rocknount Dandy, Distant Sailor, Bernard, Ballymac Intent and the reigning holder of that title, Rodrick Rules. This sixth runner Loggies Wanted has now joined that club.