BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

‘Ballymacs’ were among the Irish POW selections at Shelbourne Park and Tralee this week but none would have mattered more than Ballymac Fairone at Towcester. Having established that he is prepared to battle his way through the field, Liam Dowling’s hound showed that he can also dictate terms from the start with a career best 29.08 in the Derby semis.

The Monday night Nottingham selection was a slam dunk for Jimmy Fenwick’s Barnagrane Amber. Not only has she four wins and a second from her last five visits to Colwick Park, her successes have come over 680, 730 and 905m.

Michelle Brown’s Slippy Marlon began his career with three consecutive defeats in (A9/A7) at Henlow and didn’t win a race until switched to six bends at Romford. Like many Kinloch Brae offspring, he was a late developer and on Friday he produced a lifetime best performance of 35.03 for the 575m course.

The week’s other opens were on Sunday night where Meenagh Maverick extended his hurdle record to eight wins and four seconds in 13 races with a 29.58 (-40) run for Central Park’s 480m. While at Swindon, it was a coin flip between Pete Swadden’s Airlie Shelby, who went quicker than the week’s open racers, or kennelmate Magical Zack who, saw off the Weatherall and Hutton raiders in the six bend open. We’ve edged it to the latter.

Crayford were back to graded fare this week but a mention should be made for Jumbos Event, an August puppy contesting only his second race and clocking the fastest 380 of the week, More to come from this one!

This column is often guided by race times, but when weather intervenes, you just have to rely on class. Every Doncaster racegoer knows that the best race of the week took place at 10.46 on Sunday, when Barnside Millie beat some of the best A1 runners at the track in a seemingly ‘okay’ time of 30.13.

The same principle applies at Newcastle where there were a couple of 28.66 winners but only one A1 and it went to Stuart Tighe’s Sonic Stormi. Ice On Fire’s litter brother is predominantly a stayer but beat half sister Skywalker Bonnie in 28.69.

No such conundrums at Perry Barr, one A1, a fastest of the week, and yet another appearance on the chart for John Lambe’s Ucannotbeserious. Wait until this pup goes further!

The opposite proved the case at Sheffield where Catrigg Candela was so much quicker than the A1 winner despite plying her trade in A4. Even more bizarre, she only won by a length.

If the Hove grader is licking his wounds, it might explain why there was no appearance for Freeky Pumbaa this week (it might have nothing to do with it, but allow us a conspiracy theory). In his absence, Goldies Linekar (beaten by FB last time out) took full advantage in a Pumbaa-esque 29.28. (Check out the breeding with the Towcester selection BTW).

Few tracks stage more A1 events than Monmore (which is great for prize money but maybe time for some sorting and dividing?). Of the eight top grades this week, the fastest pair clocked identical times. As for the 630s, an entirely different proposition. One S1, and Echo Tiger, very narrowly getting the edge on Supreme Kelso.

Pelaw’s weekly winner comes from one meeting with very little between the five fastest winners who clocked 25.96, 26.00, 26.03, 26.05 and 26.07. Quickest of the quintet though was Simpsons Fury.

Only one winner clocked a ‘25’ at Harlow this week – it was some achievement though when the slowest standard distance winner clocked 28.07. Kevin Proctor’s Front Society recorded 25.98, some 21 spots off her FOY time.

At Yarmouth, a 27.76 run for the 462 metres would probably secure the POW for 19 weeks out of every 20. This was the 20^th with Jura Go Max missing out by four spots to Offshore Roddick. While at the other ‘462 standard’ venue, Kinsley, ex-Belle Vue refugee Outdoor Mo’s 27.43 was the fastest over course and distance in a year and four days.

However it wouldn’t be very often when a 27.40 run would be quick enough to grab any attention at Sunderland (450). But it was good enough this week for Pennylane Darrs.

Finally – although it is the open racers who draw most of the limelight, the most intriguing events are the POW contests that you can pick out even before the runners go to traps. Nobody does it better than Henlow and regulars would have known that whoever won the ninth race on Sunday night would be the undisputed track champion. This week’s featured the reigning champ Rail McCoy plus the usual contenders and previous winners, Jet Stream Socks, Jimmy The Snail, All About Taylor to name but four.

And the outcome? Check it out below!