BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

The featured Cat One winner of the week was ARC Classic winner Narcos The Great. It was a totally merited victory in a time just one spot off the fastest 450 of the year. It will be a while before he returns at 13-2 again, particularly when he is given the chance to tackle an extra 30 metres.

A tough call at Towcester with fine runs from Crossfield Dusty and Aayamza Dream but a 29.21 run from 19 month old Havana Bale Out must surely edge it?

On Monday night Signet Ace clocked the fourth fastest 500 of the year in the first round of the ARC Eclipse at Nottingham. He was five spots off the third fastest run of the year, also recorded by himself.

Doncaster’s Monday night opens have been overshadowed by the strong top heats, but this week’s set were an exception with Sean Parker’s pup Lightfoot Krafth the pick of the bunch. He then followed up the 29.84 win with a 29.77 A1 effort on Saturday morning. Yarmouth had their own version of the plan, Drumdoit Bomber A1 win on Monday in 27.89, followed by an A1 win on Saturday in 27.89.

A 29.03 for Sheffield’s 500m might not seem anything out of the ordinary, but in completing an open race hat-trick Barrie Draper’s Jumeirah Jimmy saw off a decent field that included the useful Duke De Janerio.

Harlow’s fastest 592 winner of the year, Front Move (37.75) went to traps in a similar open on Wednesday but found one far too good in Dan Brabon’s Ragtime Storm, who incidentally, is a litter sister to Oaks winner Billys Dive and stayer Kishlawn Shakira.

This time last year, Mark Wallis’ Sweet Pear was contesting A6 at Henlow. Something of a slow burner, she progressed to wins multiple A1s, landed her second Romford open on Friday and shows no signs of having peaked. Kennelmate Bombardier reached a Champion Stakes final at Romford but looks suited to a bigger circuit. On Saturday night he was easily the quickest of the 630 open race winners on a slow Monmore circuit.

Alaska Dawn was unlucky to miss out on the Crayford nomination after clocking the fastest 874 of the year last week. Well he knocked another 42 spots off that run on Saturday morning. His 56.18 was the fastest over c&d since Slippy Maska’s 56.04 back in Feb 2018.

It was a couple of weeks ago that a cross between a Buick and a Saab clocked the fastest 480 at Newcastle in 28.41. Droopys Hooray did another circuit and a bit this week in 28.43.

Lenson Doctor has been in fine form with 29.19 and 29.18 (N) A1 wins at Central Park, but the verdict has to go to David Mullins’ Prince Of Troy who turned over last week’s selection Letter Pat by a length in 29.20 (-40). Swindon’s Sunday night opens were below their usual standard with the best run of the night coming in A1. The best run of the week though came in A2 on Friday and was recorded by Paul Foster’s Lav Swift.

A year ago, Wingman was contesting the Birmingham Cup semi finals. Now handled locally by Gerry Ballentine, the veteran has won four of his last six, including a Towcester open, and most recently a decent quality A1 back in Brum. There was also a notable run from Jason Bloomfield’s veteran Clockwork Girl who was within one spot of her personal best in her 71st race over the Henlow standard.

A bit of a struggle at Pelaw this week, most of the top performers were at Sunderland midweek so no A1. There were a couple of A2s, but it was A3 winner Willdun Jet who was quickest of the week. While at Kinsley, there was only one spot between the A2 and A3 winners with the former edging it through Madabout Power.

Last but not least, the Hove selection and Pocket Lulu. She’s had to put up with brother Surprising and sister Pocket Lola showing off for most of her career. But the Seamus Cahill bred black has shown steady, if unspectacular, progress since qualifying in A3. Thirteen months and a kilo and a half of bodyweight later, the black destroyed an open race field in 29.22 (-20) on Thursday. Go Lulu!