BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Top of the bill status for Signet Ace for his incredible performance in the ARC Eclipse at Nottingham where he went unbeaten through the event and maintained a 5:5 Colwick Park record. However we cannot ignore the 17.58 from Crossfield Dusty, the fastest sprint in more than a year.

Team Hutton were to the fore again on Tuesday where half brother Signet Otis clocked the fastest run in Sheffield’s British Bred Derby first round, 29.11 (-20). On the same night at Newcastle, Angela Harrison’s Brynoffa Lord was the most noteworthy of the kennel’s five winners.

Connections of Astra Illusion might feel hard done by in not getting the Monmore nomination after a 38.11 run for 630. But given the time and patience to get Bull Run Borris back to fitness, it is a third POW nomination for Big Kev (with four wins and two seconds from his last six outings for the former 28.54 Kilkenny youngster.)

There would be a big claim for Otis’s brother Signet Denver with the fastest semi (29.51) in the RPGTV English Puppy Derby Towcester. However, Anonymous – who is a month younger – fulfilled Brendan Matthews’ confidence with a 29.27 run in the Premarket Pets Blue Riband Trialstake.

Unusually the girls of the Brighton Belle are continuing to outshine the dogs dominating the Olympic. Last week’s top two ladies met in the same semi final where the amazing win machine Pocket Lola came out on top in the fastest time of the night and her 18th success of the year. Lights Out will get her chance of a re-match in the final.

The Harlow circuit was in particularly good nick on Wednesday with a string of fast performances. Great credit to the versatile Front Move for edging into the ‘top 10 of the year’ for a 26.01 run over the 415 course, but Troy Suzieeq makes the top four with a 37.87 for 592m.

Perry Barr’s best run of the week came in a Thursday night open won by Trionas Travel handled by a former regular in the Star’s ‘independent racing’ pages, Ernie Skeech.

It wasn’t the most exciting Romford Friday of recent times, after lots of head scratching, Doolin Princess just gets the nod on the basis of a 35.74 (-40) run.

Crayford was also hard to decide. On balance, we opted for S1 winner Droopys Dial contesting her 64th race at the venue.

Yarmouth staged five A1 events this week. Quickest of the lot was Another Sod with a 28.28 (-50) run. A 27.57 winner over c&d back in September, he is from a decent litter that includes two litter brothers who have appeared in this feature, Brynoffa Coco (Yarmouth) and Waltham Blue Boy (Nottingham).

Similarly there were no sub-28 runs at Henlow this week. The three fastest times were 28.27 and 28.28 (x2). Quickest of the trio was Ray Turney’s The Grafter who held off last week’s top dog Layton Shrek was half a length. That’s three wins in his last four.

Doncaster times have also been on the slow side. The week’s most impressive winner Ballymac Johnsie has a best of 29.66 over the 483m course so a calculated 29.62 run following a six length A2 win seems nicely on par.

Yorkshire neighbours Kinsley continues to run to ‘+’ going allowances. Quickest of the week there was Ann Talbot’s 27.71 (462) winner Freyas Secret. Week after week though, nowhere is more consistent than Sunderland as demonstrated by a 27.33 run in A1 from Right Paddy.

Retained titles were a bit thin on the ground this week, a notable exception being ARC Champion Hurdle semi final winner Nomansland Flyer with a 29.40 run.

Half an hour later, Mr Roo landed Swindon’s sole open when completing a four-timer in the £500 sprint final.

Also on Sunday, Pelaw staged their first meeting in three week. It was almost a month since Athlacca Ace‘s last outing but it seemed to do him no harm with the best performance on the day.