BRITISH PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

A fabulous run from Night Time Danny heads this week’s feature. It was the best time over c&d since Bo Shine Bullet’s 45.00 run recorded 51 weeks ago. It is worth noting though that three of the last six Jacket finals have been won by dogs breaking 45.00.

The most interesting contest for the nomination was in the ARC Puppy Derby at Newcastle. Mickys Barrett (28.55) completed a six-timer, Droopys Biggy (28.54) ran a stunner to overcome trouble and win by nine. Some staying prospect! But giving them all months was Stuart Ray’s August pup Blackhouse Harry (28.44) when completing a hat-trick.

Also on Tuesday, a string of Sheffield opens and Skywalker Forte added to his 27.49 run for the 480 with a 28.94 FON run over the extra 20 metres. Shame about his trapping, there is another five lengths of untapped potential.

You can’t expect to get much value in a Monmore maiden with a dog with a calculated 29.15 on his card at Donaster. But 4-9f would have reflected the chances of Starcash Henry when he won in 28.40 on Saturday. Jimmy Gaskin has his hands on a proper hound in this one!

Meanwhile back at Donny, last week’s top dog Glitter Gee was out to defend his title in a fabulous A1. He didn’t.  Danny Beattie’s Scottish raider Afton Pixie just got home in fabulous finish. Gee was beaten a neck, and he was third! Go Go Wink finished between them. Same time next week lads?

On the subject of quality A1s, Killeacle Brandi won for the sixth time in 13 races at Hove, the Kerry born brindle clocking her new personal best of 29.39. While at Yarmouth, another former Tralee runner Gracias Lorenzo also set a new PB for trainer Mark Brighton. Perry Barr was tight with two 28.65s and a 28.66 run this week. Quicker than them all though was 28.58 winner Barrack Sydney, yet another hound who began his career in ‘The Kingdom’. At Sunderland though, it was a Galway girl who was the quickest of the three sub-27.60 winners this week, Glamorous Vickie.

Not much to choose between them at Harlow on a slow Wednesday surface. Probably just edge it to Jumeirah Ems with a 38.89 run on -60.

With last week’s POW feature being published a day late, this is a six-day week. The only track that it really affects is Nottingham where Trionas Travel’s open race win was acknowledged last Tuesday. So looking to the graders for a change, the up-and-coming Retweet is one for the notebook. An A2 winner in 29.96, the big black has the pedigree and Irish card to suggest some Monday night appearances in the near future.

Romford’s Friday night opens invariably provide its nomination, though the quality was thin on the ground this week. The two A4s were won in 24.41 and 24.28 (N). The 400m opens were timed at 24.31, 24.28, 24.16, 24.27 (N), 24.26, 24.30 (-10). So we’ll swerve them in favour of 35.65 winner Balterio.

Sunday is invariably the most prolific day for POW selections and none outshone the remarkable Shrewd Call with a 15.56 run (TR 15.45) for the Towcester sprint. That is win 28 from 59 races with the earliest defeats coming in A6 at Romford.

A few hours earlier, the veteran Ashbank Boss recorded the second fastest time of his Pelaw Grange career with a 26.15 run for the standard. Meanwhile at Kinsley, the locals would have known the result of the A3 as soon as Gortroe Rainbow made one of her better breaks. An open race winner over 660m at Sheffield, Dave Fradgley’s brindle was eight clear at the winning line.

Henlow’s top A1 was bristling with former Performers of the Week including Layton Shrek, All About Taylor and Sharky Jezabelle. Now add Cloncunny Mike to the list. His 27.96 was recorded on going rated -50.

At Swindon Getwiththetimes 42.59 run was 42 spots short of Freffans Clinton’s 42.17 win which is currently the quickest of the year over the 682m course. Though it is worth noting that Clinton’s run was given as +15 while Dave Elcock’s bitch ran on -30.

Finally, the 27.49 run of Feora Noel at Central Park might not leap off the screen as a great winning time. But anyone witnessing the black miss his break, almost fall at the second, check at the third and still get home, will be noting him down for bigger things in the future.