British Performance of the Week - 12 May 2025

British Performance of the Week

When De Lahdedah clocked 28.58 in last year’s Star Sports/TRC Derby Final, he equalled the 500 metre track record. That clock is now 28.44. So the defending champ not only set a new personal best when winning his Friday night heat in 28.50, it was also the second fastest ever recorded over the Derby course. It is also worth reflecting that his fastest ever time over Shelbourne Park’s Irish Derby course, 29.15 (550yds Shelbourne Park), was set way back in August 2023. 

At Monmore, Mongys Wild made it 11 wins from 12 UK outings when setting a new 684m track record in the Golden Jacket semis. Although track records are not all equal, and Monmore’s ‘long six bends’ is an example of under use, comparative FOY times make a decent insight: 2024-41.02 Garfiney Blaze, 2023-41.19 Low Pressure, 2022-41.42 Guiri Steve, 2021-41.03 Bombardier, 2020-41.11 Southfield Code. The previous track record of 40.60 had been held by Centaur Corker since 2003. 

There were a string of notable performances at Central Park on Saturday. Arguably, the most noteworthy was King Presley’s 16.11 for the sprint. He now has the three fastest runs over course and distance this year including the track record. Kennelmate Queen Shakira overtook kennelmate Queen Joni as the fastest ever bitch over 491m with a 28.64 run. A mention too for Nov ’19 whelp Noduff Grand who saw off an A1 field earlier in the week in a calculated 29.25. 

Jill Sutherst is back making huge waves with her home bred pups in the North East. At Newcastle on Thursday it was the turn of Witton Gucci in the heats of the British Bred Maiden Derby.  Contesting just her seventh race, the 27 kilo black puppy was hugely impressive. After swerving outwards at the boxes and taking a massive bump she had plenty of ground to make up but taking the lead off the second bend she showed tremendous pace to clock 28.47. There is a 28.20 run in this bitch and it might not be long in coming! 

Four days earlier, the even younger Witton Williams had produced the outstanding performance at Sunderland this week. The 19 month old, contesting just his third race, absolutely mullered a Sunderland A2 race. His winning time was identical to the Friday night open. Given how Jill and partner Glenn Lynass nurture their pups so expertly, their scope is immense. Look out too for Gucci’s sister Witton Versace. The Wittons are clearly coming back into fashion. 

You might not know it from his prefix, but Coppice Ronnie also has roots in the Sutherst kennel being an older half brother to Witton Williams. On Saturday night, Ronnie was the most impressive of the five Kevin Hutton open race winners at Oxford. His 14.83 run has been bettered only twice this year, once by himself (14.77) and also by another kennelmate, the track record holder Union Rebel (14.67). 

Considering the open race opposition, Hove’s Thursday night card was pretty decent with opens over three different distances. Droopys Velocity (29.18) was quickest over the standard distance. Swift Jarvis went best over six bends though his 42.06 and more than five lengths off his own FOY (41.61). While Bluejig Baron won the top ‘515’ by nearly nine lengths in 30.01. But the selection is 20 month old Cloheena Bully whose 16.23 D1 success on Wednesday was just two spots off Queen Sinead’s FOY and his fourth win in his last seven outings.  

There would be a good case for making Newinn Bachelor the Nottingham selection based on his being an August ’23 pup who clocked the fastest sprint open of the week, 17.80. But we’ve gone with the prolific Jetstream Breeze following his latest battle with long time protagonist Sambar Kian. Pete Holland’s hound really had to battle to justify his 4/5f SP but didn’t let down punters when getting the verdict by a head in 29.93. From his last 11 races he has seven wins and three seconds. Breeze might not have brother Aayamza Sydney’s pace, but he matches him for bottle. 

Hard Done Boy proved his previous run was not a freak when producing the fastest middle distance time at Swindon again this week. John Campbell’s blue and white pup has four spots short of his FOY run when clocking 27.88. But with Southfield Duke and Eze behind him, who can seriously doubt that he is the best middle distance dog at the track. A mention too for Ballymac Mags whose 41.48 over six bends was just nine spots off Ballymac Madgie’s quickest for 2025. 

Meanwhile the Valley bookies are starting to give Quivers Rafa due respect. A month ago, their betting suggested that they rated Loot And Shoot the better hound. But the defending POW was a best priced 7/4jf along with Crokers Fluffy in a cracking Thursday afternoon A1 and kept up his recent form with a 28.00 two length win over Loot And Shoot. Interestingly, the Danahar runner has the second, third and fourth fastest times of the year on his card: 28.00 (x2) and 28.02. In top slot is Loot And Shoot (27.98). 

If ever there was a name that appears to have emerged from an incident . . . Imagine deciding to buy a pup, going along to see it for the first time and . . .  Isthamyfella might seem an appropriate moniker. On Friday, Jane Craske’s former Suffolk Downs A2 runner became the joint second fastest over the Romford sprint this year with a 13.36 run. He shares that time with Katsumoto and both are half a length slower than Divine Rule. A mention too for Michelle Brown’s consistent Pro Parker whose 400m O/R hat-trick was completed in times of 23.96, 23.95, 23.91. 

It turns out that Friday was a good night for the Essex sprinters because it was Our Baby Bear who produced the the week’s best run at Harlow. Debbie Hurlock’s brindle, who has previous winning times of 15.09, 15.11 and 15.12 on his card, repeated that last run when beating a D2 field by more than eight lengths. He has 6 wins from 13 races over course and distance. Quickest over four bends this week was Cash For Elsanto (26.40). 

Not a lot to get the pulses racing at Perry Barr this week. Quickest over the four bends was Saturday night’s A2 winner Springside Spice with a 28.49 run. The much travelled black began her UK career at Towcester followed by a spell at Valley. The A1 on the same card went to Caseys Shadrack in 28.58 though there was also a 28.53 earlier in the week from Jab And Run. 

Yarmouth also forwent their Saturday night opens this week. The best racing took place on Wednesday night and the most impressive A1 winner was Druids Luna. Craig Morris’ black clocked 27.55 for the standard which qualifies as the eighth quickest time this year. That is five wins in her last seven outings. This was arguably the best for a bitch who prefers further and came just four days after her 659m open race win. 

She might not have the profile of her Scurry winning brother Rioja Oison, but Kinsley D1 sprinter Tiermana Lucky created her own landmark on Saturday when clocking the fastest time of the year for the Doncaster 450m trip, 27.34. A mention too for the quickest standard distance winner, Speedy Elm who picked up the night’s 483m open in 29.44. 

Unsurprisingly, with so many of their better class hounds heading regularly to Donny, the Kinsley upper grades have taken a bit of a battering. Quickest over the standard distance in West Yorkshire was Bev Heaton’s A4 winner Ballintine Cross with a 28.23 (+10) run. It was her fourth win of the year. Heading that particularly table is Brosna Suzy with eight wins. 

Things were also relatively quiet at Sheffield with nothing breaking 29.00 over the standard distance and little to choose between Sunday’s open race winners. Distant Fox won the six bender in 39.61, and while it is doubtful that Good Knick’s 27.78 was comparatively a better run for the 480 metres, we’ve gone for Sean Davy’s runner on the basis of 1) beating the reigning POW Acomb Irene, 2) defeating the quickest hound over course and distance this year (Loose Cannon 27.62) and 3) a current hat-trick extending to four wins in his last five races. 

Tromora Meg had the Pelaw selection sewn up last Monday and confirmed it on Sunday. Dave Curry’s blue bounced back from eight defeats to remind punters of the level of form that saw here win five consecutive opens last summer (Pelaw/Newcastle/Doncaster). On Monday she nailed Tromora Goal on the run-in when clocking 25.50. Six nights later she beat the same rival by a length and a quarter in the joint fastest time of the year, 25.39.