Another string of track records set at British tracks last week

Chelms Bear clocks a new Sheffield track record

‘Every day is a school day’ sums up greyhound racing to a tee. Take the case of Chelms Bear, brilliantly fast as proven by a Towcester 500m track record at just turned two. But his slow breaking led some (of us) to reckon he would prove to be a ‘nearly dog’. Doh! Now three and a half, the Craig Morris trained 38 kilo-black has discovered he has early pace, as proven with a 4.24 sectional (two spots quicker than Romeo Steel) on his way to an astonishing 28.01 track record for Sheffield’s 500 metres. The previous clock was Domino Storm’s 28.27!!!! That extends his winning sequence to six. 

The elimination of Droopys Kathleen threw the Oaks wide open at Dunstall on Friday with all three semis separated by just 14 spots and Kelvins Hat the quickest of the trio in 28.28. But it was the Scurry qualifiers that caught the imagination with defending champ Rioja Oison reducing the 270m clock to 15.54 before Shadow Storm took it to 15.49. It was his fifth win in six races for Richard Rees. If you were looking to stage a ‘Select Sprint’ featuring the best six two-benders in training, it wouldn’t look so different from Friday’s final. 

Team Rees were also firing on all cylinders at Central Park the following night as Texas Jack became the second fastest hound to date over the 491m course with a 28.59 (-10) run, just a dozen spots outside Proper Heiress’s clock. It was his fifth win in his first seven races for the kennel. A mention too for track specialist King Presley who was one spot off his own sprint clock when completing a five-timer with a 16.00 (-05) run. 

The last hound to beat Shadow Storm was Roanna Mamba, back in July. In fact, it was the last winning line of form for Michelle Brown’s runner when he arrived at Doncaster on Saturday night. Nevertheless, despite the lack of a trial, the brindle bombed up in 16.73 (-10) which is just 12 spots off the quickest run of the year. With four winners in the van, the drive back to Wisbech would have seemed quite a short one.  

Last week’s pre-empt of the Champion Stakes final featuring a potential re-match between the 2024 winner and fifth Gary The Arb duly played out in Friday night’s semis. However, it also seemed to have set off a ‘hold my beer’ moment from Tiffield Tarquin. Roy Peckham’s 2024 Juvenile Classic finalist was the fastest qualifier in 34.74. Though given he beat Droopys Flotilla by three lengths in 35.04 on his first look at the track, it could hardly be described as a shock result. 

Having selected Vale Bluebell on the basis of a 41.31 (+90) win over Nottingham’s 680m last week, it is impossible not to choose (the previously mentioned) Droopys Flotilla, who beat Bluebell by seven lengths in 41.03 (+20) this week, just 14 spots outside her own track record. A mention too for puppy Droopys Poker with a 28.08 run over the 480m course, some 15 spots outside Droopys Aladdin’s recently set track record. 

A week ago, Newinn Bliss was the Swindon selection having turned over Produce Stakes winner Eagles Respect in 28.25 for the Swindon standard. Her reign lasted a week before 'The Eagle' turned the tables in the sixth fastest time of the year, 27.92. The previous day, litter brother Malcolm Bosh had been almost as impressive with a 28.19 run. 

For reasons that aren’t apparent, Marlfield Diaz has not yet been acknowledged as the new track record holder for Valley’s 460 metres. On Thursday, the 2023 Steel City Cup finalist landed an A2 by eight lengths in 27.67. The previous clock, according to our records, was the 27.84 held by Unwanted Present. 

By comparison, racing at Valley’s sister track Harlow was probably as competitive just a little less exciting. In the ‘battle of the A5s’, the quickest time, actual, and with going taken into account, was Gothic Icon with a 26.37 (+15) run. To put the result into a fairer perspective though, just over a year ago, he had just won consecutive A2s with a best time of 26.47 (N). 

Every so often, the Kinsley grader gets a bit brave and decides to give Ballymac Alyssa a race over four bends – running off scratch obvs! He got away with it on August 21 when she couldn’t give A3 winner Cloverhill Dove a six metre start. So he tried his luck again on Thursday. It didn’t go well and Alyssa had her revenge. Running off scratch – obvs – she caught A3 regular Coonugh Hughie (receiving 3m) on the run in and clocked 27.54. Go girl! 

It would be easy to overlook a 30.58 run for Hove’s 515 metres in terms of it being a fairly moderate winning time. But you had to be there – or at least watch the video. Paul Young’s defending POW Noellie found himself in some pretty tough company and looked in huge danger of defeat after a hefty first bend whack from her inside neighbour Missile One. Not only did she keep his feet, battled gamely to hold off the photo finish specialist by half a length. 

On the same evening at Monmore, their defending Performer of the Week Vampire Bob was back in A1 action. It might only have been a four runner event but the first three in the market lined up at 6/4, 13/8 and 9/4. At various stages, a trio of different runners headed the field, starting with 8/1 outsider Bang On Molly. 9/4 chance Coologue Pet took up the running off the second bend but couldn’t shake off the Griffiths runner who completed a top heat hat-trick in a very respectable 28.18. 

Four months ago, Sole Mio lined up in an English Derby final for Peter Cronin. On Thursday, he made his UK debut for Jimmy Fenwick and clocked the quickest of the Newcastle 480m opens in 28.35. However, there is an even stronger case to be made for his kennelmate Ballymac Shontae in the night’s maiden. The 18 month old blue was contesting just his second race when breaking the beam in 28.50. 

Meanwhile at Sunderland, the reigning POW Shinjim Magic was stepped up into open class company for a Friday night 450. Although not far away, Yvonne Bell’s 26.92 A1 winner found it tougher in better company. The race went to Brian Fairbairn’s Northern Flat finalist Slingshot Shaz in the only sub 27.00 of the week (26.98). 

Graded fare only at Towcester again this week with two A2 winners sharing the fastest time over the standard distance, Da Monster and Makeit River (29.02). We’ve gone with the Gray black River based on her recent form of consecutive wins and four straight runs in the frame. 

Some track records look inevitable given the proven class of the hound and favourable conditions on the night. With absolute respect to connections of Pavilion Coleen, who saw that coming? The A5 Yarmouth regular had clocked 40.55 when winning her last 659m open at the track, but started at 25/1 when beaten over the same course next time out. Yet on Saturday, Sharon Knight’s black romped up by more than 13 lengths in 39.92, some 15 spots inside Roxholme Poppy’s record set in 2019. 

Having pointed out last week how unlucky connections were when Start The Engine had finished out of the forecast places just once in his first 15 races, Kevin Hutton’s Oxford specialist twisted the knife once more on Saturday then extending that run to 16 races (14 wins). His 26.54 was 13 spots slower than his PB, which also happens to be the FOY at the track, but the most recent run was clocked on -20 going. 

The three fastest times of the week over Pelaw’s standard were the 25.52, 25.53 and 25.54 recorded by Toomyvarra Sheera, Hillside Lilly and Dreamin Porcha on Sunday night. With nothing between them, we’ve opted for the night’s quickest 590 winner, Agile Ange. Well beaten in Emilys Superstar’s track record breaking run a week earlier (35.47), the 2024 Grand Prix finalist clocked 35.82.