Banksie's Five To Follow- 27th June 2025
Each week I’ll be looking to find Five Puppies who have caught the eye in graded in action in the last week who could be worth following in the coming weeks.
Banksie's Five To Follow- 27th June 2025
Each week I’ll be looking to find Five Puppies who have caught the eye in graded in action in the last week who could be worth following in the coming weeks.
Four of last week’s selections ran during the week, with two winners. Good Pearl was gambled off the boards on Monday evening when trapping well and making all the running in good fashion, returning 4/11F for Craig Morris, while Ted On Fire had to battle well to overcome trouble in running but he managed to score by half a length for John Mullins at odds of 2/1.
Moving on to this week:
SOLWAY FLO: Ran from Trap 1 in the 2.14 at Newcastle on Tuesday 24th June
Darren Little’s September 23 youngster made a winning debut in handicap on 17th June and made her level start debut in this field on Tueday afternoon in A8 company
Having trapped well, recording a 4.60 sectional, she was able to race into an early lead and had quickly gone four lengths clear of her nearest rival off the second bend. The lead was extended to six when rounding the third bend and showed no signs of stopping, crossing the line in front by four and three quarter lengths in 29.66 (+20) at odds of 11/2.
She can only improve on that run being just her second start and looks to have plenty more to offer in the coming weeks.
SWIFT UPGRADE: Ran from Trap 2 in the 3.44 at Monmore on Tuesday 24th June
Having found plenty of trouble on debut last week, October 23 puppy Swift Upgrade took advantage of a drop in grade into A6 with an impressive victory on Tuesday afternoon.
Having been sent off at 3/1, the Alan Jenkins trained Swift Upgrade broke reasonably well but was slightly hampered when challenging at the first bend, but coming out of the second bend, he was in second, a length and a half behind the leader. At the third bend, he took up the lead and stayed on strongly to win going away by four lengths in 28.83 (+20)
He wasn’t stopping at the finish and looks sure to improve again, and if close enough to to the leaders rounding the final bends, then he could go close to landing the double next time out.
ITS OUR TIME: Ran from Trap 2 in the 12.59 at Monmore on Wednesday 25th June
Having finished down the field in his two previous starts, Kim Billingham-Hine’s December 23 youngster Its Our Time landed a first victory in good style on Wednesday.
He had found plenty of trouble in running in those two previous starts but produced a much break on this occasion, recording a 4.47 sectional, which was nearly two lengths better than previously produced. This enabled him to hit the front on the run up, despite taking a middle course and was soon able to build up a lead of four lengths, and although he crossed the line two lengths clear of his rivals, he was never in any danger of being picked up, clocking a time of 29.36.
That was his first clear run in his third start so is open to more improvement in the coming weeks, and if drawn a bit further off next time out, may not be far away in his double bid
ALNWICK MACHINE: Ran from Trap 2 in the 3.44 at Newcastle on Wednesday 25th June
Alnwick Machine, the February 24 son of former classy stayer Droopys Live showed that he may have inherited some of his mother’s stamina on his debut outing on Wednesday when finishing a narrow margin runner up in an A7 contest.
Slow into stride, Alnwick Machine was fourth into the opening bend, and coming out of the second bend, he was a good seven lengths behind the leaders. He was still that distance behind when rounding the third bend and looked set to finish down the field. However, off the last bend, his mother’s stamina kicked in and made up ground with every stride and just failed to reel in the winner, going down by a short head in a time of 29.88 (+10) at odds of 7/2, going clear into the pick-up.
For one so young, the way he stayed on in defeat was pleasing on the eye and Angela Harrison’s youngster looks sure to progress nicely over future outings if gaining a clear run in the early stages
GROUCHOS BOGGER: Ran from Trap 3 in the 8.31 at Yarmouth on Wednesday 25th June
There are a number of promising looking puppies running at Yarmouth at the moment and last night saw another added to the growing list, in the shape of Robert Emery’s March 24 pup Grouchos Bogger
Sent off at 6/1, Grouchos Bogger was slow into stride and rode a slight bump at the first bend before being crowded at the second bend, but neither incident caused her to lose much ground. She made up good ground down the back straight and was only a couple of lengths behind at the third bend. With the two runners in front of her coming together on the run in, she pounced a few strides from the line to score in 28.82.
She powered clear round to the pick up, already showing that she may benefit from a step up in distance in the future, but being so young, she has plenty more potential over four bends in the next few weeks and if keeping out of trouble in the early stages, she is sure to be a threat in the later stages
