British Performance of the Week - 25 August 2025

British Performance of the Week

There were so many fine performances at Monmore on Saturday with two fine Caterogy One wins for Vhagar (Summer Stayers Classic) and Headford Dane (Gold Cup). There was little between Vhagar and New Destinty throughout the event, with Vhagar’s winning time three spots quicker than her semi-final and just one spot slower than Destiny’s fastest run in the event. Dane’s 27.79 was the fastest ‘480’ of the competition. Mentions too for January pup Strike It Skye (27.86) and fastest sprint times this year for Aero Pattika, whose 12.52 is 18 spots outside the 210m record, and Ballinakill Liam, whose 15.03 is eight spots outside the 264m clock.

There were three exceptional runs at Nottingham on Monday, starting with the 29.18 from Puppy Classic semi-final winner Romeo Alliance, the second fastest ‘500’ of the year by two spots. That completes a six-timer for the locally-bred October puppy. There was a fabulous 28.25 (480) from another British-bred hound, Zebedee Cluasa. It was the best time over course and distance since Churchill Holly’s 28.22 back in 2021. While a 44.37 run for Champys Girl meant she became the quickest 730 winner since the great Space Jet (44.34).

There were 29.17, 29.18 and 29.19 open race winners over Hove’s 500m course on Thursday, the quickest being Kelvins Hat. But given the praise bestowed on last week’s top performer Broadway Murty, and the fact that he was turned over a week later, the choice is obvious. Maxine Locke’s Beaming Isla was just six spots slower than Murty’s fastest time of the year and was completing an open race hat-trick.

Coppice Lizzie (Central Park) and Coppice Lottie (British Bred Oaks) were both mentioned in last week’s round-up. This time it is yet another litter sister, Coppice Gracie, who produced the quickest ‘480’ run of the week at Newcastle when landing an A1 faster than any of the opens. Sunnyside Broxi won again over six bends, though his winning time was ‘so so’. A mention too for High Jack in winning a sprint open in 17.07. Trainer Joe Edgar presumably watches Jack run through a gap in his crossed fingers with recent “chkd nr line” and “moved off 3” lines of form giving hints of his dark side.

Sunderland arguably produced a better night of racing on Friday. The biggest certainty of the night, Stonepark Hoffa (1/5), won as a track record holder might. Surprising, though, was that his 15.63 winning time was bettered by Sunnyside Jayden with a 15.54 run. That was his 12th win from just 25 races, including five wins and two seconds in his last seven outings for Ted Soppitt. A mention too for Toddys Tank for completing an open race four-timer over the ‘450’.

Having praised Pelaw for their interesting variety of opens last week, this week felt a bit flat with the regular Sunday night feature races being delayed until tonight. With just 10 races to choose from, the selection of Chippy Chase is something of a box ticking exercise. He landed the week’s quickest sprint in 14.56.

Only one hound broke 28.00 at Swindon last week, Saturday’s A1 winner Eagles Respect with a 27.94 run, just 10 spots short of Hard Done Boy’s FOY. A decent switch for a dog whose previous win was a ‘650’ open at Oxford. A mention too for his much younger kennelmate Ballymac Cedrick following his A3 win on Friday in 28.34 (N). It was a first career outing for the Liam Dowling-bred, Angie Kibble-trained 16-month-old blue.

The Romford selection was a tough one, in a good way, with Bombay Jupiter clocking the fastest sprint of the year to date – 13.23. (By coincidence, the fastest hound in 2024, Tullymurry Dylan -13.21, was in the same race). But Paul Young’s brindle is swerved in favour of the Tralee 500-yard track record holder Magical Luka. The Kevin Hutton-trained black followed up a 23.53 trial with a 23.68 debut win. The Puppy Cup gets underway in 11 days' time.

Harlow punters were unimpressed with Lisnakill Oxo’s 26.13 run the previous week and made our defending Performer of the Week a 4/1 chance for a Friday night A4. But for Di Jinks’ former Yarmouth A6 regular, it was a case of ‘hold my beer’, as he led from box to beam in the fastest ‘415’ of the week, 26.40 (+20).

Former Central Park record holder King Presley was Central Park’s most notable winner last week. Liz McNair’s home-bred was 10 sports off his personal best with a 16.12 run. Head Count was the fastest ‘491’ open winner on the night (29.25), though that time had been bettered earlier in the week by Tom Levers’ Jumpstart Sarah with a 29.07 win in A1.

There was also a British-bred sprinter at the forefront at Oxford where Coppice Ronnie clocked a very decent 14.84 for the 253 metres. In 10 outings over course and distance, the Hutton hound has nine wins and a second. Brother Dreamin Reggie clocked 26.72 (-10) when beating Start The Engine in a ‘450’ open on the same card.

Glenrock Ace went into Perry Barr’s final meeting as the reigning track champion, and came out of it having retained his ‘top dog’ status. The Hall hound, who began the year in A3 company, has won four of his last six in Aldridge Road and was just one spot slower than his previous win with a fastest-of-week 28.31.

Local runners have a pretty good record in the East Anglian Derby, which gets underway in nine days' time. If you were compiling a shortlist of ‘those likely to make the later stages’, Swift Depot – fourth in last year’s final – would again be somewhere near the top of the list. On Saturday, John Mullins' runner went to traps with a 27.41 on his card and beat a decent class field, including the highly-rated Bockos Buster, in 27.42.

Not all minor opens are equal. On Saturday Doncaster staged a good old fashioned contest where none of the six were ‘makeweights’, as reflected by the biggest priced outsider being the 8/1 runner-up, Coolruss Dungary. The winner in decent style was the British-bred Keefill Goose with a 29.34 (-10) run over the 483m. A mention, too, for Knockard Joe, who continues his love affair with the Doncaster hare rail as he completed a 661m treble.

The merits of one performance compared to another is often a balancing act between times and class. If an A5 and A1 winner record similar times, it will invariably be the higher grade run that is chosen. But when the time gap is so huge . . . So as good as Affleck Salabill’s Valley A1 win was on Sunday – with Loot And Shoot back in third, her winning time of 28.52 fell a few spots short of ideal for a track champ. Hence we have gone with the 28.20 eight-length A3 winner Bluejig Aoife.

The virtual disappearance of six-bend graded races has led to many hounds being unable to fulfil their potential. Distant Fox is a good, consistent A3 regular for Rose Draper. On Sunday. he had a rare chance to show his ability over a preferred distance and he duly landed the 660-metre open in 39.04. Only ‘Three Steps’ winner Wicky Ned has gone quicker this year and then only by six spots.

Towcester regular Bank Of Granda is a similar type. An A2 regular, she at least gets the opportunity to show her true mettle more often, given the number of minor stayers opens staged at the track. On Sunday, Mattie Richards’ blue completed a 712m four-timer when posting a 42.93 run, to go alongside the 43.00, 42.80 and 42.76 previous efforts.

Last week’s Kinsley heroine Ballymac Alyssa was made to give seven metres away in a handicap and was beaten eight lengths by Cloverhill Dove in 27.20. Which presumably means the grader can now put the pair of them together in level breaks . . . unless he’s frit of course! The track was flying during the week, with Mineola Topman the quickest of the level break winners with a 27.76 (+50) run in A4. Yeah Mick won similar a grade in 27.79 (+40), but everyone knows Alyssa should be the real track champion. We need to remind Craig.