British Performance of the Week - 26 May 2025

It is three years since Peter Cronin steered Kildare (later Mr Chelm) through to the English Derby Final where he started favourite but finished runner-up to Romeo Magico. His fastest run in the event was 29.11. Admittedly the times were generally slower then, but his handler will be delighted by the steady progress of half-brother Sole Mio who clocked the fastest third round heat of the Derby on Saturday night, 28.64. 

John Lambe’s Hurry Up Brendan (12/1) scraped through his Derby first round heat but went out (33/1) in the second. He was back in graded company at Perry Barr on Saturday and duly completed an A1 hat-trick in the fastest time of the week, 28.30. It was the quickest time he has recorded in his last eight top heats, of which he has won six. 

If the quiz question is asked, ‘who won a Maiden Derby two years after making the final of the same competition?’ – the answer will be ‘Sirdar’. John Flaherty’s home bred ran third behind Fearsome Enigma in the BGBF British Bred Maiden Derby on 25 May 2023, went out in the semis one year later, and completely blew his chances for the 2026 version by landing the £7,500 2025 version in 28.76. We still can’t make him the Performer of the Week though, that goes to the fastest winner on the night, Slingshot Sam. 

The Central Park selection is a choice between two British bred kennelmates. Queen Shakira (28.89) was 25 spots down on her previous best 491m run but still the quickest of the week. Meanwhile track record holder King Presley completed a Central Park sprint hat-trick with a 16.21 run. The race featured a great buckle with Scurry winner Rioja Oisin who can be considered unlucky in a narrow defeat on his return to race fitness. 

Kevin Hutton might have missed out at Central Park but he was cleaning up (as usual) at Oxford with four winners and two of them are in the frame as the Cowley selection. Start The Engine and Antigua Kestrel each clocked sixth fastest times of the year over their respective distances. But while Kestrel’s 39.53 (-15) was 28 spots off Ballymac Madgie’s run for the 650 metres, Start The Engine’s 26.66 (-10) was just six spots short of kennelmate Ballinabola Bill’s best for 450m. Besides, that’s an unbeaten four-timer for the black. 

Yarmouth has been running particularly fast this week as shown by the number of ‘sub28’ runs over the standard distance – there were 15 of them! Quickest of the lot was Outdoor Cracker with the only ‘sub27.50’ run. Erica Samuels’ brindle, who spent the early part of his career with Tony Collett at Central Park, caught Laugh Alot in the final stride and has won his last three over course and distance. 

While Kinsley race over a similar distance, only one hound broke 28 seconds this week. Mohican Richie landed a second consecutive A4 and set a new PB of 27.97 for the 462 metres. This time last year Richie was contesting A2 at Swindon where his best run was a 28.42, though he also won a maiden open at Valley. 

More minor open fare at Romford on Friday – roll on the Coronation Cup! Most notable run of last week was probably Untold Paanga in landing a Cat 3 575m final in 35.15. Nathan Hunt’s runner, who once went 19 races without a win, has won five of his last seven. There was a string of ‘twenty four O’ runs over four bends on Friday but the quickest run over the 400m course came from midweek A1 winner Stonepark Champ with a 23.83 run. 

Similarly, compared to recent weeks, Sunderland’s Friday night card was a bit ‘so so’. The best run over the standard distance also resulted from a Wednesday top heat. The hound in question was Hollyhill Gonzo who destroyed an A1 field by four and a half lengths in 27.01. It was a second win in four outings for Mark Bulmer’s ex-Youghal 29.18 winner. 

The fastest 450m and 483m times at Doncaster were recorded on Monday’s all-graded card with Keefill Dares and Bombay Fantasy winning their respective top heats in 27.53 and 29.41 (normal going). Since they appear inseparable, they are (possibly conveniently) overlooked in favour of puppy open winner Semtex Boy. The Fradgley flyer, who struggled to get a clear run in A2 at Kinsley, clocked 27.77 (-20) when beating Thequietman on Saturday night. 

Mossrich Karen is a well deserved selection at Nottingham this week, based on both Monday night open win and a recent sequence. Esther Driver’s blue bitch pup has five wins and a second from her last seven sprint opens at Colwick. Her 17.65 win was the seventh best time over the 305m course. She also has two of the five fastest clocks over the 255m trip. 

Monmore pup Newinn Bachelor was only beaten by three-quarters of a length behind Karen at Colwick but came back all the sharper to his home track on Saturday and destroyed a D1 field in style, winning by three and a half lengths in 15.27. Also worthy of mention was the week’s quickest 480m winner Zebedee Cluasa (28.24) and a rare ‘sub38’ S1 winner in the shape of Jonis Taxi (37.92). 

Returning to the sprinting theme, Moaning Gentile produced the fast 238m run of the year at Harlow on Wednesday when winning a D1 in 15.01. Darren Whitton’s former Crayford A1 runner found the Yarmouth 462 metres way too taxing but has thrived since arriving at The Pinnacles has won each of his first four races. 

Some decent quality minor opens at Swindon on Tuesday with two ‘Southfields’ among the winners. Southfield Poppy won the quickest of the 470s with a 28.18 (-10) run, but we’ve gone for Southfield Queen who defeated the track record holder Dashing Dude in 15.29 (-05) which is 15 spots off her best time this year. A mention too for Baggios Dilemma with a very respectable 41.67 for six bends and August puppy Swift Oilean winning a graded D2 in 15.25. 

Intriguing Iris put up the best staying performance so far this year at Hove on Thursday. Nathan Hunt’s blue had showed her potential when winning a Golden Jacket heat at Monmore but got no sort of run in the semi-finals. Installed as the 11/8f over the Hove 695m trip, she won well over a distance that seemed just about at the upper end of her range. Nevertheless her 41.60 was the quickest of the year. (By means of comparison the quickest time in 2024 was Garfiney Blaze’s 41.12).  

Another great showdown between Quivers Rafa and his great Valley rival Unwanted Present was thwarted when the defending Performer of the Week was withdrawn (“by stewards”) on Sunday. In his absence the 460m track record holder shaved another three spots off that clock with an 11 length 27.87 run. 

At Sheffield, Acomb Felix took over the mantle from brother Acomb Johnny following his 27.72 win over the 480m course on Sunday. That was a 45th career win in outing no. 105. The Yorkshire bred black has nine open wins this year putting him in joint second place with King Presley. Only Mongys Wild (12) has won more. Felix’s career features seven Cat One finals including a victory in the 2024 British Breeders Stakes (where Johnny was third). 

With only eight races staged at Pelaw this week, the selection of A4 winner Cape Moon is something of a token. The A4 winner clocked 25.87 for the standard.