British Performance of the Week - 28 April 2025

Eze wins the Swindon award this week. © Steve Nash

British Performance of the Week

Congratulations are in order for trainer Paul Donovan following Runaway Dior’s consistent run of form culminating in Saturday’s Brighton Belle win in 30.19 for the track’s 515m course. But we are sticking with Maxine Locke’s Headford Asher for a third consecutive win following an exceptional 28.88 when taking a category two puppy final. His 28.88 is the fastest 500 this year. There were also FOY runs for Queen Sinead (16.21-285m) and Teddie (29.90-515m). 

Like Runaway Dior, Earls Poppy began her racing career in graded company (A5) at Crayford. She was last week’s selection based on a 40.39 run for Central Park’s 664 metre trip. Although she was 11 spots slower this time around all lost in her slower sectional), it was as good a run as any on the night and Julie Luckhurst’s defending champ duly holds onto her title. 

The Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby first round is going to dominate proceedings for the next while. On Sunday, Bombay Pat reminded punters that the Holland Kennel carries a threat way beyond Bockos Diamond. Last September, the Shelbourne Maiden Derby winner failed by just a head to join his kennelmate in the Irish Derby Final. On Sunday, the 29.19 Shelbourne (550) winner, clocked the ninth fastest time over the Towcester course in 2025 when landing a trialstake in 28.60. 

In last week’s Monmore write-up we referenced Deadly Disco’s exceptional form over the stayers trip and noted: ‘it will be interesting to see Richard Rees’ runner back over six bends at some stage’. We didn’t have long to wait. On Saturday, the only dog to have beaten Mongys Wild since he arrived in Britain, was back over the 684m trip and won in an identical time to that previous success, 40.94. Among Saturday’s opposition was Mongy’s multi Cat One winning kennelmate, Garfiney Blaze. 

Having been beaten by Jeststream Breeze in three of his five previous outings over Nottingham’s 500m course, Sambar Kian duly went to traps as a 5/1 chance when the pair met again on Monday. This time though, Colin Wilton’s coloured hound was never headed and clocked 29.64 when winning by a couple of lengths. The runner-up has only been out of the forecast places once in his last ten races (6 wins, 3 seconds). 

The track might have been on fire (+40) for Harlow’s Monday morning meeting but Essjay Alstar’s 26.23 run for the standard was still the fastest time of the year to date when winning an A4 by six lengths. Sharon Saberton’s 37 kilo pup – unraced in Ireland – clocked 27.16 (-10) when previously winning. 

The Swindon selection was harder than it might have been. At first glance, Eze looks a decent call having followed up his fastest sprint of the year with the fastest four bend open of the week, 28.18. But it wasn’t a foregone conclusion. The consistent Newinn Bliss is well worth a mention having completed a local five-timer in 28.26. In fact that is 10 wins and 2 seconds in her last 12 races. Also, the returning sprint record holder Dashing Dude with his 22nd win over the 262m course. 

When Quivers Rafa was graded at Swindon, he seemed to have reached his level when contesting A5. But the switch to Valley has done him the world of good. Although this week’s 28.55 was nowhere near his personal best – he has 28.00 and 28.02 on his card – it was still the quickest middle distance time at the Welsh track this week.  

Newcastle continue to stage their best meeting of the week on a Thursday night and last week the focus was on three A1 winners. John Flaherty’s Sirdar won his in 28.63. Stuart Ray’s homebred Blackhouse Kim was two spots quicker, but the fastest, and arguably best of the trio featured a great buckle between Jimmy Fenwick’s Bluebell Teddy and Angela Harrison’s prolific Moanteen Webby (6/4f). At the line there was just half a length between them with Teddy prevailing by half a length in the fastest time of the week, 28.51. 

The following night saw a decent selection of opens at neighbours Sunderland where the stand-out was sprinter Sunnyside Jayden. Beaten by Lion Heart last week in the quickest 450 of the year (26.71), the easing of quality opposition was reflected in his SP of 1/5f. But that will be of no concern to Ted Soppitt as his brindle pup extended his winning sequence over course and distance to five and reduced his PB to 15.58. 

It is perhaps a sign of the times that tracks struggle for quality open racing between *major events. Nowhere is that better demonstrated than at Romford. The quickest ‘400’ on Friday was won by Grove Patrick in 23.82. The fastest ‘575’ was Carmac Pete’s 35.31. Arguably better than both was Bombay Pat’s litter brother Bombay Jupiter whose 13.45 over two bends just makes the ‘top 10’ times this year. *The Coronation Cup starts in June. 

It seems likely that Oxford are facing a similar dip following last week’s Hunt Cup Final and nothing in line until the Pall Mall in July. This weekend was a mixture of minor opens with nothing particularly standing out. In the end, we’ve gone for the quickest four bend winner of the week, which happened to be the locally bred Signet Nayla, who beat her half-sister Signet Tess in 26.81 (-20). 

There were a number of worthy performances at Perry Barr this week including August pup Droopys Cardi’s 28.54 (N) run and Ballyea Oaks’ 28.49 (+10) A1 win on Saturday. But we’ve narrowly edged it to Hurry Up Brendan following his 28.43 (N) top heat success on Thursday. It completed an A1 double and was his fifth win in his last seven A1 races. (His three fastest times over course and distance: 28.38, 28.38, 28.39.). 

Following a disappointing card the previous Saturday, Yarmouth’s weekend opens were a big upgrade. In fact, Pin All In’s 40.24 for the 659 metres would be a no-brainer most weeks. It is the fastest time of the year to date and her third consecutive success over course and distance. But we have to overlook her in favour of Mrs Doyle in the best marathon seen at the track in many a day. Two lengths covered the first three home – Ballymac Nova finished second and Capel Rose was third. The winner’s time, 53.17 was the quickest since Aayamza Breeze’s 53.11 six years ago.  

Look Smart made himself the Doncaster selection when beating a B1 field by eight and a half lengths in. 27.51 (-20) last Monday. So he really just underlined it five days later with a 27.56 450m open race win. Incredibly, he won his first B1 last October and can still be contesting puppy races next month. A mention too for Tiermana Blaze who followed up a 27.52 win a couple of weeks ago with a 29.69 run over the 483m course on Saturday. 

Blaze’s kennelmate Stonepark Abba finished last at Doncaster but Dave Fradgley’s back had produced the outstanding performance of the week at Kinsley. From a high class litter that includes Stonepark Wes, Bockos Thunder and Antigua Kestrel, Abba was the only hound to break 28.00 for the 462m course in the last week. She did so from the back of the handicap and despite early trouble which meant she was still in last place at the second bend but still won by four lengths in 27.81. 

If Sheffield staged level break graded races over 660m, Burgess Bono would never be less than S1. A regular 28.80s performer over the standard trip, the 39 kilo blue was on a losing sequence of ten in open race company over the 660m course until Sunday. His 39.27 open race win was the fastest ever over course and distance this year. 

The final selection of the week, Hillside Lily, was also one of the easiest. At around quarter past eight on Sunday night, Martin Stout’s 6/1 shot beat the best field assembled at Star Pelaw in the last seven days – featuring among others, Glengar Henry and Tromora Meg – and she did so in the fastest time of the year to date, 25.39. It was a third win in her last four at the track. At 24.1kg, Lily was the lightest runner on the card, a whole .3 of a kilo heavier than the 14.59 sprint open winner Marlfield Fiona.