British Performance of the Week - 29 September 2025

British Performance of the Week

There are good reasons to make a double selection at Nottingham and not simply because Chelms Bear and Mongys Wild won the two Category One finals a week ago tonight. 

If they shared one thing in common, it was that both hounds were running over distances way short of their optimum. In the case of the seeming perennial bridesmaid, Craig Morris’ Birmingham Bear picked up his first Cat One win in his seventh final. 

For Mongys Wild, the St.Leger was a fourth Cat One success over a course and distance (where he had previously been beaten at 1/11f) and over a trip somewhere between his track record-breaking runs over 684m and 942m.

However, the first name on this week’s chart was determined last Monday morning when Ballymac Connery recorded 28.29 for the Swindon’s 476m; though the true quality of the run can only be appreciated by checking out his whelping date, April 2024. Bred in Kerry and trained by Angie Kibble, the 17-month-old had been KO’d in his previous outing at 8/13f.

The use of A1/A2 races as minor opens was never better demonstrated than at Hove on Thursday. There were eight ‘500s’ in total of which seven were won within nine spots of each other, 29.53-29.62. The night’s A3 was won by a short head in 29.62. It helps in the selection issue that the quickest of the open winners is also a youngster, Paul Young’s Romford Puppy Cup finalist Feel The Love.

Tom Heilbron’s Ballymac Sargie is the Newcastle selection after recording the fastest ‘480’ of the week, 28.39, over a distance way short of his ideal. That is three wins from four races back following a layoff after reaching April’s Grand Prix Final at Sunderland. A mention, too, for Savva Robert’s Apr ’24 youngster Droopys Trigger following a 28.69 puppy open victory.

Meanwhile at Sunderland, Ted Soppitt’s Sunnyside Gurkha clocked the week’s only sub-27 seconds run over the standard with a near six-length 26.93 open race win on Friday night. That’s seven wins in his last 10 for the Arc Puppy Trophy finalist. A mention, too, for sprinter Fraser with his fourth win in his last five on Wearside.

There should be a strong Geordie interest in the Bresbet Steel City Cup and it was the same sponsor’s Gymcrack winner Elusivenomore who reminded himself of the Owlerton circuit on Saturday with a trial stake win in 29.17 (-20). A mention, too, for the week’s fastest graded winner, Romeo On Point, with a 28.89 (+20) success in A2.

On the subject of the Gymcrack, the runner-up has also been busy. With nine wins in his last 11 races, including an unbeaten run through the Yorkshire Derby, and the fastest time over course and distance, who can deny that Romeo Tomcat wasn’t a worthy winner of the Doncaster Cat One? A mention, too, for Stonepark Hoffa with his sixth win in his last seven opens and the second fastest sprint of the year (16.70).

On a time basis alone, Kevins Rocket would deserve to be the Romford top performer last week following his 35.39 six-bend open win. Instead, we have gone for the 35.56 winner Gary The Arb. Firstly, ‘Gary’ was in tougher company, but more relevant, he won a race that looked beyond him after early bumping. Much to the delight of punters, Belinda Green’s 11/10f came off the pace to make it six wins in his last seven over course and distance.

Gary The Arb’s litter sister Blackheath Charm was runner-up in the fastest time of the week at Essex neighbours Harlow earlier on Friday afternoon. She was well beaten though by Rains Bono with a 26.31 (+40) run in A4. That’s three in a row and five times in the frame for the near 37-kilo black.

It was fairly mundane graded fare at Monmore at the weekend with the week’s top performances tracing back to Thursday and an outstanding A1 graded win by Senahel Sydney. Now with Nathan Hunt, the much travelled white and brindle is probably in the form of his life, some 18 months after winning on A2 debut for Ian Langford.

Texas Jack went to traps for the fifth time for Richard Rees on Saturday and completed his fourth win. The 29.20 Hove winner was the week’s only sub-29 seconds winner for Central Park’s 491m course. It was a good night for the kennel with Deadly Disco and Zenith Sultan completing a treble. Incidentally, Jack and Sultan made their debuts in the Good Cody Unraced Stake at Enniscorthy last December with Sultan beating Jack in the final.

Trumpers Bobcat is the Yarmouth selection based on a 27.51 open race win on Saturday night. Kevin Cobbold’s black has been one of the track’s best and most consistent hounds since making his debut back in April 2024. So, it was interesting that he was still qualified to contest as ‘winner of one’ open in his previous race, particularly in context that he made last year’s East Anglian Derby final. In fact, since he was caught in the final stride and beaten a short head on September 17. So bring on the next one!

It is unlikely that the Kinsley ‘462 FOW’ will ever be quicker than Yarmouth’s but this week came as close as it ever will. Admittedly, the track was running at +50, but Breakthebiscuit’s 27.52 recorded on Friday September 26 was his second fastest time over course and distance. His quickest, 27.50, was recorded on September 25 last year.

Trying to compare the relative ‘track records’ over three distances on a new track is almost impossible to do with any degree of confidence. Quickest over Dunstall Park’s two bends was Supersprint winner Born Racer, though his 15.84 for the 270m came in a three-way photo. Glenrock Ace clocked 28.32 for the ‘480’, though there were four sub-28.40 wins on the night. Which leaves Droopys Mikado, winning the 660m event by five lengths in 39.60 (the other open was won in 39.91). Heather Dimmock’s black was also completing an open race treble.

Mikado has the second fastest time of the year over Oxford’s 650m (39.26). Saturday’s Cowley open was a disaster with three KO’d at the bend and the winner clocking 39.88. So, we’ve chosen the night’s S1 winner, Tata Komodo, who skated up by nearly five lengths in 39.60. A mention, too, for week’s quickest 450 winner, Coppice Trophy (26.71). 

If Valley were to have a Greyhound of the Month award, Pandy Chris would probably be the ante-post favourite to nail it. Originally a D2/D3 regular, he is the classic ‘slow burner’ who has suddenly come alight. Punters were obviously unimpressed with his 28.09 (+30) A3 win a fortnight ago and sent him off as a 9/2 chance in A2, which he duly demolished in 28.14 (N). Time to take on the big lads?

Sunday afternoons just got a little more bland with the loss of Towcester opens. It will be interesting to see if betting shop turnover dips as a result. Will anyone notice? Anyway, the afternoon fixture still produced the week’s quickest 500m run courtesy of A2 winner, Tommys Lotto. However, the selection has come from the improved six-bend grades and an S1 win for Innfield Charm. Formerly with Tom Heilbron, now handled by Andy Ioannou, the 11/4 chance got home by half a length in 43.23.

Having been beaten more than 40 aggregate lengths in her first four races at Star Pelaw, Sheilas Sky was rated a 16-1 no hoper when she made her six bend debut at Star Pelaw on Sunday. Surprise! She trapped in front and was never headed, winning by almost four lengths in 35.80, just 10 spots outside the quickest run of the year.