British Performance of the Week - 8 September 2026

Nottingham and Star Pelaw see track records fall

Nottingham on Monday night was a spectacular start to the week as Annadown Warrior took the final of the Arc Puppy Classic,  Underground Gold took out the Select Stakes and Radical Story landed the Select Stayers. With the first of those setting a new track record for the 500m distance, there is only one possible winner of Performance of the Week as Annadown Warrior signed off on his puppy status with a stunning victory. 

Two Category One events started on Saturday night at Dunstall Park, where it was the PGR St Leger heat win of Droopys Flare that was the top effort on the night. She is the best stayer in the country at present and showed exactly why with another flawless performance. Woltemade was the quickest in the Arc Birmingham Cup to add to his claims as one of the best over four bends. 

The Click Competitions East Anglian Derby got underway at Yarmouth where Droopys Buck picked up the quickest heat win, despite things not exactly all going to plan. There will be high hopes that he can repeat the dose on Wednesday and book his spot in the decider as the ante-post favourite for outright glory.

Goldstar Connie took the top spot at Romford after his win in the Coral Puppy Cup. Generally a competition that enjoys a deep field, this year looks no different with Maxine Locke's charge making a superb start to the race to easily lead up and produce an impressive performance from the front. 

The second track record last week came at Star Pelaw from Kilshenane Diva who took more than a length off the sprint clock. The two bend times have been lightning fast at the County Durham venue this year, though it is starting to get to a point where one has to wonder where it ends. Could there possibly be a sub 14-second run in the future?

Just a single spot off the Sheffield 480m clock was Magical Keith. He has not seen much action for Gary Griffiths but already has four wins in eight starts. A semi-finalist in the Irish Laurels last year, he reached the same stage of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup at Monmore last month, missing out on a spot in the final by a short head. He is clearly a very smart recruit to these shores. 

The second round of the Produce Stakes was at Towcester on Sunday afternoon but none of the wins there matched up to the effort from Unanimous Leo in the opening round of the Cat Two Northamptonshire Sprint. He has converted well to a sprinter for Tom Heilbron and given he does stay further, he is always going to be a tricky one to pick up if he goes around in front. 

It was great to see Scooby The Lady back in race action at Central Park over the weekend, a track that saw her pick up a string of these awards earlier on in the year as she tore through the Arc Kent Plate, setting a new track record in the final. She is an absolute star and will be fancied by many as the one to beat in next month's Kent Derby.

Valley saw a quickest of the year over six bends as Face The Storm added another win for Mike Burton. He has taken a real liking to this venue, winning three times here already, including over four bends as well. He is a class act who could becomes a track specialist at this course. 

On her first run since turning veteran, there was a superb performance at Sunderland from Coppice Saphire. She has been a hugely consistent type throughout her career for Jimmy Fenwick and a second Angel of the North final in the summer suggested that she is not done quite yet. 

Speaking of Newcastle, Fabulous Harmony has been absolutely airborne there of late, winning in a spectacular 28.25 on Thursday night. She too was an Angel of the North finalist, making it three straight wins over this 480m distance with a top grade blowout, with last week's Performance of the Week winner well in arrears. 

Rapido Benji was a smart type for June Harvey and has quickly brought that form over to the Belinda Green kennel where he now resides. His 29.25 win is just a single spot slower than his career best which he set for Harvey back in July, marking the ninth time that he has gone sub 3.50 on his sectional. 

In a week of outstanding performances, Rockmount Bob produced the second quickest run of 2026 over Doncaster's 450m distance.  He is part of an excellent litter which contains six individual open race winners, with this his third in a third straight month for Rose Draper. 

At Monmore it was Moanteen Hatton who took the award for his Saturday night effort. He had been picked up late on in the heats of a maiden competition last week but he got the job done when it mattered the most in the final. It was only his third start for Richie Taberner and just his 10th overall so there should be plenty more to come from him. 

There was a new fastest of the year over Harlow's sprint trip last week as Black Chintz blitzed her way to a D3 win on her final start before becoming a veteran on September 1. It was career start number 50 and a clear career best run from her. 

Deecee Gracie took the Kinsley award to round out the week. She was running over the sprint trip for the first time since May, which was also a winning effort. A regular winner over four bends in the meantime, she got up on the line to claim the victory.