Four track records broken last week on UK greyhound racing tracks

We first flagged up the exploits of Magical Luka in a breeding feature following his maiden win at Dundalk back in May. It would be fair to say that he is pretty much on everyone’s radar now. In Ireland he destroyed the Tralee 500-yard clock, twice (after missing his break). He now has equalled Roxhome Nidge’s exceptional 23.26 track record for Romford’s 400m – on identical going. It is worth remembering that Nidge went unbeaten through the Puppy Cup and started at 2/5f when beating King Elvis in the final. Big Kev will be buzzing! 

Spot the ingenious link! It was a British bred son of Roxholme Nidge who was head and shoulders above the opposition at Essex neighbours Harlow this week. Moaning Hagler, who has spent his career in the shade of litter brother Moaning Hearns (FOY 238m), won for just the second time in a career spanning 15 races but clocked comfortably the quickest ‘415’ of the week, 26.35. 

On the subject of British breds, two Leicestershire brothers continued their slugfest at Swindon on Saturday. In their early trials, it seemed the well named Romeo Ability was the dominant bro. He beat Romeo Alliance in their early trials, saw the form reversed twice in the Juvenile Classic and then went out of the Puppy Classic which Alliance went on to win. 

Thus far though, Ability is proving superior in the Produce Stakes having clocked the fastest time in each of the first two rounds including giving Alliance a near three-length running lesson on Saturday in what is the joint fastest ‘476’ this year, 27.84. 

With almost eight lengths on the clock on her closest rival, Silverhill Freya was an automatic choice at Towcester. Out of luck in the Select Stakes, the Cork Oaks winner clocked 28.71 in the opening round of the Empress Stakes, though to be fair to the other heat winners, a couple are only ’24 whelps. Freya got first run on kennelmate Bockos Sapphire but only beat her just over a length and the Holland handled pair will be fancied to make it through to the business end of the event. 

Back in May, Romeo On Point, was contesting A4 at Towcester for Laurence Tuffin. Now with Kelly Hodgson, the Sheffield A2 winner is the obvious Sheffield selection as the only hound to break 29.00 for the standard distance this week. That’s his third win in six races and a new personal best of 28.98.  

The fourth track record of the week went to another British bred hound, the Kent born King Presley with a 15.99 (-05) run for the 277m. He previously held it at 16.02 then lost it to Rioja Oisin’s 16.01. Incidentally the old clock (over the same distance but then registered as 265m) was Troy Bella with a 15.99 run. By means of comparison, the nights five graded sprints were won in 16.56, 16.57 (both D1), 16.73 (D2), 16.98 (D5) and 17.02 (D3). Quickest of the week over the standard distance was Ballydoyle Megan’s 29.19. 

The exploits of Droopys Aladdin are not unfamiliar in this feature, including beating Proper Heiress in 28.28 at Monmore as a pup and reaching the quarter finals of last year’s Derby. Not sure he was ever viewed as a 27.93 track record breaker for Nottingham’s 480 metres though! The track was running +60 fast, though the Nottingham going allowances will remain one of the universe’s great mysteries. 

Be interesting to see how Aladdin’s form stacks up in the coming months, even compared to Romeo Ability whose clock he beat. Also, bearing in mind Chelms Bear’s 29.03 over the 500m course on the same night is the second fastest ever recorded, just three spots outside March On Freddie’s clock and two spots inside Skywalker Logan’s previous best. 

There is a very similar story at Yarmouth where the track is probably running 20-30 spots quicker than it was even a couple of years ago. None of which should take anything away from the track record performance of Swift Depot in the opening round of the Click Competitions East Anglian Derby. 

John Mullins' runner, who started out in A5, has arguably been the most consistent top local performer in the last year and his 27.10 run represented a four-timer. In reality though, it would be a surprise if he retains that record when the final field have crossed the line next Wednesday, by which time the track may have seen its first ‘sub 27’. 

Very tight call at Kinsley where we had to look beyond the stop watch. October puppy Holborn Betty was only one spot off the fastest sprint of the year when clocking 15.88 in D1 on Thursday. It wasn’t just the time, the opposition included the prolific trio of previous top performers, Aikins Gift, Ballymac Wynett and Power Of Water. It was Betty’s fourth win in her last five, with one short head defeat. Cloverhill Dove then recorded the fastest ‘462’ of the year on Friday, though her 27.39 was clocked on +60 going and Bequest clocked 27.40 at the same meeting. 

Last week a 16.25 sprint run was good enough to see Uncle Ed (a brother of Droopys Aladdin) as the Hove selection. Paul Young’s black went to traps as a 7/4 second favourite on Thursday. Punters stuck with Broadway Murty and were rewarded when the year’s fastest sprinter (16.11) got home in 16.24. A mention too for the week’s quickest middle distance runner Zenith Imminent who completed a Cat 3 mission by taking the final in 29.23. The renamed Ballymac Jester clocked 28.33 in Limerick’s Kirby Memorial where he eventually made the semi-finals. 

It was all about Stuart Ray with a four-timer on Newcastle’s feature Thursday night card, three of which came in opens. Two of the ‘Blackhouses’ Lewi and Alan each clocked 28.66, but it was their fellow home bred, Blackhouse Kim who went quickest on the night with a 28.28 run. It equalled her PB for course and distance recorded some 14 months earlier. Not bad for a first race out of season. Nicely done Stuiy! 

Meanwhile a number of the Newcastle dogs were off to Sunderland on Friday where there were worthy runs over three distances. Bragging rights over two bends belonged to Carl Jackson’s Ballymac Deboss (15.57). Over six, Tom Heilbron’s Romeo Alonso turned over Sunnyside Broxi (2/7f) in 39.71. But the selection was the quickest and youngest four bend winner on the night, Droopys Trigger. Contesting just his second race, Savva Roberts’ 18 month old clocked 27.22.  

Quality was a bit thin on the ground at Monmore last week. After a bit of scratching around, Newinn Bachelor’s 15.24 in a Saturday night sprint open just about nails it. It was the quickest of his five wins over the 264m trip (FOY 15.03), though he also has 17.55 form at Nottingham (305m). No Better Feelin (28.52-N) was the fastest of the open winners though A4 grader Swift Youngster ran 28.49 (+30) earlier in the week. 

First up – apologies to Ricky Overton for not selecting Foxwood Carter at Doncaster despite his recording the second quickest ‘483’ of the year (29.24) in a midweek A1. And Ted Soppitt for overlooking last week’s Sunderland POW Sunnyside Jayden, despite his completing a four-timer in a Donny sprint. However, nobody was ever going to compete with national treasure Acomb Felix who reversed form with Keefill Rocky in a 450m open. But for that defeat, the veteran would have completed an 11-timer. Career outing 115, win 54, strike rate 46.95%. 

It was a week for fast times and Oxford was no exception with 26.69 (Clona King), 26.77 (Quivers Tess) and 26.78 (Union Piper) all being recorded over the ‘450’, prior to Saturday night’s open race card. The star of that card though was defending Performer of the Week Start The Engine with a 26.61 run, his 11th win in 13 races for ‘Big Kev’ Hutton.  

With just one win in 14 races, an 18.24 for Drumbo’s 335 yard course, there was little to suggest that Da Bold Paris would be anything other than a mid grader on her arrival in Wales. However, she has been a revelation with three wins in her first five races at Valley including the fastest ‘460’ of the week on Sunday, a 28.28 A2 win in a field that included the highly rated Loot And Shoot. 

The final selection required minimal consideration. In the last race of the week, the 9.26 on Sunday night at Star Pelaw, Tromora Meg equalled Dreamin Porcha’s fastest time of the year for the 435 metres with a nine length 25.37 open race win. Dave Curry’s blue remains a model of consistency with three of the fastest times over c&d this year having previously won in 25.39 and 25.40. Last year she produced three of the 10 fastest times with a best of 25.45.