Nottingham track record for Newinn Bachelor leads last week's runs

Kim Billingham-Hine's most eligible bachelor is new track record holder

Any time a dog gets a comparison with Skate On, there has been something spectacular achieved. For Newinn Bachelor at Nottingham last Monday night, it was the breaking of her track record which had stood since August 2014. What made it the more remarkable is that he didn't exactly smash the bars down, but once into his stride, he glided his way around the shorter two-bend trip at Colwick Park to take his place as a record breaker.

Although Proper Heiress did not get the article lead for a third week in a row, he still put in a spectacular run to land his heat of the Coral Olympic at the weekend. His 29.55 is the fastest time of 2025 around the 515m circuit, nudging slightly ahead of the three times that he set when going unbeaten through the Coral Sussex Cup earlier on in the year. He has now run over this course and trip four times in 2025 and has the four quickest clocks of the year. He has been quicker in the past, however, when winning the Olympic final last December! 

It could be a serious run that Vhagar goes on at Oxford, landing the performance of the week once more for her 650m winning effort. With semis and final of the bet365 Challenge Cup to come over the next two Sunday afternoons, she could extend her winning streak of this award to five without anyone else getting a look in.

Racenight Mikey was the winner of the Central Park POW last week and Maxine Locke's charge doubled up with another excellent run given the slow conditions underfoot. He was top lot in the Greyhound Trader Sales in September 2024 at Towcester, being purchased for £10,000 on that day. 

Another who was going back-to-back was Rollerball at Valley. The veteran is performing right at the top of her game right now in sprints, winning a D1 contest to make it three on the bounce and four of her last five.

There were some decent efforts on Sheffield's Sunday card, most notably from Catunda Maura who picked up a 480m race. It was her fifth win in her last eight starts, producing her run here off a sub three second sectional which took her clear of her rivals almost instantly. 

We continue our Tour of Yorkshire with Look Smart at Doncaster. It was almost as difficult a choice trying to wade through the respect merits of the winners on Saturday night's open race card simply down to how slow the track was running, with the six-bend race having 270 spots taken off the time.

Lundhill Ellie picks up the award at Kinsley, winning for the fourth time in her last five starts. All of those have come sporting the red jacket, showing solid early gears for the A3 grade. Her dam was a top grade winner at the track from a family that is very well known in the north with the likes of Glendale Bjorn still winning opens at Star Pelaw earlier on this year. 

Heading as far east as possible, we find Outdoor Cracker who set a good standard when winning a Yarmouth A1 on Monday night, surpassing that with an open race victory on Saturday. It was well deserved after finishing second and third in races the last two weeks behind the POW winner. 

Kevin Boon has a nice youngster in Farney Millie and perhaps now that she has got her head in front for the first time at Suffolk Downs, she will kick on and show what she is truly capable of. Her dam took a little while to find her stride as well but once she did, she stopped the clock at 28.22 and 28.31 at Cork.

At Romford, Nightingale Crew landed a sprint in the joint fastest time of 2025. Only four dogs have gone quicker over 225m at the London Road venue which made it some way to announce himself on his UK debut. Craig Morris is the man in charge of his campaign here and having made Pavilion Team look ordinary, there is surely a bright future ahead.

Nathan Hunt has had a difficult month of November but Kilara Berb will have brought some cheer to the kennel with a Dunstall Park win on Friday night. A 2.95 sectional set her on her way to a strong performance, making it 2/2 at the new venue. The majority of her best form to this point has been saved for Romford, but Wolverhampton seems to suit her well. 

In the north east, Marleypark Ken beat a strong field to claim POW at the main expense of Burrow Bell. She clocked the same 25.67 as him but the strength of Ken's opposition means that he sets the standard. He saw off Popper Joe and Barnfield Duke who both have times in the top 20 of the year over 435m at the track.

Newcastle saw Coppice Saphire miss out on another slot in the top 50 480m efforts of 2025 by a single spot, just failing to add to her June effort. A litter sister of No Better Feelin who has enjoyed an excellent year himself, Jimmy Fenwick's bitch beat a field that included the defending POW Monateen Webby.  

At Sunderland it was Ring Herself who added a second A1 to her record. She was as low as A4 back in June but she has clawed her way back up the ladder to win a pair of top grade contests a month apart. From the line that produced Run Happy and Pull The Trigger, she has proven to be by far the most successful in her litter.  

Dunbolg Formula was 0/7 for Heather Dimmock heading into last week, exiting with a 2/9 record after impressive wins in A3 and A2 at Towcester. The latter was a 29.33 victory off a decent 4.07 split, and with so few miles on the clock in his career, he could be one to follow into the new year.

Three sprinters to finish off the tour around Britain with, starting with Rathlogan at Monmore. The drop back to two bends has worked well with her, stopping the clock in 15.28 last week. There have only been 16 faster times this year, including four by Ballinakill Liam and three by Newinn Bachelor!

At Swindon it was Castell Maggie who emerged with the quickest sprint time of the week. She has some solid form in D1 grade in the past and added to that with another rock-solid effort for her connections. 

At Harlow it was Millibucks who stood out on the clock, but she also stands out on pedigree. She is a litter-sister to the likes of Millbanks Boiler and Burner plus a half to Churchfield Syd and Westfield Bullet, a family who win open races for fun.