Bear out on his own once more as Towcester clock goes again

BARNTICK BEAR reclaimed the 500m Towcester track record in his own right on Sunday 20th October as the mark was equalled or bettered for an incredible eleventh time since May 2023.

Patrick Janssens' star had seen his 28.52sec clocking from 28th July matched by Phil Milner's Avongate Venus in the bet365 Empress Stakes semis on 8th September but he took another length off the record when sauntering to a near 13 lengths victory in 28.44sec.

The assault on the track record was started by Graham Holland's Swords Rex in a Star Sports/TRC Derby trial stakes in May last year when he posted 28.76sec to take two spots off Priceless Jet's best from June 2022.

Kennelmate Clona Duke improved it to 28.73sec less than three weeks later in the Derby first round, then again to 28.69sec in the Derby semis the following month.

That survived until November's RPGTV's English Puppy Derby semis where Liz McNair's King Memphis clocked 28.66sec but it did not see 2023 out with Janssens' Romeo Command scorching round in 28.64sec on New Year's Eve.

Next in the record books was Seamus Cahill's Greyhound of the Year Droopys Clue with 28.58sec in a 2024 Derby trial stakes in April, the time subsequently matched twice in the Classic itself first by former holder King Memphis in round one then Liam Dowling's De Lahdedah on the night he claimed the title.