SUNDERLAND Stadium is boasting its best A1 kennel strength.

Racing manager Jimmy Nunn now has over 60 top graders to choose from and he said: "I've never known us to be so well off for A1 runners - certainly it's the best we've had in my six years at the track."

In previous years an A1 race was usually the highlight of the weekend card as the track's top performers were pitted together, but now there are as many as three top grade races on the programme. The qualification is breaking 28 seconds for the standard 450m trip, and the track's trainers are regularly bringing forward faster dogs.

Best at the moment is Harry Williams' Custardcream Kid, but he will be pushed hard by Graham Calvert's recent big open race winner Ourscoobydoo.

Fence House-based Calvert has just welcomed another top notcher to his kennels in Get It You. The May 1999 Irish-bred Doyou Getit-Calm Lady brindle dog arrived with good Lifford form in his book and after finishing second on his debut won in a rapid 27.51 secs on Saturday night.

Another newcomer which has joined the elite ranks is Springbank Rogue, trained by George Miller at Bishop Auckland.

l Brough Park hurdler Wide Open goes from strength to strength, having won nine of his 13 races since switching to the jumps in December. Paul Davies' December 1998 black and white dog was nothing special as an A6-A7 performer, but has come on leaps and bounds since being tried as a hurdler.

Brough Park racing manager Terry Meynell is astonished at the transformation. He said: "Wide Open just gets better and better every time he runs and nine wins out of 13 is phenomenal form inn handicap races.'