If I had to describe Saturday night at Shelbourne in one word it would probably be ‘eventful’.

We had 11 runners on the card and nothing until the fourth race when Riverside Oscar won. Coran Sky went lame in the next but then Sidarian Nell became our second winner.

Diegos Ruby won the next race in great style. We then had first and third in the Christmas Oaks consolation.

You know you are having a good night when you start to hear the muttering and moaning start.

But then – being dog racing – it came and bit us on the bum. Our next runner, Milldean Cougar also went lame.

We then had two runners, both with a decent chance, I thought, in the Christmas Oaks Final.

As the traps opened, something mechanical broke leaving them partially open. Two of the bitches, including our Hovex Princess managed to squeeze their way out of the traps are run down the track.

The traps then started to automatically rise to swing off and I managed to get Ballydoyle Honey out of the gap. Thankfully neither was injured.

We then had the joint favourite for the Comerford Cakes Final in Proud Graham.

He missed his break by half a length, showed good pace to get to the bend and then was put out of the race in a collision with trap two.

Four winners – but a very average night.

 

 

I have been asked by the editor to choose six runners to follow in 2016. They are:

 

SIDARIAN ESKA bk d (Ballymac Eske-Tyrur Izzy, May 14)

He is an unraced pup who came here for schooling and I recommended him to the Sidarian Syndicate. He is a big dog, around 82 pounds, and has qualified in 28.60 at Shelbourne Park. The plan is to take him for the unraced stake at Tralee in the Spring.

 

HOVEX BLAZE bk d (Ballymac Vic-Silverhill Tina, Apr 14)

Blaze is also unraced and owned by the Hovex Syndicate. He is a half brother to Sidarian Blaze and was beaten a length by Eska in the same qualifying trial. He looks as though he will make into a decent 550 dog, so he may be better suited to the unraced stake at Clonmel, rather than Tralee.

 

SILVERHILL PAT w be (Ballymac Vic-Silverhill Tina, Apr 14)

Pat is a litter brother to Blaze and is owned by Eugene Buckley. He recorded 18.81 in a sprint trial at Shelbourne and a 29.77 qualifying trial at Harolds Cross. He has decent early pace and will also go to Tralee.

 

SIDARIAN VEGA bk d (Westmead Hawk-Manic Fantasy, Aug 13)

Owned by the Sidarian Syndicate, he won the Juvenile Classic when he was 19 months old last year. He came across for the English Derby but was very inexperienced and went out early. He also got to the fourth round of the Irish Derby and finished second in the Irish St.Leger Final where he sprained a hock. We have laid him off since but I have always thought that 2016 would be his year.

 

RURAL HAWAII bk d (Head Bound-Duck Fat, May 13)

Maui is owned by Helen and Michael O’Dwyer and is hardly unexposed. He has 26 races on his card with 15 wins including the the Race of Champions and a puppy stake at Shelbourne Park and he was runner-up in the Con Kirby. But he has always been a bit hyper and I expect him to improve with age so he could be an even better dog going forward.

 

PROUD GRAHAM bk d (Crash-Little Tina, Nov 13)

Owned by Graham Howson, he was last in the Comerford Cakes Final, the only time in his eight races where he has been out of the first three. He had previously won his semi final in 28.10. Apart from his all round pace, he has the ability to run the bends as fast as the straights. I am expecting big things of him in 2016.