Our 2015 open race commitments ended at Henlow on Sunday. We missed out on the Christmas Cracker Final, Blue Moment was second, but best of luck to Tony Tuffin and the winner Towbee.
I thought Swift Whirlwind was our 250th open winner of the year, but the official table puts us down as being on 249.
Either way, it was very satisfying to finish as the top kennel. It is our fourth title in a row and seventh in total.
I am particularly proud of the strike rate of 28%, but it doesn’t get any easier.
When we were at Walthamstow, we would regularly get around the 320 mark for the year, but there were lots of other opportunities to win opens, including plenty at Walthamstow itself of course.
Sunday’s meeting was also the last race for Aero Babooshka. She is off to Nick Savva for a well deserved breeding career.
We have had a lot of great nights during the year but I think last week’s Track Championship meeting at Perry Barr was as good as any.
We had four runners including two winners and a brilliant second from Ribble Aon, when the match result was still in the balance.
Towcester engenders a great team spirit and we had a coachload of supporters there on the day. I enjoyed every minute of it, and great credit to the organisers.
Everything is still going to plan with Billys Bullet. He came off sound from his last race and is on target to defend his title in the Prestige at Hall Green in January. I need to get a couple of trial into him to top up his fitness, but fingers crossed.
I am already looking ahead and planning for the Trainers Championship meeting at Sittingbourne and the annual awards night.
I would hope that Domino Storm would be in the thick of it for the Bitch of the Year award and Adageo Bob for the ‘Top British Bred’.
There is strong competition for both though I think they are both serious contenders as they have performed consistently throughout the year.
I think it would be interesting to acknowledge the leading greyhound using the same points system that we do for the trainers.
I am not suggesting that the leading points scorer should be Greyhound of the Year, but it would be a decent acknowledgement. When Cornamaddy Jumbo was voted Greyhound of the Year, I remember calculating that he had won something like 140 points on his own.
I have no idea who would be top points scorer this year, possibly Paul Young’s Bubbly Gold?
If I was picking the Greyhound of the Year, and wasn’t allowed to include my own dogs? It’s a tough one. I thought Danny Riordan trained Rio Quattro brilliantly to win the Derby, but I would always lean to a dog who has performed well over a longer period and I would probably just edge it to Swift Hoffman.
I am picking a mixture of different types for my ‘Six to Follow in 2016’ with a blend of age and youth.
PATCHYS KERRY bk b (Blackstone Gene-Droopys Stosur, May 13)
Kerry hasn’t raced since winning the Champion Stakes in September but I think there is a lot more to come.
She is entered in the Coronation Cup though I think the race might come a bit early for her. Owner Frank Taylor would then like to go for the Golden Jacket. Whether she will get the trip, I really don’t know. But I am confident that she will stay a true six bends and will be looking to the St. Leger and the Grand Prix at Sunderland.
RIBBLE AON bk b (Kinloch Brae-Zaras Fantasy, Aug 13)
Aon is two and a half now but still open to improvement in my opinion. She ran over 480 metres at Perry Barr but her ideal distance is between 575 and 660 metres. She has been entered in the Coronation Cup and should give a good account of herself.
RIBBLE ATOM bk b (Godsend-Swift Erin, Jul 13)
Atom, like Aon, is owned by Lord Hesketh, and is due back from Ireland after competing in the big marathon at Harolds Cross.
Due to her age and lack of marathon opportunities, she has been forced to run over six bends, but she is a true marathon runner who I think will become a dominant force in 2016.
Unfortunately, there is only one TV Trophy, but Atom is comfortable between 800-900 metres and I plan to enter her for as many of the SKY one-off opens as they are able to fill. I could imagine her with 20 more open wins by this time next year.
ROSWELL ICEMAN w bk d (Shaneboy Lee-Cara Said So, Dec 13)
So far his form is okay without being special, three wins from five open races for owner Evan Herbert. Both wins were at Towcester, a decent quality sprint, and a 28.17 (calc) run over 480 metres.
But he is a young dog who I think can get better and better as he gets older and he is my leading Derby runner for next year.
BALLYMAC SHIRLEY bk w b (Tyrur Big Mike-Ballymac Scarlet, Jul 13)
Shirley is owned by Steve Murphy and Myles Anderton and has been exceptional so far winning her last six in a row including a very good bitch’s race at Towcester.
She has brilliant early pace and I think she will eventually stay 575. I think that would make her pretty useful!
RUBYS RASCAL bk d (Razldazl George-Swift Eva, Jul 14)
Rascal is owned by John Clarke and is the ‘dark horse’ of the six. To date he has raced four times in A6/P6 at Towcester, winning one with a best of 28.59 (calc).
But anybody who saw his most recent run would have been blown away by it. He found all sorts of trouble but during the race showed such exceptional pace that I had people phoning me the next day just to talk about it.
He is very very green still, but when he gets his act together, he could be a bit useful.
