2015 was a good year for us, possibly our best ever, and hopefully we can seal it with a Greyhound of the Year award for Swift Hoffman.
I know I am biased, but Hoffman is the sort of dog that I would vote for. In terms of his class, he reminds me a bit of dogs like Taylors Sky and Fear Zafonic. There are lots of very good open racers, but that at the very top level are the dogs who can do something incredible. On any given night, a track record could go.
Obviously, the Scottish Derby was a great thrill to win, but in terms of the actual performance, I thought he was at his peak in the Betfred Select Stakes.
In Scotland, he was only at his best in the second half of the race. In the Select, he was just brilliant. Although it was only a five-dog race, look at the quality: Eden Kid, Viking Jack, Swift Keith and his sister Domino Storm.
He won it in 29.20 from trap five. Had he drawn six, I think he could have broken 29.00. He had done 28.94 in a trial off a 4.86 sectional but then did 4.98 when he won it.
His record at Nottingham is incredible. He is the second fastest dog ever over the sprint (17.44), broke the 480 metre record as a pup and has broken 29.00 for the 500 metres.
Hoffman is back on the walking machine on the slow return to fitness. Newinn Yolo is a bit more advanced. He is on the machine and is being galloped ever second day.
He pulled a muscle in his back at Nottingham in the first round of the Eclipse, but we wasn’t really himself, a little bit below par. Now he is back to being an absolute handful which is lovely to see.
If all goes to plan, weatherwise, we’ll be thinking about sprint trials for both of them in February.
SIX TO FOLLOW IN 2016
CAMP JOKER bk d (Blackstone Gene-Rebellious Queen, Dec 13)
Joker, who is owned by Tommy Smith has established himself in puppy competitions in 2015 finishing second in the Puppy Classic and Northern Puppy Derby.
He is now just two years old and the temptation would be to say that the English Derby is his main target in 2016, and I am not saying he won’t go for it, but realistically, by his running style he would look better suited to the William Hill Classic at Sunderland.
He is also British bred, and if the British bred races come to fruition as promised, then we will target them too starting with the British bred Derby at Towcester.
SWIFT HOFFMAN bd d (Makeshift-Swift Erin, Sep 12)
The first target will be a defence of the Scottish Derby. While there will be a temptation to run him at Wimbledon, assuming the Derby goes ahead there, I will chat with owner Paul Scott about whether to run him.
I don’t think Hoffman likes the Wimbledon traps and the track isn’t wide enough for him. Personally, I would rather go for the Stayers Classic at Monmore. I clock all my dogs after the winning line and am convinced he will stay the 630 metres.
We have had enquiries for him to go to stud, but I would be surprised if Paul takes the money. There are still big races to be won, and if he has some straws taken, he could carry on racing. The last thing I would want is to have to take him on.
NEWINN CHAMP bd d (Aero Majestic-Little Flutter, Jul 14)
Champ is also owned by Paul and is Hoffman’s half brother. He has only raced once so far in a puppy open at Nottingham and ran second to a useful pup of Charlie’s (Lister) called Cloran Paddy.
He has since trialled in 29.84 for 500 metres at Nottingham and has a 16.29 (275m) trial at Perry Barr.
He looks quite a strong powerful pup to me and will probably go to Monmore for the Puppy Cup. This is a good greyhound
DROOPYS FOLLY bk b (Aero Majestic-Droopys Orleans, Jul 14)
Folly is unraced but is a half sister to Droopys Ward and Droopys Braedon and was brought by an old friend going back to my flapping days 20 years ago, Tony Harmes.
Unraced in Ireland, Folly has had two trials for me. A Newcastle sprint where she walked out of the boxes and an 18.26 at Nottingham (305m) she ran on very impressively to clock 18.26. Then a few days ago she ran her first four-bender and clocked 28.80 at Newcastle (480).
Although she may start over the four bends, I have big homes that she will end up over six bends.
NEWINN BLITZ bk d (Kinloch Brae-Any Time Again, Sep 14)
Blitz is one of the youngest pups in the kennel and I mentioned him in the column when he clocked 16.52 in an unrecorded trial at Clonmel when only 12 months old.
He was brought by Keith Heilbron, Tony Ford and Alan Green and has trialled three times so far, all at Newcastle and getting quicker with every run, 17.61, 17.43 and 17.37 for the 290 metres. Considering the fastest time of the year is Walshes Hill’s 16.75, that is some going for a September pup.
Blitz is a big handsome 36 kilo dog and we will look after him as he can still contest puppy races until August, when the plan is to go for the Puppy Classic at Nottingham.
BLISSFUL SCOLARI bk d (Droopys Scolari-Little Flame, Jun 12)
I am taking a bit of a gamble on this one because he ran a very poor first trial for me. Something went wrong and I am still trying to unravel what it was.
However, he is a litter brother to Expresso Blue who qualified at Nottingham in 29.09 and has just made his debut.
The form for Blue holds up to what he was doing in schooling as a pup in Ireland, and on that form, Blissful Scolari is several lengths faster.
He really could be very special for Tommy Smith.
