West Rock Casey storms home to win Muswellbrook Cup final
West Rock Casey displayed a mix of patience and brilliance to claim the 2024 Muswellbrook Cup Final on Sunday, December 15.
Starting from box three, the Mary Hughes-trained star delivered a stunning performance, surging to victory in 32.73 seconds over the 571-metre trip as the $1.80 bookmaker favourite.
The race began with a highly competitive first corner as Moon Raider, Bandit Chloe, and Fire Motto contested the early lead.
Settling just behind the front-runners, West Rock Casey timed his move perfectly, taking advantage of a clear run along the rail.
The strong finisher stormed home to defeat Moon Raider by 0.75 lengths, with Bandit Chloe rounding out the placings in third, a further 0.25 lengths behind.
2024 Muswellbrook Cup final race replay – West Rock Casey (32.73)
Speaking after the race, Hughes described the mix of nerves and excitement she experienced watching her charge.
“I guess I was sort of nervous at the start of the race just from the draw of all the dogs,” Hughes said.
“It’s his second time here, so I was kind of hoping he could probably get close to the lead.
I haven’t watched the video replay yet, but it looked from a distance like he probably didn’t quite get there.
He just came after them, and I was hoping for some luck in running.
I know he’s a strong finisher, so it kinda looked like it went down that way from where I was at.
It was pretty exciting stuff, I have to say.”
Hughes credited the dog’s lineage for his success.
“He’s very much like his dad in appearance. Fernando Bale, we’re talking about, of course.
I picked him as the only boy in the litter that looked like his dad,” she said.
“A friend of mine owns the mother, Zipping Kelly. She’s the marathon track record holder at Richmond.
When she was deciding to breed a third litter, I said, ‘If you’re going to with Fernando, put me down for two,’ and that’s how it came about.”
Co-trainer Trev Barton, a newcomer to greyhound racing, also reflected on the joy of working with WestRock Casey.
“What I help bring to the table is that these guys just have wonderful personalities. They love walking around a nicely kept paddock and acting like dogs for a bit,” Barton said.
“It’s fun, and then they pay you back in spades. You could see the boy today—he worked very hard. It was a tough field, and he didn’t get it his own way, that’s for sure.”
Sunday’s win marked the ninth victory in 24 starts for West Rock Casey, bringing his career earnings to $69,550.
Hughes expressed pride in her team and hinted at how they might celebrate.
“Christmas is coming up, so I guess [the prize money] will probably sit in the bank, and maybe we might plan a little breakaway somewhere in the future,” she said.
Muswellbrook Cup Final 2024 Results – Muswellbrook
2024 Muswellbrook Cup final ResultsMuswellbrook 571m Non Graded $25,000 to-the-winner Sunday, December 15, 2024
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| 1st |
3 West Rock Casey
T: Mary HughesTime: 32.73Margin:
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| 2nd |
2 Moon Raider
T: Samuel ReesTime: 32.77Margin: 0.75 Lengths
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| 3rd |
7 Bandit Chloe
T: Shaun GuthrieTime: 32.80Margin: 1 Lengths
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| 4th |
1 Journey
T: Benjamin SweetmanTime: 33.06Margin: 4.75 Lengths
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| 5th |
8 Fire Motto
T: Tony ForbesTime: 33.24Margin: 7.25 Lengths
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6th |
6 All Zipper
T: Natina HowardTime: 33.36Margin: 9 Lengths
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| 7th |
4 Rock Me Gently
T: Victor EllisTime: 33.82Margin: 15.50 Lengths
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8th |
5 Jungle Tiger
T: Scott FarleyTime: 33.88Margin: 16.25 Lengths
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