West Rock Casey, a younger half-brother to 20-race winner and Million Dollar Chase hopeful Nad Al Sheba, gained a start off the reserves' bench to score an impressive first-up Wentworth Park win on Saturday night.
Owned and trained by Caroline Hughes, West Rock Casey secured a run from box five when Ritza Rocker was scratched, and after being second to the back straight hit the front soon after to score by two lengths.
West Rock Casey covered the 520m in 29.98 after his litter brother and kennel mate Late Night News had come from last to finish third in the previous race.
Caroline Hughes said: "I bought West Rock Casey and Late Night News when they were four months old, purchasing them from their breeder Dawn Garrett.
"Although they had not raced at Wentworth Park I trialled them together at the track last Monday and West Rock Casey made the pace but was run down by Late Night News to 29.90.
"Late Night News has always been a bit faster than West Rock Casey, but so far is a slow beginner.''
Gary Ernst said he could not remember his previous Wentworth Park winner after his bitch Wootown Heart had come from third on the back straight to score a five lengths win in the opening event, clocking 30.23.
Ernst, who has been involved in greyhound racing for nearly 60 years, said: "The best dog I've had at Wenty was Orphan Point, who won 16 races here between 2007 and 2009.
"I haven't had many runners in town since but can't remember the last winner before tonight.''
Ernst is well known in the Hunter Valley, not just as a greyhound trainer but as a mechanical lure driver.
"I drove the hare at The Gardens for nine years and for eight years before that at Singleton,'' Ernst recalled.
Brooklyn Brute had box eight but found the rails on the back straight and rocketed home to win at Wentworth Park on Saturday in his personal best time of 29.60.
Many keen judges have been anticipating Brooklyn Brute going over a long distance but trainer Kerry Drynan said: "I don't think he will become a stayer.
"But he is thriving over 520m on the way I work him, he doesn't have trials, I just slip him back and forth up my 200m straight track at home every two or three days.''
Recycled landed a betting plunge when he led throughout in Saturday night's Ladbrokes Odds Surge final, coming away to score by six lengths in a blistering 29.45.
The dog firmed from $3.10 to $1.75 on the strength of a scorching sub-24sec post-to-post hand-slip at Wentworth Park last Monday night.
Other fast times posted on Saturday included Tulsi Banner's 29.53, the 29.54 figures recorded by both Power And Glory and Both Bowers Ace, and Speedy Pie's 29.62.
The Minnie Finn-trained Both Bowers Ace defeated his litter brother and kennelmate Poco Rico while another sibling, Might Have Been, was campaigning in Adelaide, where he finished third for Finn in the National Sprint Championship.
