In the space of 16 hours over the weekend, Caroline Hughes produced a very promising young stayer, and then, after 250kms trip up the road, she took out the $25,000 Ladbrokes Muswellbrook Cup with his brother.
At Wentworth Park on Saturday evening, Late Night News – still yet to turn two years of age, and having his first 720m start – announced himself by giving Group 1 winner and leading NSW distance star Ritza Piper, a start and a 7¾ length beating, clocking the very slick figures of 41.72s.
The next morning Caroline and her partner Trevor Barton were on the road to the Hunter Valley and Muswellbrook for that club’s feature event.
This time, Late Night News’ brother West Rock Casey showed great tenacity to score a narrow but impressive win over Moon Raider and Bandit Chloe.
“I guess I was sort of nervous at the start of the race, just from the draw of all of the dogs, and it's only his second time here,” Caroline said. “I was kind of hoping he could probably get close to the lead, but from where I was watching he probably didn't quite get there, so he just came after them.
“I was hoping for some luck in running and I know he's a strong finisher, and it looked like it went down that way from where I was. It was pretty exciting stuff I have to say.”
The win was the ninth of his 24 start career, while his brother has won six of his 14 starts.
Caroline explained how she got the pair was when a friend decided to breed her bitch with champion sire Fernando Bale.
“He’s very much like his dad in appearance,” she said of the white and brindle West Rock Casey.
“A friend of mine owns their mother, Zipping Kelly ... she's the marathon track record holder at Richmond, the 790m track record holder.
“When she was deciding to breed a third litter with Zipping Kelly, I just said, you know what, if you're going to Fernando, put me down for two and that's how it came about.
“I picked him because he was the only boy in the litter that looked like his dad, and I have an old retired dog at my kennels called Royal Turbo who is a blue brindle so that's how we came to get the boy, Late Night News.”
While Caroline has been involved in the sport for several years, for Trevor this is his first foray into greyhounds.
“No I’ve never been involved at all,” he said. “But dogs are dogs, and I think what I help bring to the table is these guys have just wonderful personalities, and they love just walking around a nicely cut paddock and acting like dogs for a bit.
“They're all lucky in our kennel, Caroline works them just enough, but really we try very hard to give them a loving environment, and they pay you back in spades.
“You could see the boy today. He had to work very hard. It was a tough field, and he didn't get it his own way, that's for sure, but he worked very hard to get to where he did.”
