Extremely Special: Withers' Perth Cup Dream

WINNING his hometown Group 1 Sky Racing Perth Cup (520m) was always going to be extremely special for Steve Withers.

Landing WA's most prestigious race with a son of his former superstar sprinter Tommy Shelby made Saturday night's upset Cup triumph with Uncle Tommy even more meaningful.

Uncle Tommy, a December ‘21 son of West On Poppy, also part-owned by Withers and wife Kira, gave Tommy Shelby his second G1 winner, after Victorian Morton won the Gold Bullion in February.

Incredibly, Perth Cup night got even better for Withers, who stands Tommy Shelby at stud, when West On Boonie completed a G1 double for the 2020/21 Australian Greyhound of the Year in the Galaxy (715m).

"Absolutely crazy stuff!" Withers told The Recorder.

"Obviously you just pinch yourself. In a perfect world that's how it unfolds, but you don't really expect it to happen.

"It's way too good to be true."

UNCLE TOMMY for trainer Steve Withers claims victory in the Perth Cup Final. Congratulations to all winning connections. pic.twitter.com/0UDqD1YeTV

— Greyhounds WA (@greyhounds_wa) March 16, 2024

While Tommy Shelby, a son of Fernando Bale and Serena Fly High, was a triple G1 winner, each of his titles came interstate; the 2020 Hobart Thousand, 2021 Australian Cup and 2021 Golden Easter Egg.

"Winning the Australian Cup and Golden Easter Egg, placing in the Melbourne Cup, those races are massive; they're on a pedestal," Withers said.

"But winning your hometown Cup for us is way better. It's your hometown Cup and you only get one go at it every year.

"I honestly thought our window had closed when Tommy Shelby missed out in 2021 after the Easter Egg was pushed back a week because of the floods in NSW. He was right at the top of his game.

"The year before, he was the fastest qualifier for the Puppy Classic but was injured and I had to scratch him from the final. 

"I couldn't gallop him for five weeks going into the Cup heats. He was run down and then won the (G3) Consolation."

Uncle Tommy was the outsider of the $200,000 to-the-winner Perth Cup field at $19 from box eight.

Uncle Tommy began well to be sitting second behind Sunset Frazier ($4) and after hitting the front entering the home straight defeated Victorian G1 winner Mepunga Shine ($9) by one length in 29.81sec.

It was his 13^th win at start 20 and a new PB after only stepping up to ‘500' for the first time on January 28.

"He's very talented and we just took our time with him, letting him go through his grades over 400m," Withers explained.

"I certainly can't say he was the best dog in the race, the box draw and opportunity fell into his lap.

"After the heats, I thought we had no chance because of the quality of the dogs and the times they ran. 

"But some of the best chances were drawn upside down and with Sunset Frazier, which looked the leader and crashes to the fence, drawn on our inside, there was a silly one per cent chance the map would work in our favour."

West On Boonie, a son of West On Violet, a superbly-bred Barcia Bale x Zelemar Fever litter sister to Uncle Tommy's dam West On Poppy, started $2.40 favourite in the $125,000 to-the-winner Galaxy.

Trained by Chris Halse, West On Boonie was victorious in 42.14sec, his 14^th win from 32 starts.

"We were cheering just as hard for him as we were for our own," Withers said.

It's West On Boonie in the Group 1 Galaxy Final ???? pic.twitter.com/RJUOH5Xeu2

— TABtouch (@TAB_touch) March 16, 2024

"West On Boonie's mother is a sister to Uncle Tommy's mother. It's a big click. Throttle's mother (West On Hazel) is another sister and she's since been to Tommy Shelby too.

"Uncle Tommy's litter is very good. We sold one to Ben Rawlings in South Australia called Peaky Boo. He won a heat of the Launching Pad last week. Kanan Stark has run 29.68sec around Cannington.

"Unfortunately, we lost the best one, Tommy's Ghost. He was scarily quicker than the others. No contest.

"Tommy Shelby only had his first starters last January, so we're just at the start of his second year. He's doing a fantastic job."

In a red letter night for Tommy Shelby, he also produced Galaxy Consolation victor West On Nugget, a litter and kennel mate to West On Boonie, and Perth Cup Consolation (2) placegetters Mustang Timmy and Daddy's Girl.