Finalists from heats on 1/4. Includes $750 Unplaced.
Prize money: $75000 / $15000 / $10000
The only Group 1 staying race on the NSW greyhound racing calendar, the Association Cup has a lengthy and distinguished history dating back to 1965, and has been won by a number of icons of the industry.
Originally run at Harold Park, the race was moved to Wentworth Park in 1988, and in 2012 it became a part of the Golden Easter Egg carnival.
Among the winners of the time-honoured event are champions such as two-time winner Zoom Top (1968 and 1970), Ragsie (1972), Dottie Wilson (1975), Black Aztec (1981), Bold Trease (1987), and Miata (2012).
The John Finn-trained Veloce Nero took out the 2019 Association Cup upstaging the likes of her littermates Poco Dorado and Blue Moon Rising, and odds-on favourite Tornado Tears, which had broken the track record a week earlier in the Cup heats.
The entire Golden Easter Egg Carnival was abandoned in 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the event was back bigger than ever in 2021.
The Association Cup Final was one of the highlights of Egg Final night and it produced an amazing performance from one of the brightest stars of the country's staying ranks, the Mark Gatt-trained Stanley Road.
Just like he had in the heats a week earlier, Stanley Road gave his supporters a few anxious moments before unleashing for a memorable victory.
2021 Association Cup Winner - Stanley Road - Mark Gatt
2021 Association Cup Winner - Stanley Road - Mark Gatt
2021 Association Cup Winner - Stanley Road - Mark Gatt, 2nd Fernando Cazz - Kayla Cottrell, 3rd Let's See - Mark Davidson
Defending champion Stanley Road was back in 2022 out to win back-to-back Association Cups, but the new star of staying Zipping Kansas was all the rage with punters.
Victorians Mepunga Ruby and Hank The Hustler were also favoured but it was another Southerner in Gypsy Wyong who chased down Mepunga Ruby and recorded a brilliant win in 42.15s.
Mepunga Ruby finished second with Stanley Road collecting third place.
