Kibble and Biscuits FASTEST DOG IN THE WORLD - Greyhound-Data

By DAVID BRASCHIT’S been more than 30 years since JoeCavanagh trained a greyhound ... but in themeantime he’s had some of the best dogs seenin the state.How can that be, you may ask.Joe, who is 61 this year, got his first dogin 1969 and at one stage soon after wastraining a team of 12. But since 1973, Joehas left the training of the dogs he has ownedto someone else ... usually his great friendJohn Reimer.And the combination of Cavanagh-Reimerhas produced more than its fair share of topflight gallopers.But Joe is back training. He has bred alitter, and has three of them in work. And ashe nears retirement, he admits he’s lovingevery minute as a trainer.Cavanagh has lived most of his life in theIpswich area. In 1969 he bought a bitch calledJoely’s Choice from top local greyhound manRoss Spencer.“She didn’t win a race, but unfortunatelyfor me I had the choice of two from the litter,and the other one, a dog called Big Magic,held a track record at the old Capalaba trackand started hot favourite for a Lawnton Cup,”Joe told The Journal. “I can’t remember if hewon or finished second in the Cup.”It was pretty obvious Joe Cavanagh wouldget involved in greyhound racing.“Right from a kid, I can remember helpingout Bill Maguire with his dogs. He lived overthe back fence from my family.”Joely’s Choice might not have won a racebut she ran a few placings and got Joe hookedin the industry.“I took up training and at one stage hadup to 12 dogs in work based at Booval, at theback of Bundamba racecourse,” he said.“Guys like Graham Heaton and VivIllingsworth had dogs in the area at the time.”Racing in those days was at Lawnton,Beenleigh, Capalaba on the old track and atTweed.When night racing started up, Joe reckonsthe industry here was not forward enough tobenefit from it. “Dogs in Queensland werebred for sheer speed, and not to run 558metres,” he said. “And trainers here never hadto prepare their dogs for constant 558mracing. The bloodlines of the local dogs didnot cater for such racing.”Joe reckons that, more than anything, waswhy southerners could easily come north withsecond raters and win at the Gabba.“The Gabba totally changed greyhoundracing in this state.”While the Gabba started in 1972, Joe wasretired from training by 1973.“I went into business in the takeaway foodand catering business and eventually by 1985I was managing hotels, firstly at PeakCrossing and then Nobby on the Downs,” heWalloon, IpswichWhere good rearing doesn’t cost, it pays.Top trainers use & recommend our showcasekennels as they know only the best will do.Vacancies available for . . .WHELPING, REARING,SPELLINGPuppies get lots of handling andsocialising, Quality fresh food,Regular worming.Natural rearing available onrequest. Over 25 years of successusing this method.said.By 1991 he went nursing at Wolston Parkpsychiatric hospital, switched back to the pubsagain, but has been back at the hospital, nowcalled The Park, as unit manager.But in the meantime, he has not for a daybeen without a greyhound at home mostly aspets, but more often than not rearing pups ofhis own to head down to John Reimer’skennel.In 1985 while at Nobby, he formed asyndicate of mates and bought a pup thatraced as Royal Venture. By Royal Rumpusfrom Melbourne Cup winner Rustic Venture,she was to be a breeding goldmine.“Ted O’Connell and I were in thesyndicate and eventually we put her toBogenfel and from that litter got HaylewieMiss, Our Blue Chip, Bogan Venture,Keeping Royal and Purga Peak Miss,” saidJoe.Purga Peak Miss raced for Joe. “I trainedher for a very short time in 1990, but askedJohn Reimer to take her over and he got herto the final of the 1991 Coca-Cola Cup at theGabba,” he said.“She’s also the last winner I have trained.”Purga Peak Miss, under Reimer’sguidance, won a host of races at the Gabbaand was successful when racing switched toAlbion Park.“Unfortunately she dropped a backmuscle. She was a perfect broodbitchreplacement for Royal Venture.”White Rose Boarding KennelsIndividual kennels with grassed runs.70 mts long runs & galloping padocks.Inspection welcome by appointment.35 years experience rearing sighthounds.Ph: Peter & Marion Furbank07 54645422Email whiterosekennels@bigpond.comhttp://users.bigpond.com/whiterosekennelsJoe's backJoe Cavanagh is back trainingafter a break of 30 years.In the meantime Joe and his mate PeterSmith raced Lucky Gordon together and hewas a prolific winner but had the misfortuneto run into Flying Amy more often than not.When Purga Peak Miss went to stud herfirst litter was to import Balligari* and Joeended up with the brilliant Vergari.One of the fastest sprinters of her time,she was a prolific Albion Park winner for theCavanagh/Reimer connection.Upon retirement Joe was looking forwardto many great litters from the bitch.The (March, 2006) Journal Page 21YOU’RE ON A WINNER . . .with theWHISTLERElectronic Dog Teaser - Finger ControlPlease forward me...............................................WHISTLER DOG TEASERS ............................... I enclose cheque/money order for $............................... Please debit my credit card as follows Name: ............................................................................. Card No:.............................................Exp. Date ............ Address: ......................................................................................................................................................................Post code: ................................Phone No: .........................“But she died when only six from a blooddisorder. That really knocked me and Iseriously considered getting out of theindustry,” said Joe.The bitch did produce one litter, to NewFox, which included multiple Albion Parkwinner Hidden Fox.But Joe stayed with greyhound racing.He bought Private Label and Reimer won19 races with the bitch including 17 at AlbionPark. From Our Blue Chip came Sheena’sGold, winner of 13 races with 11 of those atAlbion Park. It keepd Joe going.“Of course I’ve had a heap that didn’t evenmake the track, but mostly we’ve been lucky,”he said. “Those that won’t make it here go tomy mate John McNamara at Proserpine.”By 2000, Joe was back in town ... BoovalNorth. “I’m starting to think about retirement,but there are a few projects at the hospital Iwant to finish first,” he said.Which is why he has decided to get a smallteam of greyhounds together. “I racedStrawberry Lane and she showed heaps ofpotential; winning five of her 20 starts butshe broke down and we put her to stud.”The bitch is a half sister to Italian Princessthe dam of star sprinter Vesuvio. Joe put hisbitch to Reimer’s former star sprinter GreatRaider and got a litter of five, two for JR andthe other three retained by Joe.It is those three pups that form the teamJoe now has in work, his first since 1973.“They are all showing ability,” said Joe.“John Reimer is a great mate. I’ve knownhim since I was about 14 or 15. Everything Ido with dogs these days is under John’sguidance and they may end up with him.”Joe is enjoying his return to training.“Everyone is so nice and so very helpful,”he said. “The greyhound gets into your blood.Now that I’ve got a few dogs in training, I’llprobably keep going with a few from now on.”• Movement-activated$115.50• Hand-held $104.50(incl. GST & postage)TO ORDER:Send cheque/moneyto Jack KozaczynskiPO Box 11, Jesmond2299Ph: Mobile(0418) 250 001(02) 4950 0466 (A.H.)Fax: (02) 4951 8704BY CHEQUE ORCREDIT CARD