Squillionaire Gets Kavanagh Back on Track
Any nerves Sean Kavanagh felt heading into the first race at Mandurah last Tuesday would have evaporated as soon as the lids flipped open.
Kavanagh’s greyhound, Squillionaire, exploded out of the boxes and romped to a brilliant victory in a heat of the Maiden Series (405m).
It was Squillionaire’s debut appearance and the sort of eye-catching performance that had been promised by the talented light brindle during his trial runs but can’t be guaranteed when there’s prizemoney on the line.
The result was a relief for Kavanagh, 32, and gave him a perfect return to greyhound training following a four-year absence.
It was confirmation that, yes, Kavanagh still knows what he’s doing and, yes, Squillionaire was worth the wait!
Now that he’s got everyone’s attention Squillionaire will line up in tomorrow’s Maiden Series trophy decider as the greyhound to beat despite drawing awkwardly in box five.
“The draw makes it a little tough but hopefully he can get across to the lead,” Kavanagh said.
“If he begins like he did last week I’ll be happy.”
One race doesn’t make a career and Squillionaire still has plenty to do to live up to his potential but Kavanagh is hopeful about his greyhound’s future prospects.
“If you’ve got early speed that’s half the battle. His early speed will set him up to win a few races,” he said.
“At this stage he looks to be a pretty good 400m dog but he’s only had a limited preparation so we’re not quite sure what we’re going to get from him yet.
“I’d like to see him step up in distance eventually but whether not he’ll get any stronger with age and improved fitness remains to be seen.”
Kavanagh, who works as a truck driver, is enjoying being back in dogs after his time away.
He had previously run a small kennel, generally only having one or two dogs at time, but achieved notable success with chasers like Man Dime and Starboost.
Kavanagh stepped away from greyhounds when he and wife Louisa welcomed the arrival of their son, Keane, but he always knew the break wouldn’t be permanent.
“When Keane came along we had to prioritize what we were doing because combining work, the baby and the dogs was too difficult.
“But now Keane’s a bit older and things are more settled it’s great to be able to get back into it.”
Six months ago Kavanagh and his family moved into the Nambeelup kennel zone, just outside Mandurah.
Squillionaire, his unraced brother Synopsis and another pup, All Zipped Up, joined Kavanagh’s team soon after.
Synopsis and All Zipped Up are a month or so away from the track.
Kavanagh admits to being a little rusty after so long out of the game but credits Squillionaire for easing him back into the daily routine of preparing racedogs.
“I’m still picking up little things about working with greyhounds that I’ve forgotten along the way but he’s been a great dog to kick things off with again,” he said.
“From day dot he’s done everything right and has shown ability, which has been exciting.
“He’s been a pleasure to train and has made it easy for me.”
As before Kavanagh plans to only have a limited number of racedogs under his care.
“I’ve got six kennels on the property and that’s as big as its going to get,” Kavanagh said.
“I’d like to keep a small team so I’m able to give each dog the attention they deserve.
“Having the dogs is a fun thing that we do together as a family.
“Keane has a stool that he stands on so he can reach the bench and help prepare the dog’s meals.
“He loves the dogs.”
The Maiolo Construction Maiden Series final is set to jump at 7.08pm (Race 4) at Mandurah on Tuesday.
James Broadhurst