After a summer that started as badly as it could for Brett Cavanough, the Albury trainer now has plenty of reasons to smile.
Early in December, a virus spread through his stable virtually shutting it down.
Later in the month a bush fire reached his property in the Indigo Valley in northern Victoria, but luckily all his brood mares were safe and all he lost was feed and equipment.
“I was glad to see the back of 2015,” Cavanough said.
The new year has been a little kinder, with two winners at Albury on Saturday from his first runners since December 3.
Saturday’s racing in New Zealand produced an upset winner of the Group One Telegraph Handicap, Adventador, a daughter of Fast `N’ Famous who stands at Cavanough’s Jindera Park.
Now the stable is up and running again, Cavanough will come to Sydney on Saturday with Just A Bullet to run over 1000 metres at Randwick.
“The horses were sick for about two weeks and it took another four weeks to get them back,” Cavanough said.
“It went through them all and it’s been a lot of work but they are all over it now and we’ve kicked off 2016 with a couple of winners.”
After a win at Benalla in October, Just A Bullet finished second last in a 955m-dash at Moonee Valley in mid-November.
“He’s well and Winona Costin has been booked to ride,” Cavanough said.
“Her claim will help him. He is only a little fella so we need to get his weight down.
“He is a free-running horse and I think Winona will suit him.”
Three of Just A Bullet’s five wins have been over 1000 metres.
Cavanough was also buoyed by Adventador’s success and the potential of Singapore sprinter Kiwi Kama who is headed to the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai in March.
“Fast `N’ Famous has had three Group One winners, two since I have had him, and it will help his profile.
“Both his Group Ones since we’ve had him have been in New Zealand so hopefully he will get one in Australia soon.”
