Cavanough hopes to strike early from new Brisbane stable

By Glenn Davis

BRISBANE, June 24 AAP - Albury trainer Brett Cavanough is hoping to strike early success for his new Brisbane stable when former Sydney sprinter Catseye Beach and Mr Sunset make their Queensland debuts at Eagle Farm tomorrow.

Cavanough has set up a permanent stable with 10 boxes at Eagle Farm and is hoping to formalise its opening by signing lease papers with the Queensland Turf Club before tomorrow's meeting.

He has a massive training and horse-breaking business in Albury on the NSW-Victoria border but the former Queenslander is keen to have a small Brisbane stable.

"I think racing in Queensland is on the way up. It's very tough where I am at Albury and the ratings system in NSW is killing me," he said.

"I've got 10 boxes at Eagle Farm and I'll keep it going for six months to see how it works out.

"My wife and I don't want to take our kids out of school just yet so we'll wait and see how things are going at the end of the year before committing to moving permanently."

Cavanough spent most of his youth at Charleville and many years in school at Roma in southern Queensland.

A former shearer, Cavanough once held the world record of shearing 427 sheep in an eight-hour work shift.

Catseye Beach will be Cavanough's first runner from his Brisbane stable when the four-year-old runs in the Just Now Handicap (1200m) while Mr Sunset will be chasing his fourth consecutive win in the Lyndhurst Stud Handicap (1400m).

Catseye Beach was formerly trained in Sydney by Graeme Begg but was transferred to Cavanough who is friends with the mare's owners, Harry Mitchell from Yarraman Park Stud and Duncan Grimley.

"I've been good friends for years with Harry and Duncan and one day over lunch they said they would give me her to train," Cavanough said.

"The owners think she could be a stakeswinner in Queensland.

"She's having her first start for me tomorrow and I've decided to pull off all her gear.

"I haven't had a look at exactly what's she's worn in her career but she has been racing in winkers and blinkers lately and I'm taking them off to see what happens."

Cavanough said Mr Sunset hadn't taken a backward step since he arrived in Brisbane a fortnight ago and he expected a strong showing from the son of Strategic.

"I sent him to Brisbane because he'll get murdered in this ratings system down here," he said.

"He can be a bit finicky as he doesn't like the day-to-day grind but this is his right class and he should run well."

Mr Sunset has won his past three starts at Wagga and Albury while Catseye Beach has been freshened since her last-start third to Summer Daze over 1200 metres on a heavy track at Canterbury on June 4.

AAP TURF gmd/gm