Earning pocket money by helping out at his uncle Mick Brown's greyhound farm launched the training career of Beau Hedley.
Hedley, 28, had been given $200 for assisting staff over a busy weekend on Brown's 25-acre showpiece property at Cooranbong.
"Mick's son Josh, who passed away a few years ago, was my cousin and we were great mates,'' Hedley said.
"Back in 2004 Mick had owned a dog named Gunnadoo Style, who was trained for him by Robert Smith, who prepared the champion Miss Elly Mint and has since trained 2010 Paws Of Thunder winner Lochinvar Marlow.
"Gunnadoo Style won 14 of 31 starts and won in 30.18 at Wentworth Park at his first start in December 2004.
"Robert advised Mick that if he wanted to build on that initial success he should buy a property and breed his own stock.
"Mick took Robert's advice and in 2005 set up the Cooranbong farm where he breeds and rears pups and where I train his greyhounds. It is a great set-up with a 360m uphill straight track it is ideal for conditioning the race dogs.
"Until uncle Mick asked me to give him a hand that weekend a decade ago I had no real interest in greyhound racing.''
Hedley has been quick to adapt to his relatively new role, steering greyhounds like Avondale Queen, Avondale Porche, Avondale Al, Can Of and Avondale As to a string of Wentworth Park wins and track record performances.
Highlight of Hedley's career was when he won the 2013 Greyhound Racing NSW Young Person of the Year award after his greyhounds won 29 races from 95 appearances.
Avondale Porche was the kennel star in 2013, winning a heat of the Group 1 Vic Peters Classic and finishing third in the final, won by Belfast Johnny.
Avondale Porche had begun her career in sensational fashion, winning her first nine races, among them a then blistering 29.75 effort at Wentworth Park.
"We later sent her to Melbourne trainer Kel Greenough for a Victorian campaign and she won the Group 2 Cranbourne Cup,'' Hedley recalled. "She now has a litter of eight month old puppies, sired by Collision.
"Avondale Al was another of my dogs which started off like a rocket, winning a Gosford maiden at his first start in 29.31 and then breaking the 515m track record when he won his next race there in 29.14 in September 2014.
"But after finishing third and sixth at his first two Wentworth Park races Avondale Al failed to fulfil his early promise.
"Fastest greyhound I have trained would be Avondale Queen, who won 12 of 20 starts and became a top grader at Wentworth Park in 2011 and 2012.
"We also sent her to Victoria for a southern campaign and after a 460m trial at Geelong Kel Greenough contacted us to say she was a potential champion. "Unfortunately she did not get to race for Kel because she was sadly injured and had to be retired.
"She is the mother of a beautiful litter, three months old, sired by Cosmic Rumble.''
Other greyhounds to shine for Hedley have been Can Of, Avondale As and Medusa's Me Mum, who won her first three races - all at Wentworth Park - in September 2014.
"We bred Can Of but had too many pups at the time so we sold him for only $1500,'' Hedley said.
"Luckily I was given the dog back to train and in March 2014, he won in 29.47 and 29.50 at Wentworth Park. Unfortunately he tore stomach muscles and while we got him back to the track he was never the same dog.
"Avondale As is the best of the six greyhounds I currently have in work and he has won five of 19 starts."
While Wentworth Park gets its fair share of criticisism from trainers Hedley is a staunch defender of the Glebe track.
"I can't think of another track which gives every dog a better chance,'' Hedley said. "On any track front runners will have an advantage but at Wenty, even if a greyhound lacks early pace, it will usually gets its chance to win somewhere along the back straight.''
And his favourite dog?
"I didn't really get to see Brett Lee in his heyday so I can't go past the recently retired Fernando Bale," Hedley said. "He was the complete package."
Last year Hedley, a fitness fanatic, had a brief stint as an amateur boxer, recording a win and a loss in two fights under the guidance of Newcastle greyhound trainer/fight conditioner Artie Armstrong.
"I would like to have a few more bouts but with 17 young greyhounds coming home next month after being educated I won't have time for that for quite a while,'' Hedley added.
