Minter happy being a one-man band operation
By Glenn Davis
Dalby trainer Philip Minter is a one-man band operation and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Minter, 65, started training in his late 20s after weight problems ended a brief career in the saddle.
The Dalby journeyman started his training career at Cessnock in NSW before moving to Coffs Harbour.
He then headed to north Queensland to care for his late mother Beryl before the family moved back to Dalby two years ago to be closer to his wife’s Beth’s family.
Minter trained for 30 years in NSW and enjoyed good success winning two Listed races with Silent Impact in the 2001 Christmas Cup at Rosehill and the Services’ Memorial Cup at Randwick with Famous Dane in 2005.
He now prepares a team of 12 at Dalby and still rides all his own trackwork despite having to undergo a knee reconstruction a few years ago.
“I trained in North Queensland for quite a while as my wife Beth is a schoolteacher and taught at Airlie Beach,” Minter said.
“I was looking after my mother up north until she passed away so we decided to move to Dalby as Beth has family here.
“I still ride all my own trackwork, do the shoeing - the lot.
“I’d get bored if I didn’t do it that way as I’m bit of a workaholic.”
Minter heads to Gatton on Thursday and is confident his only starter Amenophis will be highly competitive in the Benchmark 75 Handicap over 1400 metres.
The six-year-old has been a perennial placegetter since joining Minter’s stables in April.
He was formerly trained by Mark Kavanagh in Victoria and has been placed at his past five starts including a last start second to the Mark Currie-trained Irama in a 1300-metre Class Two at Toowoomba on September 13.
“Amenophis is part-owned by some good mates including Michael Flick who was an apprentice jockey with me when I first started off,” he said.
“Every time I step him out, I keep thinking this is going to be his day but he just gets pipped each time.
“He’s run some great races since he’s come to me and he should be hard to beat again.”
