Amenophis chasing breakthrough win

By Glenn Davis

Dalby trainer Philip Minter will head to Gatton on Friday hopeful his six-year-old gelding Amenophis can finally shed his perennial placegetter tag.

A former Victorian, Amenophis is looking for his first win at his 17th start for Minter in the Class 2 Handicap over 1600 metres.

Since taking over his training from the Mark and Levi Kavanagh stable, Amenophis has placed 11 times including nine of his past 10 starts for Minter.

Amenophis steps up to 1600 metres for the first time since July and is coming off a last start third to the Jack Bruce-trained Ambassadors in a 1350 metre Benchmark race at Ipswich on November 20.

“He races in his grade most of the time but he’s not a big horse so some of these Benchmark races don’t suit him,” Minter said.

“When he’s in his own grade he has to carry a lot of weight and when he goes up in grade, he’s just not good enough.

“The thing about this race on Friday is it’s 1600 metres and his only two wins have been over a mile.”

Minter is a full-time trainer with a dozen horses in work at his Dalby property.

“I’m full-time but about once a week I go to the Dalby sale yard to help out,” Minter said.

“I help push the cattle up on to the scales to weigh them.”

Minter has his fingers crossed that Amenophis can end his long run of outs since his last win in a 1600 metre Benchmark race at Stawell in Victoria in January last year.

“He’s ready to go after his last run over 1350 metres,” Minter said.

“We were trying to get him ready for the Roma Cup when we had him in over 1600 metres at Dalby, but the meeting was called off due to lightning strikes.

“His next two runs he had to come back in distance and all these little things have just gone against him.”

Amenophis is part-owned by some good mates of Minter including Michael Flick who was an apprentice jockey when the Dalby trainer was riding.

Minter has retained South African jockey Brandon Lerena to partner Amenophis.

The multiple Group 1-winner hoop in South Africa spent five years riding in Sydney before heading north to try his luck.