Mile A Minute still loves every second of racing

By Josh Spasaro

Win or lose, Victorian trainer David Bourke is going to enjoy his week up in Queensland.

He sent up 2024 Healesville Cup champion Mile A Minute to John Dart, with the veteran chaser to line up in the Capalaba Cup heats on Sunday.

Bourke, also a builder, has a close family friendship with top greyhound training and breeding family, the Thompsons.

He will be staying at Ben Thompson’s place. Thompson moved to the Sunshine State to further his jockey career and is now one of Brisbane’s top riders.

“We’re going up to Ben Thompson’s. We’re doing a bit of a job up there,” he said.

“We fly up on the Sunday, so I’ll go and watch him run in the heats. Then we’re up there for a week just doing a bathroom renovation and a walk-in robe out at Buccan.

“Then hopefully he gets through to the Final and we’ll come home the following Monday. Either way, if we don’t make it to the Final, we’ll still go and watch the Final.

“As well as his riding, he is just an absolute champion of a bloke. He deserves everything he gets. He’s a superstar just to talk to.”

You could also say that win or lose on Sunday, Mile A Minute will be happy - not to mention that he, too, is a champion dog.

“He’s very relaxed and loves going out to have a little play with the girls. That gives him a bit of a freshen-up and it keeps him up and about,” Bourke said.

“His favourite one is the slowest in our kennel and she’s staying there, otherwise she might’ve been retired by now.

“If we separate them, he doesn’t like it. Just keep him happy. Venus is his little girlfriend.”

Mile A Minute has enjoyed success in Queensland, winning last year’s National Straight Track Championship at Q Straight, which was his second consecutive title for Bradley Greenough.

He then finished runner-up to Gold Force for Bourke in The Mach 10 Final, also at Q Straight on June 18.

“Gold Force got out really well and just put a little bit of pressure on him and that made him shift a little bit wider,” Bourke said.

“And, then he dropped back to third and still ran second, once he got going again. Gold Force is a flying machine, but he might have been a length closer.”

Bourke is expecting his Superior Panama and Medio Paso chaser to improve from his trial run at Capalaba this Sunday.

“I put him up there on Monday and he’s in the good hands of John Dart. I think he ran 19.93 seconds for his first go,” he said.

“He stumbled at the start and then went over to the rail and then came back in. John said the middle section was really good. He should hopefully improve.

“He doesn’t want to be pressured, but down here he’s trialling the house down.

“I just thought we’d have a throw at the stumps. He’s a good traveller. John said he settles in perfectly and he’s a gentle giant at 36kg. He’s just a beautiful dog and he’s well.”

Bourke said he was prepared to write off Mile A Minute’s last start, finishing fifth from box five in the Emerald Series Final over 300 metres at Healesville on September 13.

“He needs a step or two to balance up. That race he was badly boxed with a lot of pace around him. He’ll need space,” he said.

“We freshened him up and brought him back to 300 metres for the Emerald Series, which was nowhere near where he wanted him.

“His ideal distance is 350 metres. He’s really flying in those, if he’s not interrupted.

“But, his run-home times up at Healesville, where I’ve trialled him, are as good as they’ve ever been.

“They’ve never been better. He’s running home in 8.85 seconds.”

With 35 wins from 75 starts and over $245,000 in prizemoney, Bourke conceded he has been thinking about when Mile A Minute will start his last race.

But, at present, he is running too well for that.

“That’s definitely on the agenda because he’s closer to that than starting out,” he said.

“Everyone knows that and you don’t need to be a rocket scientist. His muscle set-up is one for longevity because he’s getting close to 80 starts.

“But, it’ll be when he tells me. Rod Campbell, the owner, and I had good chats about retirement and I said to him, ‘He’s not showing me any signs’.

“To be honest, I think he’s going the best he has while he’s been at my house for the past year or however long it’s been.

“Even if it’s leading into a Final or after a Final, next week or tomorrow - he’ll be retired if he shows he’s had enough. But, he’s showing me no signs.”