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Journeyman Philip Minter is hopeful his decision to relocate to Dalby last December will reap further rewards when he heads to Kilcoy with two starters on Thursday.
Minter, 65, was a popular a trainer in the Northern Rivers of NSW for many years before he moved to north Queensland a few years ago.
"I moved to Dalby in December after I had just renewed my trainers' licence a few weeks before," Minter said.
"I trained for a long time at Coffs Harbour in the Northern Rivers before I moved to a property between Bowen and Proserpine in north Queensland.
"We lived for quite a while up there as my wife, Beth, is a schoolteacher and was teaching at Airlie Beach.
"I was looking after my mother before she passed away about 12 months ago and then I moved to Dalby as Beth, has family here.
"I reckon Beth and I both have a bit of gypsy in us."
Minter was a former jockey before weight forced him out of the saddle and now has a stable of eight in work.
However, he still rides trackwork and does all the stable chores himself despite having a knee reconstruction which sidelined him for two years ago.
"I used to be a jockey before weight problems hit me and I've done a lot of breaking in," he said.
"Now I'm a one-man band after having a few years off following the knee reconstruction.
"I don't have any staff and do everything myself including riding track work."
Minter's biggest wins were in two Listed races in Sydney with Silent Impact in the 2001 Christmas Cup at Rosehill and the Services' Memorial Cup at Randwick with Famous Dane in 2005.
Minter has booked Sam Collett to partner his two runners, Huss On First in the Benchmark 60 Handicap and Takara Star in the Benchmark 55 Handicap.
"Takara Star has been out of form a bit but she's down in grade while Huss On First is my best chance," he said.
Huss On First won at Warwick four starts back over 800 metres and is coming off a last start sixth in a 1000-metre Class Two at Toowoomba on October 5.
"I'm stepping her up in distance to see if she can handle the trip by not over racing," Minter said.
"She tends to pull in her races that's why I've kept her to shorter races where there is a lot more speed on.
"She's been a stirred-up horse in the past but she's going better now so she should run a nice race."