GOING through a rough trot health wise, the owners of Swan Hill Cup-winning horse Minnie Downs has described the win as “special” despite being unable to travel to the event itself.
Helen and John McPhee have raised the eight-year-old mare themselves, but with Mr McPhee heading in for surgery this week, the win put a smile on the happy couple’s faces.
“We were so excited for her to win, John is sick … he is over the moon, it is a thrilling thing for everyone,” Mrs McPhee said.
“She has been a great little horse. (Jockey Mitchell Aitken) rang us in the morning, he said he didn’t get much opportunity to ride good horses, so we said ‘here we go …’ they didn’t put a foot wrong.
“John and I have bred every single horse that has ever raced for us, Minnie now has four cups, two from Swan Hill.”
Minnie Downs was given her name when Mr and Mrs McPhee spotted a town near Charleville in Queensland.
The owners both said they enjoyed Swan Hill — and were gutted not being able to make it — telling The Guardian of their links to the town.
“I was a nurse at the Swan Hill hospital. Our twin daughters were born there and my great-grandfather was a pioneer at Murrabit,” Mrs McPhee said.
“John used to buy livestock for his farms and what gets me is the Swan Hill racecourse is in the middle of the suburbs.”
The chances of Minnie Downs returning to the Swan Hill Cup appear very slim, with the mare expected to be retired by next winter.
She will head to the Wodonga Cup which is likely to see her career out.
McPhee confirmed they would be back for their three-peat in 2017.
