News Article

The Cleaner’s trainer hospitalised

12 / 10 / 2014 Article by: TR Internal
Mick Burles gives The Cleaner a pick at his Longford stables before he left for Melbourne icon Click to enlarge

WITH less than two weeks to go before Tasmania’s cult hero equine The Cleaner steps out in the richest weight-for-age race in Australasia his trainer Mick Burles remains cool and calm about the gelding’s prospects of winning the W. S Cox Plate.

The Cleaner burst into the national limelight when he led throughout to win the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes over 1600m but he confirmed his status as a genuine prospect in the Cox Plate with another all-the-way win in the JRA Cup over the Cox Plate distance at Moonee Valley two weeks ago.

That win kept the Cox Plate dream alive for Burles and the horse’s owners Paul Burt, Bill Fawdry and Jim Lowish.

While The Cleaner has been in perfect health since his JRA Cup win, Burles had to be admitted to hospital last weekend as a result of him contracting a virus that attacked his respiratory system.

“I’ve only got one lung and I have emphysema so just a common cold has the potential to kill me,” Burles said.

“I just had to get myself to hospital last weekend and I had a clean-out. I .liken it to a car being serviced,” he said.

Burles was back at the stables last Monday morning and went about his business of preparing his stable star for the biggest race of his life.

“I am not really nervous about the horse running in the Cox Plate because I seem to get nervous after his races these days.”

“No doubt I’ll get a bit toey closer to the big race but for now we are just going about our business as usual and I couldn’t be happier with how the horse is coming along,” he said.

To view the latest interview with Burles on The Cleaner’s progress CLICK HERE