“Lucky To Be Alive”: Miller Winner's Epic Return

THREE months ago, Grafton trainer Steve Keep headed into his kennels to fix a rug on one of his team before locking up for the night.

In the kennel right next door, he noticed extra smart sprinter All Lies Ahead suffering from what Keepie knew was a twisted bowel.

“I am aware that you have about an hour to save them,” said Keepie

“I instantly rang Grafton vet Ray Barnett. I was already in the car on the way to the surgery.”

Ken met Keepie, immediately operated and saved the life of the son of Barcia Bale-Precious Sal.

“Three days after the surgery you would not have known there was a thing wrong with All Lies Ahead,” said Keepie of the dog bred and owned by Geoff Dwyer.

“He, of course, had to have a good few weeks off after that.”

On Sunday at Capalaba, All Lies Aheads stormed home to down his litter brother Sal's Blue Boy in a close photo to win the time-honoured Michael Miller Memorial (366m) in 19.52.

“I have to thank both Ken and Geoff for what they did for the dog and for backing us in his recovery,” said Keepie.

All Lies Ahead has now won eight races.

He resumed from the surgery with a second at Grafton on August and has won his three starts since.

“Very satisfying,” said Keepie.

“But, how lucky were we that the dog in the next kennel to him had pulled his rug off.

“When I went in to put that back on, it was obvious All Lies Ahead was in big trouble.

“Who knows how these things happen, but luckily Ken was available to save his life.”

Plans now are for All Lies Ahead and his brother Sal's Blue Boy to head to the Grafton series of the Million Dollar Chase.

“But there real target will be the Capalaba Cup down the track,” said Keepie.

Keepie remembered he had a starter in the Michael Miller a decade ago but could not even remember the dog's name.

“All I remember was that I was given a shirt to wear on the day when handling the dog in the final,” he said.

“But, it was so small I was no hope of getting into it. I had to get one of my daughters to handle the dog.

“John Dart reckons he still has a photo of me in the shirt from way back then. I don't believe that.”