Mellen said he liked the litter from the day they were whelped.
“It might sound weird, but I said to Christine (who bred the litter) that it was as if these dogs had been here before,” Mellen said.
“Christine said at the time they were the strongest pups she’d ever bred and they’ve progressed from there.
“Mine weren’t a one-month break-in, they were broken in over some months but having said that, within one or two starts (after debuting) they've started running smart times.”
It wasn’t all rosy in the early hours of life for Senri Gardot, who was the last pup to be born.
Mellen said Bourke – with whom he shares committee duties at the Chubb Street Trial Track – dedicated upwards of 20 hours trying to save her life.
“It was a fairly dedicated effort and the average person may have given up,” he said.
It led to Senri Gardot’s unique name, which derives from talented Japanese drummer Senri Kawaguchi (worth looking up on Youtube) and American singer Melody Gardot, who overcame significant health issues.
Mellen believes Senri Gardot was a deserved winner on January 16, despite receiving an ounce of luck late.
“She was bobbing around in behind them like Shot The Sherriff does but when she saw daylight she cleared out,” Mellen said.
Mellen is keen to continue taking the pups to Capalaba for the time being.
“Confidence is paramount,” he said.
“If you’re young and start playing rugby league and get knocked around and hurt a few times, you’re less likely to want to play again and the same goes for greyhounds.”
Bourke’s brigade will also feature at Capalaba on Sunday.
Shot The Sheriff leads the charge from Box 2 in the Best 8, which comes up in Race 7.
Earlier, Don’t Tell Helen will be looking to record back-to-back wins in Race 4.
Beck And Call, who returned from a minor injury layoff at Capalaba on Wednesday, will jump from Box 4 in Race 3.