Trainer suggests there’s a simple formula to Ipswich QGOLD riches

By Pat McLeod

Adam Mcintosh knows there is a simple formula to success in Friday afternoon’s $10,010-to-the-winner QGOLD fifth grade Final over 431 metres at Ipswich.

“There are just seven lengths between these eight dogs,” he warns.

“That is all you have got across this field. So, whoever gets the breaks early, they will benefit no doubt.

“The plan for my girl is very simple. She just has to get out.”

Mcintosh’s ‘girl’ is the lightly-raced Elisheba, who opened her race career brilliantly with victory in the Group 3 $75,000-to-the-winner Vince Curry Memorial Maiden Final over 520 metres. 

Since then the My Redeemer - Lilly Sur Seine chaser has had intermittent breaks from racing, the latest because of a toe laceration and then a torn pin muscle.

Overall her race stats are very solid – 15 starts for six wins and four placings for a prize money tally of $97,690.

“She has been a good, consistent bitch,” Mcintosh said. 

“Any dog that wins you $100,000, you are not going to turn your nose up to that.

“From the day she came into my kennel until now I have to admit it has been magnificent. But, her killer is her middle split. At Albion it crucifies her.

“She has never broken, in a trial or race, 11.80 seconds, and that is just not good enough. To date, all of her runs have been against the best company she could be against at that time."

Mcintosh says there are a lot of good judges who say she will run the 600 metres.

"But, once I go to the 600 metres I am reluctant to come back," Mcintosh said. 

“Every time I aim to go up to that distance with her there seems to be a hiccup that interrupts that plan and we don't get that clear run at it.

“Possibly down the track we will get that chance. I will just wait and see how we go. We are at 400 metres at the moment so we will just wait and see.

“Once this series is done we will see where to then.”

Mcintosh said he was extremely happy with Elisheba’s heat win in 24.86 seconds, which was just the second time she had ventured out of the 520 metre lane. The only other occasion was a hit out over the Capalaba straight track’s 366 metres. 

The heat was Elisheba’s first race since the middle of July and she quickly put paid to any concerns her mentor had over her condition.

“She didn’t have a lot of work leading into last Friday’s heat, so I was a little concerned,” he said.

“But, I could not be happier with the way she ran and the way she pulled up.”

The obvious dangers on Friday include Sean Galloway’s Springtime Rose and Peter O’Reilly’s Hot Tyson.

O’Reilly said litter-mates Hot Tyson and first reserve Rebel Blaster were both later bloomers.

“Hot Tyson ran 24.89 seconds (a personal best) to win his heat and that time just came out of the blue,” O’Reilly said.

“There are some good dogs in that QGOLD Final, but I certainly give my dog a good chance.

“If he starts well, he will be in there for sure.”

Mcintosh is a big fan of the QGOLD concept, which is a Queensland-bred incentive.

“This is a brilliant, magnificent concept I would definitely travel to regional centres for these races,” Mcintosh said.

“Another of my dogs, Pixie My Love, got beaten by a nose in another Ipswich QGOLD race over 431 metres and it was $3,000 for second.

“So that is great money.”