Elisheba on path to Vince Curry stardom

By Jordan Gerrans

Unheralded trainer Adam Mcintosh just shakes his head with what Elisheba has been able to produce in recent weeks.

The Bray Park-based dog man never planned to head to the rich and prestigious Group 3 Vince Curry Memorial series with the exciting black bitch.

So much so, he did not even give her a trial over the 520 metre circuit at Ipswich before the opening heats of the 2023.

Through the heats and the semi-finals, Elisheba has demolished her rivals by a combined more than 12 lengths across the two races.

She has been the surprise packet of the 2023 edition of the time-honoured series and she is even shocking her trainer.

“What she has done has been mind blowing to me,” Mcintosh said.

“She is just learning as she goes.

“I do not know what we have really got with her – she is untapped – but she keeps making me shake my head every week with how well she has gone.

“I just wouldn’t have thought she could run times like this about a month ago, even with the favourable draws.

“I do not know where are going to go with her – I am just enjoying it while it is happening.”

The larrikin Mcintosh works as a plasterer to pay the bills away from his greyhound interests.

He only has a handful in work at his modest kennel. 

He is relishing the ride that his new kennel star is giving him, even though it is only a fortnight in length so far.

The Vince Curry series is known for creating superstar greyhounds and it might just be a serious lift for the training career of Mcintosh, as well. 

Mcintosh has had some quick dogs over the years.

Inner Tea Cup won the Listed Golden Oldies Final on Thursday evening.

Pixie My Love qualified for the Final of the Listed Rising Stars series in October of 2021.

He has travelled interstate with some success, as well, reaching a semi-final of the Vic Peters Classic in NSW.

But, he will break new ground on Saturday evening at Ipswich, with the Vince Curry Memorial series for this year his maiden Group level Final.

With a Listed triumph on Thursday evening before his first tilt at a Group race - it has been a special month or so for the Mcintosh kennel. 

“It is a whole new thing for me,” he said.

“It is exciting and it will be an enjoyable night on Saturday, no matter what the result will be.”

Elisheba is a $2.20 chance to win Saturday’s Final – according to the TAB on Friday morning – but the up-and-coming chaser was never meant to compete in the series.

Steeped in history and offering the richest prize money in Australia for a maiden series, countless kennels in the Sunshine State plan months ahead about having a Vince Curry hopeful.

For Mcintosh and Elisheba, they landed in the decider by chance.

From a My Redeemer and Lilly Sur Seine litter, Elisheba – or Lizzy as she is known around the kennels - battled feet troubles in the early stages of her career as a racing dog.

She arrived at Bray Park in April of last year.

It was a long wait before Lizzy debuted at Albion Park on the second day of 2023, before the feet concerns flared up again.

They were only minor but she was put on the sidelines for a few weeks.

She returned with a bang in the heats of the Vince Curry after not yet trialling over the 520 metre journey at Ipswich.

“Lizzy had a couple of niggling feet issues, which we had to have a bit of time to fix those up,” he said.

“We thought we had those issues right but one of them happened again.

“She spent four or five months, just in the kennel, just trying to treat it and get it right.

“She reminded me of another dog I had in my kennel so I thought I would keep preserving and it has been very satisfying in the way she has come along.”

Mcintosh was originally handed Lizzy and her litter brother by owner Bruce Wood.

The brother broke in quicker than Elisheba, but he has since moved on from the Mcintosh team.

Mcintosh and Wood have had a connection for more than 13 years racing dogs.

“Bruce has invested a lot of money over the last year so while it is still early days with this dog, it is great to see him get a financial return,” he said.

“Just with how progressive she is, it might be a good investment for him.”

Elisheba is gaining confidence and coming out of her shell with every run, her trainer believes.

Mcintosh thinks she does not yet completely understand what she is doing out on the track but she is quickly coming around.

She has been aided by inside draws in the first two weeks of the series but she will need to jump cleanly from the seven on Saturday evening.

“She is a very reserved dog, she has been here since April and I still need to con her to get her out of the kennel,” he said.

“She is getting better.

“I can see her within herself, day by day, getting more confident and it is just maturing, as well.

“In her demeanour, even in the semi-finals on Saturday night, you can tell she is becoming more and more interested in racing.

“Hopefully she can keep taking those steps forward.”

Of the finalists, Elisheba has put together the sharpest time over 520 metres at Ipswich so far, scoring in 30.41 seconds last week in her second look at the track.

The winner of the annual maiden series pockets $75,000 in 2023.