By MICHAEL GUERIN
Only a lack of competition stopped Elsu smashing the national mile record at Cambridge last night.
The champion pacer cruised to victory in the $40,000 Flying Mile, his 1:53.6 time just 0.1 of a second outside the national allcomers' record held by Scuse Me.
But there was little doubt Elsu
could have paced 1:53 if there had been runners to apply pressure in the middle stages.
Anvil's Revival tried but lost ground on the bends so never got close enough to keep Elsu rolling.
So it was left to driver David Butcher to keep Elsu interested, and while he gave him a few taps with the whip in the straight, it was obvious Elsu could have gone considerably faster.
As it was, his time broke Christian Cullen's Cambridge track record by half a second and had he been given his head he would have paced the sort of time never considered in New Zealand before.
The win will terrify the trainers of Australia's best four-year-olds as Elsu now heads to Sydney to tackle them in the A$200,000 Chariots Of Fire before returning to Alexandra Park for the Taylor Mile-Messenger Pace double.
Even last night's staggering time was enough to convince trainer Geoff Small to alter his plans to miss both the rich Hunter Cup in Melbourne next month and the Interdominions in Perth in March.
"He is still only a four-year-old and next year could be his best. That is when he has the Interdominions on his home track."
The time will only boost Elsu's eventual career as a stallion and confirmed Small the champ's connections did the right thing turning down what is thought to be a $1million offer for him this week.
Earlier last night Elsu's stablemate Pullover Brown earned herself a trip to Addington for the rich mares' races next month by winning the Matriach Stakes.
The four-year-old recorded her first win of the season with her all the way win, pleasing Small after a recent setback.
"We have had some problems with here but that was more like it so she will head to Addington now."
