Racing: Surprised Stu says Red ready for tough final

Stuart Hunter says it is his turn to spring the surprise.

The Queensland trainer of Flashing Red admits he has been surprised by the depth of talent among the Kiwi pacers at these Interdominions.

Flashing Red was able to destroy many of New Zealand's best, including Howard Bromac, Mister D G and Young Rufus in the Ballarat Cup in January and was also second best to Elsu in the Hunter Cup last month.

That saw him shorten into $9 third favouritism for this series but his form since means he will start around the $30 mark in tomorrow night's final.

"It has taken me by surprise to be honest," said Hunter.

"Horses like Howard Bromac, Harnetts Creek and Young Rufus who we were beating easy over home have grown a leg since getting to Alexandra Park.

"It has made the series a lot harder than we thought."

Flashing Red has been strong but outclassed in his three heats but Hunter says he expects improvement tomorrow night.

"I think he will be the best he has been in the series.

"He has a slight foot infection at the start of the series, which is why he was getting on one rein so badly.

"But that has cleared up and I think he will corner a lot better this week.

"He is working well and has copped the series good enough so I think he can be in it."

Hunter was hardly overjoyed by Flashing Red drawing the second line and makes no secret of driver Ian McMahon's tactics.

"We will be taking off at some stage and trying to keep the pressure on because he has to be close to the pace."

He also finds solace in an unusual aspect of last Friday's heats.

"I had a good look at the section times and I think he paced the fastest lap of any horse last Friday.

"He paced one lap in just over 1:12, which was faster than both Just An Excuse and Elsu."

After his Hunter Cup beating, Hunter says Flashing Red won't be trying to strong arm Elsu tomorrow night.

"I think Elsu will probably end up back in the field with us and maybe Young Rufus and at some stage we are going to have to move.

"But I don't think we will be trying to keep him wide. The way Elsu is going I think he would be the perfect horse to follow."

* The deluge has finally stopped - for now.

After two days of intense punting TAB bookies came back out of their shells yesterday, with Elsu's price for tomorrow night's pacing final settling at $1.45.

The bookies were hit hard early in the week, seeing Elsu's odds crunch in from the $1.65 offered immediately after Saturday night's barrier draw to a blatantly silly $1.45 last night.

That makes him the shortest-priced Interdominion favourite in history, beating out Preux Chevalier, who started a $1.50 favourite before winning the 1985 final in Melbourne.

"Finally whoever turned on the Elsu tap has turned it off," said TAB racing bookmaker Paul Lally.

"They were coming from everywhere to back him earlier in the week but now I think everybody who wanted to get on at those odds is on and the rest will probably wait until Friday night."

Elsu has also been coupled up in hundreds of multi-bets, including a $5000 double with trotting final favourite Delft.

The latter is in to $3.30 after strong support.

"And we have had plenty of people jumping on Delft in multi-bets so he won't be out best mate on the night."

Elsu has also been heavily backed with the major Australian bookies, some of who offered $1.70 on Sunday, although $1.55 is the best now.