Change of scenery puts McCarthy’s pair in the box seats

By Pat McLeod

A change of tracks has literally placed John McCarthy’s kennel trumps in the box seats for Thursday night’s QGOLD Winter Sprint Final on the Q2 Parklands circuit.

Normally preferring a wider draw, littermates Mossy Boots (box one) and Affluent (box two), have drawn the rails in the $25,090-to-the-winner showdown.

“Last week (in the QGOLD Emerging Sprinters Final on the Q2) they both missed the start despite coming out of the seven and eight, which has been their preferred boxes,” McCarthy explains.

“But, this is one of the things that I am learning about the new tracks at The Q, the box preferences can change.

“These dogs would prefer the wider boxes at Albion Park, but that does not seem the case here.

“Since we have transitioned to The Q they seem to be going better from the inside. That is why I am more than happy with the draw for Thursday night.”

McCarthy has no doubt both of his chargers need to get away well to be a chance in what is a crack field, which includes another dog he bred, the very smart Satoshi, raced by his son Ben.

“Yes, this is a quality race and when you have on offer $25,000-to-the-winner you will get the better dogs,” McCarthy said.

“The field last week for the Emerging Sprinters was a really tough field and this one is hard.

“But, my pair are certainly up to it and Satoshi, well, if that dog ever learns to get out of the box, he will be just about unbeatable.”

McCarthy gifted Satoshi to his son from the two-pup Jungle Deuce and Dynamite Lucy litter and the black dog is proving to be something special.

He won the prestigious Vince Curry Memorial Maiden, worth $75,000-to-the-winner in February, but then was off the track injured for almost three months.

He returned in late April for one, unplaced start at Albion Park.

Satoshi then transitioned to The Q this month and in two starts placed second, in the heat, and then won last Saturday night’s QGOLD Rookies Final over 457 metres at the Q1 Lakeside.

The dog has a quirky habit of standing tall at box rise, costing him valuable metres at the start.

“I was just talking to Ben this week about it and we have wracked our brains, but he doesn’t want to push the dog too hard trying to change because that may result in him going backwards,” McCarthy said.

“But, he is working on it and hopefully the more experienced the dog gets it may correct itself.

“It is not that he lacks early pace because when he gets out of the box, he rounds them up pretty quickly.”

Despite his box issues, John McCarthy still rates Satoshi as one of the main dangers to his pair on Thursday night.

“He will be a massive danger, although he is the least experienced in the field (with just six starts),” John McCarthy said.

“But, as I said, this is a real quality field with a threat from every box. Jeff Crawford's dog, Star Turn, is a class dog and will also be threatening.

“And, of course you can never throw Tom (Tzouvelis, with Daysea’s Rory) out of the equation. It is a field worthy of a Final.”

There is no doubt Star Turn is developing into a Group-quality race dog.

He comes into this race with four straight wins, all in high-end events.

The first of those victories was the Rockhampton Cup Consolation Final, when he posted a 29.56 second run, quicker than the Cup-winner Backcreek Benny’s 29.71 seconds.

He then returned to Albion Park, winning his heat and then Final of the Brisbane Young Guns.

And, last Thursday night on the Q2 Parklands track he took out the QGOLD Emerging Sprinters Final.

Thursday night’s program at The Q also includes the QGOLD Winter Chase Final over 600 metres and the QGOLD Stayers Final over 710 metres.