Golden Chase rookie boasts two-pronged attack

By Pat McLeod

Travis Elson is a Golden Chase debutante and far from a straight track specialist, but he’s become an instant fan of the feature’s opening event at The Q.

That’s certainly been helped by the fact that he has two entries in Thursday’s Golden Chase Straight Final on the Q Straight.

“I used to race my young dogs at Albion, so I never was part of what was the Auction Series at Ipswich,” he explains of the historic feature that has morphed into the Golden Chase.

“I paid up for a total of 10 dogs from two separate litters for this year’s Golden Chase races and then started off with three in the straight track race.

“When I first saw the dogs that were nominated for the heats, I saw dogs from Greg Stella’s and Jemma Daley’s kennels that had already won races up the straight and initially I thought, ‘I am in trouble here’.

“But, now I have two through to the Final, so I am very happy.

“I've been surprised with how well my mine have competed, considering I am not really a straight track racer.”

The Sunshine Coast-based Elson has Scrub’s Blue and Boom Two Down in the Final.

Scrub’s Blue placed fourth in his semi-final last week, but Elson rates this dog as not only his best hope, but also a ‘super chance’ in the Final.

“In the semi-final, that was the first time that Scrub’s Blue has stood in the box and missed the start,” he said.

“Then halfway down the running he checked off the back of another dog and I believe his was the biggest run of my two in the semis.

“He is normally electric early and before that race had led in every start.

“Scrub’s Blue was also the big improver of my two from heats to semis and I think he has the more improvement as well going into the Final and so no doubt he is my best chance in the Final.”

Elson also believes his chances look even brighter when the series moves to the 457 metres on the Q1 Lakeside on March 28 and then to the 520 metres at the Q2 later in the year.

“All of my dogs were probably a little bit young for this (straight) event,” he said.

“I think I will have some better chances when we go across to the other two tracks, especially the Q2.

“At the moment they are just young maidens and novices.

“Come September, for the third leg of the series over the 520 metres, I think that's when my dogs will have a better chance.

“By then they will be two-and-a-half-years-old and we will know what we have got - whether there is a handy one amongst them.

“Summer’s Dunay, for example, has run 29.92 seconds (on the Q2) and in six months' time she might be running 29.50 seconds and with the early speed, she could be very competitive.”

Elson applauded plans by the Queensland Greyhound Racing Club to return the Golden Chase to an auction event and elevate its standing even further, in the mould of the Gold Coast Magic Millions.

“This is my first time in the event and I like it,” he said.

“I have no doubt that the potential is here to make this quite a prestigious event.

“The prizemoney is already really good. Total prizemoney this Thursday is $20,000 and that is great for a straight race.”