Racing: Dates to determine any trip by Elsu

It will probably be about a fortnight before a decision is made about champion pacer Elsu racing in North America this year, Auckland trainer Geoff Small said last night.

Small was still soaking up the atmosphere of Elsu's brilliant victory in the $750,000 Interdominion pacing final in Auckland on Friday night and was unaware of what a North American campaign would involve.

Small said he was approached by a North American harness racing representative after Friday night's race but admitted there was too much happening to take it all in.

"They did quickly tell me after the race the other night," Small said. "Then the guy said he would send all the information down, and then it all sort of went in one ear and out the other."

Two races that have been mentioned are the US$650,000 ($885,000) W R Haughton and the US$540,000 Breeders' Crown but Small said he did not know exactly when they are run. Depending on dates, Elsu might not have as a long a spell from training as he initially thought.

"I'm not exactly sure what the dates are but I know if we wanted to go, we wouldn't be able to spell him for too long. We would have to get out A into G so to speak."

How long the horse would be need to be in North America was among the many questions that needed to be explored before a decision.

"To be brutally honest I'm not sure how long the campaign would be. I've never done it before, I've never even looked into it."

Small said he would canvas other trainers who have raced horses in the Northern Hemisphere but was interested to the hear comments of Tim and Anthony Butt in a recent interview about racing a horse in the United States.

The Butts took their great trotter Lyell Creek to Europe and North America.

"They said if they had a horse good enough to take up they would go within an instant. It got me thinking," Small said.

He said he was keen for the dust to settle before any decision was made.

- NZPA