KEY POINTS:
Interchange, the dam of champion pacer Elsu, has died suddenly. The 20-year-old mare died on Saturday after suffering a twisted bowel thought to have been brought on by colic.
Lindsay Turner, who with his wife Pam had been looking after the former smart filly, said surgery on the
mare came too late.
"It was a real shame," said Turner.
Interchange was in foal to Christian Cullen and the resulting yearling could have been one of the most valuable ever bred in New Zealand.
While she was a talented 2-year-old filly, Interchange's greatest claim to fame was Elsu, who became New Zealand's greatest stake-earning pacer.
He cemented his place among the greats of New Zealand racing in a magical six-week period in 2005 when he sat three wide from a 20m handicap to win the Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley before sweeping the Interdominions at Alexandra Park.
He also won two Auckland Cups, three Derbys, the Messenger, Taylor Mile and Sales Series Pace.
Elsu has since made a hugely successful start to his stallion career, attracting huge books at Alabar Stud, with reports on his first crop weanlings exciting.
Interchange, who was owned by the Les Girls No 2 Syndicate, is also the dam of former high-class 3-year-olds Revonez, Revagain and Mombassa, last season's smart juvenile.
Elsu's trainer, Geoff Small, has a 2-year-old sister to the great pacer at his stable while Interchange's last foal is a yearling filly by Artsplace.
* Australian mare All Promises faces an interesting challenge to qualify for the $200,000 Harness Jewels.
The 4-year-old would be favourite for her leg of the June 2 meeting if she was certain to get a start but at present she is about $3000 short on stakes.
The top 12 stake earners in each category make the Jewels races and only stakes won in New Zealand this season count.
So while All Promises was good enough to finish third to superstars Monkey King and Divisive in last Friday's $150,000 Messenger Championship, she still needs a win in the next two weeks to secure her spot before the May 21 cutoff date.
Trainer Shannon Price was hoping the mare would start against her own sex at Alexandra Park on Friday.
But that reserve race did not get off the ground so All Promises will now have to contest a standing start race against the likes of Mi Muchacho.
If she fails to win enough money on Friday she will have a more suitable race at Alexandra Park a week later although the hiccup will provide some nervous times for punters who have taken the $3.50 odds about her winning the Jewels.
Just as interested in her progress will be those supporting Bachelorette, who is the $2.80 favourite for the leg of the Jewels after winning her last three starts.
