Racing: Pressure? What pressure

Geoff Small is handling the pressure of training pacing sensation Elsu but he will be a lot happier once the horses are on the track in Friday night's $750,000 Inter Dominion Final at Alexandra Park.

"When Elsu leaves the birdcage next Friday night and steps out on the racetrack I can finally relax and leave everything up to David [Butcher, regular driver] to handle," said Small.

"I've had a dream run to date at this Inter Dominion Carnival with Elsu as he has won all three of his qualifying races and has taken no harm from the back-to-back racing.

"He's raced well and recovered very quickly after each race. It's an easy job handling a champion like Elsu but you also tend to panic a little hoping nothing will go wrong.

"I won't have to do a lot with him now from a fitness perspective as he has had three races within one week so he's race hardened and fit. I'll see how he recovers after the race before deciding the training plan for him over the next week. I think it'll be more about freshening him up a little after having such a hectic schedule and having him ready for the Grand Final."

While Small was watching a replay of stablemate Hippity Hop's shock defeat in the final event on Friday night another trainer walked past and offered advice.

That trainer was Inter Dominion king Brian Hancock who has won the Grand Final five times.

"Keep smiling, mate, and in another week's time you can start enjoying yourself when this series is all over," Hancock said. "You've got the best horse in the series and he's handling the racing very well so just relax yourself and don't change your usual routine with this horse and everything will be fine."

Elsu unleashed a brutal home stretch sprint down the outer of the track on night three of the Inter Dominion Series at Alexandra Park on Friday night to defeat Alta Serena and Just An Excuse.

He settled well off the pace before looping the field and scoring another comprehensive victory in Australasia's ultimate racing series.

The stabling area resembled a casualty unit during a war movie as there were a lot of equine athletes feeling the effects of three hard races within the opening week of the Inter Dominion Carnival.

One competitor not struggling with the brutal racing assignment associated with the 2005 Inter Dominion Series was Elsu.

The magnificently built 5-year-old entire recovered quickly after his victory and was in a playful mood yesterday on Small's Patumahoe property.

"He's charging around his paddock letting everyone know that he's the boss on this property. He has got better and better as this carnival has continued. I've watched him closely just in case there is anything amiss with him and he's thriving," said Small.