McInerney’s dream MDC result for Pursells a team effort
Four 20-hour round trips from Melbourne to Sydney were well and truly worth it for Brendan Pursell, who was “lost for words” after taking out the Million Dollar Chase with McInerney at Wentworth Park.
In fact, those trips had the three-year-old primed for his brilliant run of 29.50 seconds on Saturday night, winning from box one despite Pursell previously saying he preferred him to start from a wide lane.
“I’m happy I don’t have to do it next week now, but I’d do it again for this feeling,” Pursell said after the race when asked about all the recent hours of road tripping he’s put in.
“It’s been a long process of four or five weeks coming up here, and to pull it off I can’t believe it, to be honest.
“I can’t explain it. I can’t stop shaking. It was unreal.”
Pursell left the on-track handling duties to his son Blake because Brendan thought their chaser ran better under Blake’s care.
It worked a treat on Saturday night.
“He’s just a super dog and Dad’s done a brilliant job keeping him up for this long period,” Blake said.
“To do this with Dad is just a great honour. There’s nothing more special – it’s the world’s richest race and I don’t know what to say.”
It was Blake who had the dog in his care for 15 races from mid-November last year to mid-April, going down to Tasmania from Victoria.
And he had the magic touch, with the dog winning 10 of those starts.
“We sent him back to Melbourne for a campaign, and brought him home and came up for the Nationals,” Blake said.
“That made sure he was good for this race. He’s just a super dog.
“I think every Tasmanian would be proud, and every Victorian.
“He’s got a home in two (states). Absolutely stoked.”
Blake’s record with McInerney on the Apple Isle was why his father Brendan made arrangements to fly him up to Sydney for the 2022 MDC Final.
“Blake had the dog in Tassie, and he did a good job with it there,” Brendan said.
“I said to him ‘you’ve got to fly over and you handle him’.
“We’ve done everything together, and to be able to pull it off with him is great.
“I’d say (McInerney) is just used to the track and used to the travel. But in saying that, if I took him back to The Meadows or Sandown he’d be going good too.
“I think the dog is going through a purple patch and he’s done it at the right time – that’s the main thing.”
McInerney proved he could match it with the best dogs in the country after finishing third in the National Sprint Championship Final also over 520m at Wentworth Park, running 29.86 seconds on August 27.
“It (the MDC) was always in the back of my mind. When he went so well in the Nationals, of course I wanted to do it,” Brendan said.
“But I was thinking beforehand, if he did perform up here OK I’d definitely come back.”
McInerney’s owner-breeder Noel Mugavin said even some sage advice from top Victorian trainer Rob Britton failed to calm his nerves before his star dog stepped out on Saturday night.
“Robbie Britton has always said to me ‘if you’re in Group races and you get an opportunity, make sure you enjoy it’,” he said.
“And I said to my son Jeremy before – ‘I’m not too sure how I feel’ before the race. ‘I’m really excited, but I’m very nervous’.
“So it was a combination of a whole lot of things, but we’re ecstatic. And I’m ecstatic for the people who have put a lot of time into Brendan and his son Blake.”
Mugavin was also over the moon McInerney saluted for his late mate, Tony McInerney.
He named the dog after the stalwart of the University Blues VAFA club, where his sons played A-grade amateur football.
“Tony was one of the most wonderful people I’ve come across in life. I always said if I get a dog that goes OK, I’ll call his kennel name Tony and his race name McInerney,” Mugavin said.
“Tony died a couple of years ago, and I know he’s looking down.
“I know his son and grandchildren would be delighted with this.”