V86®: Persson believes he has made the right choice
David Persson chooses Solvalla instead of Åby.
A choice that means a journey more than twice as long ahead of Wednesday’s V86® card.
"It suits me better and my horses usually deliver at Solvalla. All three should be included on the ticket," says the trainer.
On Wednesday, V86® is shared between Solvalla and Åby. For Axevalla-based David Persson, it would have been considerably closer to race at Åby, but instead, he chooses to travel an additional 240 kilometers to the capital track.
"I often feel that the race conditions are better for my horses at Solvalla, and then I have to give them the chance, of course. There are also better purses to race for, and often we have come home with one or two wins in the bag," says David Persson.
The Axevalla trainer had an extremely strong year in 2025. He earned almost SEK 12 million.
"It was incredible. Many people think we have 100 horses, but we have been between 40 and 50 the whole time, and they are not horses from the very top shelf either. I am extremely proud of that, and at the same time, I realize that I may never match those figures again, since I am in the process of scaling the operation down a bit."
Scaling down, why is that?
"I simply want to quality-assure what I am doing. I want to get the most out of each horse and feel confident in what I do. I want to get down to around 35 horses, and we are well on our way. I also value having a dialogue with my owners, and that has suffered a bit when time has not been enough."
"It is not that I turn away owners who want to have horses in my training. Everyone is more than welcome to get in touch. I want quality over quantity, and that does not only apply for the horses’ sake, it also applies to the staff and me."
What goals do you have for this year?
"I never set any goals. When I go out to the horses in the morning, I do so with the ambition of making every day the best possible for each horse."
Plan A is the lead
He is bringing three horses to Solvalla on Wednesday and is traveling with hope.
"I feel that I have three extremely strong top-three chances on paper, and I would not be the least bit surprised if one of them wins. All three have the conditions to do so."
Here is how David Persson comments on his chances:
"1 Piraeus Boko (V86-4) raced in a handicap last time, and I had hoped it would include a horse with slightly less money than her. That was not the case, and she drew the inside post. Piraeus Boko could not capitalize on that, ended up far back, and then finished with plenty of trot left. She raced with a pull-off earhood for the first time, and it was never pulled, so we still have that gear left to use."
"An inside post is always good, but for her, it would clearly have been better with post three or four. She will get a good trip, and hopefully things will work out. Given the post and that I don't think she can hold up the lead and is somewhat dependent on how the race unfolds, it is a good top-three chance. I believe a lot in her going forward. She is developing, and it will be very exciting when I can take the shoes off her. I think she could have a great season if everything falls into place."
"6 Golden Cresent (V86-6) competed in an STL final last time and had an ice-cold draw, resulting in an uninspiring effort from the rear end of the field. He feels good and is training strongly at the moment, and I am pretty sure he is in good form."
"He is extremely fast from the start, and the plan is to leave and try to reach the lead and then race there. I don't know the horses to our inside and how fast they can leave. Golden Cresent has delivered his best performances for me when racing in the lead, and I have to believe quite a bit in him."
"2 Sunset Sky (V86-8) warmed up better than ever last time. In the race, things went a bit wrong because the tempo was too slow for him. His gait does not fully align when the pace is too slow. He broke stride at the end of the last turn and would most likely have won otherwise. He had plenty of trot left, and we hope to have that in hand this time."
"Sunset Sky is fairly quick from the start, and Emilia Leo, who drives, will leave as hard as possible out of the gate. The dream scenario would be to reach the lead. Regardless, I think he will deliver a good effort and be right up there."