V85® (double jackpot): Roger Nilsson: "I have my horses exactly where I want them"
Midnight sun and a double jackpot.
That means Roger Nilsson is ready.
The local trainer who sent out a winner last year and scored a double in 2023.
"We're usually right there at the finish. I have my four horses where I want them," says Roger Nilsson.
STL Summer Trot rolls on and the next stop is Boden Racetrack and the track's annually recurring Midnight Trot. V85® starts at 20:10 local time and the feature race, Norrbottens Stora Pris, with SEK 1 million to the winner, starts at 22:47 under the midnight sun. As if that was not enough, the card is further spiced up by a double jackpot that, according to ATG, could give a sole winner SEK 47 million. The home team is usually fully loaded and for Roger Nilsson, V85 on home soil is the highlight of the year.
"It definitely is, a fantastic race day. It usually attracts a good crowd and I hope it will this year as well. Now we have home-track advantage and our horses avoid having 1,000-1,500 kilometers in their legs, which works in our favor, and we are usually right there at the finish."
"For my own part, I have done what I can and the horses feel really good and are ready. I am extremely grateful to have Magnus A Djuse and Björn Goop as drivers. It is perfect to have them on your team rather than competing against them," says Roger Nilsson, who has four horses entered on the card.
"I'll start with 4 Sjöli Morten (V85-3), who has made two starts this year and feels terrific. He was locked in with plenty of trot left most recently. Since then, he has taken another step forward and I think he will perform really well on Saturday."
"Last year he had health issues and never got to show his full ability. Now he is back where he should be, and when he is, he never disgraces himself. Sjöli Morten likes Magnus A Djuse and they have never finished worse than third together."
Needs help from here
In V85-5, 12 Inglourious Zet starts after finishing sixth most recently following three straight victories.
"I was very pleased with the horse, but not with the result. He raced in an American Sulky and it did not suit him. It was a little too tight and he became far too aggressive. The positive was that he trotted through the turns, which had been a bit of an issue before. He has not started since then because he fits the class perfectly and I chose to let him keep training instead. He feels terrific and his form is really good. This is a highly talented horse who would have had a pretty good chance from a better post. Now he will need quite a bit of help from here. He will race in the same bike he used during the three victories."
Things happen when you pull a string
In V85-7, Roger Nilsson sends out a strong-form duo.
"8 Filling Fuel feels good. Three starts ago he closed fastest of all down the stretch. In the next start, he did not like the track and when that happens he does not try. That start should simply be forgotten. In his most recent start he started from post 12 and needed that start to be ready for this week, and it turned into a good prep. I think this is a really good horse and he has shown that he belongs on Saturdays."
"It is a handicap and he has paid for the post. I hope things work out for him because if they do, he can be right there at the finish. Now I am stepping up both the balance and equipment. He will race barefoot all around and with an American Sulky, and I am replacing the blind bridle with cups."
"9 Gratisfaction has been very good in his two starts this year. He was not trained to be sharp in any way for his seasonal debut and still turned in a very good race when third in a solid time over a long distance. He followed that up with an easy victory. He feels very good in training after that and I am fairly happy with the post because he is not particularly quick away from the gate. I am considering putting a can't-see-back bridle on him, but I will make that decision closer to Saturday. He races with a pull-off earhood and every time you pull the string, things happen with this horse."
Who is your best chance?
"I have the horses where I want them, but things still have to work out and everything has to fall into place. I have a hard time separating Sjöli Morten, Filling Fuel, and Gratisfaction. If I were betting, I would use all three."