V75®: An old friend named Ländin's Ferrari
Look at that style—long-striding Skorpan Ruda.
A long-distance guest in Skara on Saturday.
Now that he’s landed a perfect inside post with the starting catapult, Pär Ländin is cruising downwind from Sundsvall.
"He’s a real Ferrari out of the gate—zero to a hundred in under two seconds. But he’s new to the Bronze division, so we’ll see how we play it this time."
Axevalla is hosting its annual three-day trotting event this weekend, featuring races on Friday evening and V75 double rounds on both Saturday and Sunday, culminating in the final of the Stochampionatet.
In the Bronze Division on Saturday (V75-6), Pär Ländin will line up among the big-name trainers with his five-year-old Skorpan Ruda starting from the inside post behind the starting gate over the sprint distance.
Ulf Ohlsson has already driven Skorpan to two V75 victories from the front this summer. Now there's a chance for a third win.
But Bergsåker trainer Ländin is managing expectations this time, as the horse debuts in the Bronze division against tougher opponents.
"I can’t expect a win, but it’s definitely possible. I think he’ll do well in Bronze eventually, but I’d like to see him grow into the class. If I were driving myself, I might hand the lead to number 5, Ready Star—I’m a bit impressed by that one. He sets a high pace in front. Even if we let Ready Star go, I hope he keeps a high enough pace so we can find an opening at the end. I think the field will get strung out," says Pär Ländin.
By all accounts, breeder and trainer Pär Ländin has developed another star for his small stable.
Axel Ruda, who passed away last summer due to knee issues, made over SEK 3 million and won a few Gold division races, and a Silver division final in V75.
Now, Skorpan Ruda is taking over. It’s impressive from a small-time breeder and trainer who doesn’t spend big on stallions.
"Axel was by Formula One, and this one is by Pojke Kronos. Both are nice sires in my opinion, but neither is a breeding blockbuster. Still, I’ve managed to get two good horses from them. My philosophy has been that the money from the two-year-old’s baby races should nearly cover the breeding fee!"
Blasted to the lead from post eight
Skorpan Ruda has the lowest earnings of all horses in Saturday’s race, but his explosive gate speed is a big asset.
The inside post over the short distance is ideal. In May, Ulf Ohlsson bombed away to the lead from post eight in a Class 2 V75 race at Umåker. A month later, Skorpan won a Class 1 race during the Midnight Trot at Boden from his favorite position.
In the finals between those two starts, the horse drew post 12 twice—races best forgotten.
"Exactly. We had post 12 in both finals—at Solvalla and Eskilstuna. You're pretty exposed from there, and this guy really performs best when he's up front. People talk about horses opening in 1:03 or 1:04—this one might hit 1:01 (kilometer rate). We'll see how Ohlsson drives. Skorpan should be picked around fourth in the race. I think Ready Star in the lead is the one to beat."
What a gait he has behind—he looks fantastic in motion.
"He has engines both front and back. His gait is so big that he sometimes struggles because our training track is a bit too small. It can be tough for him to go fast on it. Equipment-wise, everything stays the same: barefoot all around, American sulky, open-eye hood, and earplugs, which have only been pulled twice so far."
You said after the win in Boden that he won’t be as good as Axel Ruda. Are you just afraid to believe it?
"Axel had an exceptional mind and will to win. I’m not sure this one has that. But Skorpan seems to have two gears in him. Maybe it’s more that I don’t dare to hope he’ll be as good as Axel. It would be pretty incredible for a small-time trainer to breed and raise two horses as good as Axel Ruda. Deep down, I hope and believe he could be a Sweden Cup contender in two years when he’s seven—and that means we're in the Gold division."
Where does the name Skorpan (the biscuit) come from? Did he eat biscuits as a foal?
"No, no, I named him after a friend. It was during my military service in Arvidsjaur. Just a few days in, it was haircut time. One guy said, ‘I want zero millimeters.’ So, he got shaved completely. But he had this little scab above his forehead that he kept picking at, so it never healed. He ended up being called ‘Skorpan’ (skorpa can also mean scab). We still talk every week—and that was 38 years ago. He lives in Bagarmossen and is a Hammarby supporter,” says Pär Ländin, who’s from Rimbo himself.
On Saturday, trainer Pär Ländin’s friend Skorpan will be cheering on the horse that shares his nickname—now chasing his third V75 win since May.