V75 (jackpot): The Breeders Crown champ toward top form: "I had 1:06.5 the last 500"
He closed out last year by winning the Breeders Crown, and last time out in his seasonal debut, he closed wicked fast.
Eclipse As has an exciting season ahead of him as a 5-year-old, and he starts this Saturday in the Berth Johansson Memorial in V75.
"It feels like he's starting to get in form now, and he should improve with a start in his legs," says trainer Ville Karhulahti.
The 4-year-old campaign ended in the best possible way for 7 Eclipse As (V75-2).
The Italian-born son of Nuncio did not draw a lot of interest from the bettors in the Breeders Crown final, but got a perfect pocket trip and got out in time to win after a lightning-fast rally.
A big success for the Solvalla trainer, Ville Karhulahti.
During the Easter weekend races at Färjestad, Eclipse As made his seasonal debut in Prins Carl Philips Jubileumspokal. Holocombe Zet won the race in 1:09.5, but nobody closed faster than Eclipse As, who finished fourth.
"He was great, the horse raced super. The race went 1:06.6 the last 500 meters, and he trotted at least as fast as the others. I had him trotting the last kilometer in 1:08.6 and the last 500 meters in 1:06.5, according to my stopwatch. I couldn't ask for more than that. It feels like he's getting in form now, and he should improve with that start in his legs," says Ville.
Faces the best 5-year-olds again
The second start of the year this Saturday will be at the Umåker Racetrack in Umeå.
This is the biggest race day of the year for the racetrack in Västerbotten, traditionally two weeks before the Elitlopp weekend.
Eclipse As comes out in the Berth Johansson Memorial, and as the Färjestad race, it's a 5-year-old open. Just as before, Ulf Ohlsson will be in the sulky. They drew, not unexpectedly, far out behind the gate.
"Yes, but we knew he would, since it's a handicap based on lifetime earnings. He's not all that fast behind the gate anyway, so it might not matter that much; he can still leave OK."
But he should be a winning candidate here, either way?
"Yes, he can do some of the hard work himself and does not depend on a certain trip. That's up to "Uffe", who knows the horse well. Eclipse As continues to race barefoot all around and in an American sulky, as usual."
Are there any plans for the rest of his 5-year-old campaign?
"Nah, well yes, nothing written in stone, but we will make this start first and see, but of course, the Margareta Jubileumspokal is his biggest goal this year," says Ville Karhulahti.