V75 (Sunday): Panthere d’Inverne reaches this year’s big goal: "One of the best mares in the crop"

Since 1969, the Stochampionatet has been held at Axevalla.

It’s grown into the premier race for four-year-old mares in the country and is the highlight of a festive weekend in the Skara region.

Trainer André Eklundh from Åby has a strong contender in this year’s edition.

9 Panthere d’Inverne (V75-6) impressed in her elimination. She reached the lead early and had a smooth journey to victory, seemingly with plenty left in the tank.

"It was nice that we didn’t have to do a lot of the hard work ourselves. We got a good trip and the race went just the way we wanted. Everything looked good, and it feels like we’ve really nailed it with her," says André, adding:

"She had a training period after her second-to-last start in Mantorp, and since then, we’ve been targeting this race. So, the elimination ended up being the perfect prep for her to reach peak form in time for Sunday."

Panthere d’Inverne already claimed a classic win this year.

This spring, she surprisingly won the Queen’s Trophy at her home track Åby, grinding down the favorite Vivillion after a first over trip.

"Of course, I didn’t expect us to win that time. But when we got to the position first over so easily and so early, I felt good about it. I didn’t really think we could beat Vivillion from the lead, but quite early it started to feel like we might actually do it."

"Yes, absolutely. Mainly because she has such tremendous strength, but now she’s also become a bit faster out of the gate – something she didn’t have before – so she’s developing with every start and is now close to being a complete racehorse."

"She’s incredibly tough, this mare. However, that also applies to her handling. Constanza Flores, who takes care of her, has to treat her very carefully – she’s tough to handle, but she channels all that energy in the right way on the track."

"We had the choice between five or nine when it was our turn. Since she’s not very fast out of the gate, it felt risky – we could end up getting hung out or sitting outside the leader had we picked post five. Racing on the outside of a mare like La Yuca probably wouldn’t work. So we’d rather sit third or fourth over and maybe make a move later," says André, and adds:

"I have a mare that can very well win, because I think she’s one of the top three or four mares in the crop. It’s going to be exciting on Sunday." 

Panthere d’Inverne isn’t the only representative from the Eklundh stable in the Stochampionatet.

She’s joined in the final by 6 One Lady Boko (V75-6), who joined the stable recently but already reached the Stosprintern final.

Now another big stake final awaits after she finished second in her elimination from the lead.

"She did very well last time. She had to leave hard, and she got too sharp in the lead. For her to still finish like that was impressive. I managed to calm her down after a while, but when another horse came up on the outside after about a lap, she wanted to race again and got too aggressive. Otherwise, I actually think she would have won that race."

"She’s quick from the start and easy to put in a hole, so Mats Djuse will probably try to leave with her and find a good spot, preferably along the pylons. It really depends on where she ends up, but she should ideally stay covered up until the last 200 meters, that’s when she’s at her best. If everything goes perfectly, she could finish third or fourth. But I don’t think she can beat Panthere d’Inverne one-on-one, especially not over this distance."

André Eklundh has another horse racing in Sunday’s V75.

The fellow four-year-old mare, 1 Ardanza Wine (V75-7), races in the Mare division, the final race of the V75 card. Last time out, she made a break in a good spot in the last turn.

"We pulled her hind shoes for that race, and it didn't work out with her gait; she kept interfering with herself. It was a shame because I had a lot left in her, and she probably would’ve trotted a solid 1:14 time. Now we’ll go with lighter front shoes and try her in a Finntack Yankee sulky for the first time. She’s not in ideally based on earnings, but she’s pretty good for her class, and we got a good post. She’s rarely had a post in the first tier behind the gate before, so I’ve never really tried leaving with her, but I think she can step out of there pretty well. I'm sure she can handle racing in the lead, but I’m not sure I’ll push her too hard to hold them out. Still, she shouldn’t be counted out – I think she’s better than both what she’s shown and what her bank account says." 

“She was really, really good in the Mare Sprint Championship but ended up sitting last, and with the slow pace up front, she couldn’t do much. They trotted the stretch in something like 1:08, and she still made up ground, so she was fantastic even if she didn’t get a check. That was positive, especially since she had an episode of atrial fibrillation during the Elitloppet weekend. Sometimes that needs medication, but in her case, it corrected itself within two days. That was lucky and a relief that she took care of it herself."

"Here, the conditions are a bit tough with a 20-meter handicap and short distance, but she’s a good mare. If things work out, I still think she has a good chance to win,” says André Eklundh.