V85®: Big success with a hat trick last Saturday - new red hot chances for Djuse
Last Saturday was a big success for Mattias and Magnus A Djuse, who took a hat trick on V85®.
Ahead of the STL Finals and the Margareta races at Solvalla, the success looks set to continue for the brother duo, as the hometown trainer is well represented with nine starters.
"It is a group of exciting chances with horses that are in really good form. The best chance is Cold Blaze," says Mattias Djuse about the four-year-old who is unbeaten so far after five starts.
"There is something extra to that horse."
Solvalla hosts Saturday’s V85®, highlighted by STL finals and the Margareta Early Young Horse Series for three- and four-year-olds with SEK 300,000 to the winner in each race. One trainer who has made major strides in recent years is Mattias Djuse, who has established himself at the very top nationally. The stable’s horses earned just over SEK 21 million both last year and the year before, and the number of wins has also been well above 100 victories in each of the past four years. Last Saturday, the Solvalla trainer celebrated major success in Eskilstuna with a triple win on V85, with the horses expertly driven by his brother Magnus.
"It looked exciting beforehand, and the horses that won all delivered really good performances. I think things have been rolling along very well this winter, with many wins from mid-November onwards. There have been double wins on V75® before, but not three wins on the same day as far as I can remember," says Mattias Djuse.
"Right type, won with plenty left every time"
Going into Saturday, he is red hot again with nine starters on V85. Several of them are likely to be heavily backed, and a couple of last Saturday’s winners are back again.
"It looks like a clearly exciting Saturday. The horses that are racing have shown really good form and have been winning recently. We have also had good training conditions this winter, and that, of course, helps a lot when the tracks are in good shape," he says.
Before we go through the horses one by one, we highlight a horse who is likely to be one of the big talking points of the card. It is Cold Blaze, who is unbeaten in five starts and has won easily every time. Last time he was just as dominant as in his debut win, and now he has a good draw with post four behind the car in the Margareta Early Young Horse Series for four-year-old colts and geldings.
"4 Cold Blaze (V85-3) has started out promisingly and clearly feels like the right type. He has won comfortably every time with plenty left and there is something extra to him. We will see how he develops with racing but he has shown that he has a quick turn of foot. He is also strong and can do some work. As for his gate speed, we have never really asked him, but Magnus felt that he left well in the first few strides last time before taking it easy and letting go," says Mattias.
"He had some issues with freshness as a two-year-old and fell a bit behind then. That is why he got going later, as he could not train the way we wanted when he was young. Over the past year, things have gone very well, and he has been able to develop with racing. He did not show much at home initially during training, but as he got closer to qualifying, he felt better and better. He races with a regular sulky and an open bridle and still wears slightly heavier shoes. There will be no changes and I think this is my best chance," says Djuse.
"Not bottomed out in Saturday’s win, possible first time pullouts"
We go through the other horses, starting in the first division with Handfullofdollar, who won on Saturday in impressive fashion on V85 and took his fourth straight win. There may now be an equipment change.
"7 Handfullofdollar(V85-1) had trained really strongly ahead of the race last Saturday and then showed that he was in good shape. He won in a nice way and looked strong throughout the race. He was not completely bottomed out at the finish, and it was a suitable race ahead of the final. He is a nice horse who always does his best, and he can do some work on his own. I think we will go the same way as last time, but I want to think a bit this week about whether we should pull something. He has had fixed equipment, but maybe it could be the first time with pullouts, we will see."
"8 My Precious One(V85-2) has been going well this winter and there is good speed in the horse. Last time she broke stride in the final turn on a soft and tricky track. It was partly a speed break combined with the track conditions. Otherwise, the horse is in good form. She has trained strongly but has a poor draw. Now it will be an American sulky for the first time and possibly first time pullout earplugs. We will try that during the week, and possibly we'll take some weight off of her."
"8 Fahrenheit (V85-4) is in really good form and has delivered very strong performances recently. He has won five of his last six starts and even if some races have been easier, there was very good punch in him last time and he decided things nicely. Magnus was very pleased with how he felt last time. He sometimes races with an American sulky and sometimes with a Finntack sulky, but now it will be the American sulky. No other changes, pull down bridle again."
"12 Express Cash(V85-4) is a capable horse who has come back well and we have him in good shape. He has looked good in recent starts and has won with plenty left in the tank. Unfortunately, another poor draw in the same race. No changes, pull down bridle and the Finntack sulky."
"Sharper now, possible pull out earplugs and a bridle change"
"9 Readly Winner(V85-5) did well as runner-up on Wednesday after a short layoff. Maybe he was missing a small percentage but the one who challenged and went by was very quick. He simply did not have that speed at that moment, but I think that race will have done him good and that he will be a bit sharper this time. He is otherwise very strong. It will be shoes and the Finntack sulky as recently, but I will think about whether we should make any changes during the week. He has raced with a set earhood and possibly it could be pull out earplugs now for the first time. We will test that in training during the week if so. He has also raced with an open bridle, but perhaps it will be some form of blinkers now, though not a blind bridle. I want to think it through during the week."
"6 Nepthys Boko (V85-6) goes evenly and well every time and is a useful horse who takes good placings and earns good money. She has been in the top three every time recently and we hope for a similar placing now. No changes, pull down bridle and the Finntack sulky as usual."
"5 Gliding Eagle (V85-7) produced his best race last Saturday when he could win despite getting a bit keen mid-race. It was very strong to hold on and now he again has a perfect draw with the same post and he is quick out of the gate. I will think about the bridle and whether to open him up a bit; he has raced with a blind bridle so far. We will see how he is in the warm-up before deciding. Finntack sulky again."
"15 Rya Håleryd(V85-8) sat a bit far back last time at Romme and finished well, so the form is good. Of course, there are many to pass now from post 15, but I think this is a very nice horse, so if things work out a bit along the way, she will certainly be right there. Pull down bridle and American sulky again," says Mattias Djuse.