V85®: Despite the changes – Kolgjini beleives strongly in Barack Face
Elitloppet came too early.
Instead, another start in the Gold Division awaits Barack Face.
And despite a second tier draw, a regular sulky, and shoes on his hooves, his trainer believes in a top chance.
"If he can’t beat these horses with shoes on his hooves, then he is not at all where I want him to be," says Lutfi Kolgjini ahead of V85® at Mantorp.
The dust has just settled after Elitloppet weekend at Solvalla and Swedish harness racing is recovering after winner Allegiant’s enormous performance in the Elitloppet. From post seven behind the gate, Daniel Redén’s superstar mare blasted to the lead and after a furious pace throughout the race she pulverized the world record with the phenomenal kilometer time of 1:07.1.
"We have never seen anything like that. Allegiant did the work herself and was best, but it was also fantastic that several other horses were able to follow her," says Lutfi Kolgjini.
His Barack Face emerged as an Elitloppet candidate after his most recent start, when he ran down Elitlopp horses A Fair Day and Jobspost, but the sprint showdown at Solvalla came too early.
"He would have been in the Elitloppet if we had chosen it but it was not relevant. It would have been unfair to the horse. Normally they can come into form after a couple of starts, but then they should ideally have trained all winter, and he had been off for a very long time before the short training period he has had. But we will come back next year, I hope," says Kolgjini.
Sensational return
Instead of the Elitloppet over 1,609 meters, the Östgötaloppet over 2,640 meters is the next step in the match-up for the reborn star. The horse belonged to the top of his crop as a young horse and as a four-year-old he won the Grand Prix de l'UET and finished second in the Swedish Trotting Derby. But after his win in the Copenhagen Cup two years ago the horse was no longer recognizable, and last fall the stable announced that he had, at six years old, been retired from racing.
"At that time we had been told that he had a serious reduction in lung capacity caused by a bacterium. The veterinarians did not know if he would recover, but he received two months of medication and rested completely for five months," Kolgjini explains.
The horse recovered, and in February he was so bright and happy in the paddock that Lutfi Kolgjini put the harness on him again.
"The idea was not to bring him back into serious training but more that he should have some fun. I kept it secret and told those who saw him at the yard that it was an experiment and that it was not official that I was training him again. I thought that if it works it is good, and if it does not the owners should not pay any training fee. But now I have of course billed them retroactively," says Kolgjini with a laugh.
That bill was paid back by Barack Face with interest when he in his second start after the layoff collected the winner’s check of SEK 220,000 after a swirling late sprint in the Mile Championship.
"It is sensational that he has come back like he has. He was written off and could not deliver for two years, and then he comes back like this after only three months of training. It is unique."
"He has also not made that many starts in his life. If we get a few more starts into him I am sure he will continue to develop."
"Top chance"
In his most recent, start Barack Face competed with an American sulky and without shoes on his hooves. This week, when he starts from number nine behind the gate, he is entered with a regular sulky and shoes all around.
"I don't want to keep racing with maximum equipment all the time, but if he cannot beat these horses with shoes on his hooves then he is not at all where I want him to be. Any horse can of course have a bad day, but normally he is head and shoulders above the rivals. I believe in a top chance."
Lutfi Kolgjini on Gomari (V85-7):
"He won a Breeders’ race last time and is in good form, but now he got a completely impossible draw and he will have to take what he can get from there."