V85® (double jackpot): "Can hold his own against any opposition"
The Derby dream ended with a break in the elimination.
Now the connections of Sven Kuce are looking for redemption in the Breeders' Crown, and then a trip to France could be next...
"He has shown that he can hold his own regardless of the opposition," says trainer Thomas Madsen.
Saturday's V85 card is top-class, with the Breeders' Crown finals being contsted in Eskilstuna. Several of the country's best three- and four-year-olds will battle it out in the lucrative races, and there's plenty at stake for bettors as well, with the card boosted by a double jackpot and SEK 50 million in the pool for eight correct picks.
The dark horse of the crop, Sven Kuce, lines up in the final for four-year-old colts and geldings after a strong performance in the semifinal, where he finished third with a strong finish.
"He was good, although I wasn't entirely satisfied because he wasn't completely responsive. He pushes so hard that he gets a little tight in his gait, and the track surface wasn't good for him either. The surface was too deep, and he couldn't grab the track," explains Thomas Madsen.
Sven Kuce has delivered several eye-catching performances during the latter part of the year. Many believed he would be a serious contender in the Swedish Trotting Derby, but a break in the final turn dashed all hopes of reaching the final.
"The final spot was more or less secured before the break, and it was extremely tough to take. It took quite a while for me to get over it. At the same time, the horse showed that he's one of the better ones in his age group, and he still has a lot of room to develop. I hope and believe he can go a long way in his career, and hopefully the best is still ahead of us."
"Feels like we've got everything right"
The opposition on Saturday is strong, and Sven Kuce has an unfavorable post eleven, but that doesn't worry the Kalmar-based trainer.
"It may sound a little strange that I'm not putting too much emphasis on the post position, but Sven Kuce can't leave quickly yet. Quite the opposite, he's slow, and he still gets tense. The best thing is to let him take care of himself."
How is the horse doing after his most recent start?
"Very well. He'll be a little better on Saturday than he was at Solvalla last time. He had problems with his throat after the Derby eliminations, and it took some time for him to recover. He wasn't trained particularly hard ahead of the Mantorp start, and the plan is for him to be at his peak for this start. It feels like we've got everything right. The season has been long for many of his rivals, and I hope that will work to our advantage."
Will you make any changes?
"I'll probably remove the bell boots he wears on his front feet, and I'm also considering racing him in a Finntack sulky for the first time. It works a little like an American sulky, and I think it would benefit him. He has only raced in a regular sulky so far."
How do you assess his chances of winning?
"I believe in my horse, there's no question about that. He's shown that he can hold his own regardless of the opposition. Hopefully, there'll be a good pace in the race, and we've seen that he can handle a wide trip the last kilometer. I also think he'd be able to handle racing first-over if he ended up there."
There's been some talk about Sven Kuce going to France this winter. Is that right?
"We have some plans to try him there. My feeling is that he'd be well suited to racing there. The owners would also like to race in France, so we'll see what happens. We'll focus on Saturday's start first. After that, we'll know more and make our plans accordingly."