V85® (jackpot): Stefan's horses deserve to go on the ticket in the jackpot chase
The in-form stable brings three intriguing outsider contenders to V85®.
Stefan Arvidsson heads to Gävle with a trio worth considering that could prove golden during Saturday’s jackpot card.
"None of them may be a really hot contender, but they are outsiders and all of them could probably end up in the mix," says the Bollnäs trainer.
As tradition dictates, Gävle is where the final pieces ahead of Elitloppet weekend will fall into place.
H.R.H. Prince Daniel’s Race, from this year the seventh and final "E-race" before the Elitloppet, is the highlight of the afternoon and after last Saturday’s V85® produced an impossible puzzle, a jackpot also awaits.
SEK 41 million is estimated in the pool for all eight winners picked.
The key to those millions could be found in one of the three horses that the in-form Bollnäs trainer Stefan Arvidsson brings to the Gävle racetrack
10 Global Good Girl (V85-1), for example. The mare opened the year with two straight wins at Solvalla but in recent weeks she has not managed to revisit the winner’s circle. However, her effort last time in Rättvik, when she held strongly after a tough trip, certainly did not suggest any loss of form.
"I think Global Good Girl has done well all season, she puts in good races almost every time and she was nice last time after a tough opening and being parked out for the entire race. She held on well then and everything has felt good afterwards too. The start before that, at Bollnäs, she was completely left behind from the back. I timed her in 1:11.5 the last 1,000 meters, but the race got so backed up and then it went extremely fast late, so nothing from behind could make an impact. She feels good at home, and looks really nice and is doing well," says Stefan.
Now she drew in the second tier for Saturday?
“We have to take it for what it is and now it is also 2,640 meters. I absolutely think she can be a top-three contender at least, we hope things work out during the race and the fact this is her first time over this distance, I do not see as a disadvantage anyway.”
A four-year-old on the rise
The same age, meaning four years old, is 5 Poetical Trot (V85-6), who now makes his third straight STL start.
Two starts ago he finished third in a Class 3 elimination and last time at Umåker he ended up far back in the field from a back post behind the gate.
"He raced well from behind last time but got a little too far behind in the race, even though he finished strongly. He was in a better spot the start before when he was third, he keeps holding his good form and he is quite a nice horse who is developing. He has maybe never been lightning quick from the start, but here we got a good draw to land in a forward position. We will also remove his shoes on Saturday, it will be the first start barefoot all around and hopefully that will automatically make him a little sharper too."
1 Global Email (V85-7) races frequently in the Swedish Trotting League.
That was also the case last time when he was well-backed in a Class 1 elimination that stablemate Ebbot Rice won impressively. However, Global Email weakened late despite a favorable trip.
"That effort was dull, he was tired at the wire and not good at all," says Stefan, who continues:
"The horse was also a little sluggish the week after, it was probably nothing major and we checked him with bloodwork afterwards too. But recently he has been full of energy in training again and he has actually looked really nice. We also got a good draw, maybe he cannot hold up the lead, but we should get a good trip."
Another inside draw, Global Email at least has not had bad luck in the draw?
"No, that’s nice, especially when you have a horse that can leave. Then maybe he is not a hot contender this time, more of a top-three contender, after the effort last time. But as I said, we have not found anything wrong with him and normally the horse fits very well in this class."
No standouts exactly, but three live longshots. Is that how we should sum it up?
"None of them may be a really hot contender on paper, but they are outsiders and all of them could probably end up in the mix if things work out during the race," says Stefan Arvidsson.