V85®: Kicks off the season in Oslo
Last year, he began with four straight wins, including one in an Elitlopp elimination.
On Saturday, he kicks off a new season in Gunnar Eggens Minneslopp at Bjerke Travbane.
"The winter training has gone exactly according to plan and he is right where he was ahead of his seasonal debut last year," says assistant trainer Oskar Florhed, in the Wäjersten stable.
Curves over successful sporting careers, for both two- and four-legged performers, are usually shaped like hills. Or dromedary backs if you will, with a rise, peak and decline. If you draw a curve over Mellby Jinx’s career, it would rather take the shape of a camel back, where the second hump is considerably higher and wider than the first. For his former trainer Svante Båth, he was already a star as a two-year-old with victories in Breeders Course and Svensk Uppfödningslöpning, and the following year, he continued to battle at the top of his crop. But then the curve turned downward into a deep valley, and most people probably concluded that the horse would never become anything more than a juvenile star. However, he had more to give, and after moving to Daniel Wäjersten, the curve turned upward during his five-year-old season. Like a fine wine with proper aging, he has since blossomed further, and as an eight-year-old, he now begins yet another season as an established elite trotter.
"If he can continue to race at the level he held last year, that will be more than enough," says Oskar Florhed.
Last year was Mellby Jinx’s best so far. In total, he earned SEK 4.3 million, and the victory in his seasonal debut was followed by three more straight wins. In Finlandia-Ajo, he collected a winner’s check of SEK 1.1 million via a tremendous late finish from the rear of the field, and in his next start, he led his Elitlopp elimination from start to finish. In the final, he had to settle for seventh place as the third betting choice after being forced into a tough opening to defend the lead. The season ended in October with a third-place finish against Europe’s elite in the UET Elite Circuit Final. Since then, he has been prepared for the 2026 season.
"He had a very good winter and did every workout he was supposed to. He trained once at Bergsåker Racetrack, where he trotted in 1.18, and it was nothing out of the ordinary. He might not have top form yet and will probably need a start, like many of our horses coming back from a layoff, but he is a real honest horse who always does his best."
"Likes Finland"
Svenska Travligan visits the Norwegian capital track Bjerke on Saturday. There are jackpot millions in the V85® pot and Gunnar Eggens Minneslopp, with SEK 195,000 to the winner, serves as the Gold Division leg. Nine horses are entered, and Mellby Jinx drew post eight, farthest out behind the starting gate.
"It is, of course, tougher when you get a bad post. The Norwegians tend to be aggressive, and there will surely be full speed from the start. Now that he might not be at top form, some of the speed from the start disappears, and him taking the lead feels very far-fetched. The most important thing this time is that he is the fastest at the finish."
How does the plan for the rest of the season look?
"There is, of course, a plan, but nothing is set, and we take one start at a time and let the horse decide. But there are quite a few nice, big races to choose from. We also have many horses in the same class, so we try not to have them race against each other too often. But he likes Finland and the tracks there, so we might take a trip there. We will see."