V85® (Saturday): The winning is machine is back – "I'd be a coward if I didn't believe she has a good chance to win"
She has been a huge success with Markus Pihlström and has impressed tremendously with five wins in six starts this year.
Unforgettable A.Y. is on her way toward the Mares Elite and on Saturday she will be the biggest favorite of the V85 card and a single for many bettors.
"We haven't seen her maxed out yet and in the long run I think she will belong among the best mares in the country. I think she has a suitable assignment and I'd be a coward if I didn't believe she has a good chance to win here," says Markus Pihlström.
Rättvik hosts Saturday's V85 and offers, among other things, Ego Boys Minne for the horses in the Gold Division. One horse rapidly heading in that direction is Unforgettable A.Y., who has impressed greatly with four straight wins, the last three of which have come against really high-caliber competition. Three starts ago, she was dominant at Solvalla in 1:10.2/1,640 meters autostart, and the time after that she didn't give super mare La Yuca a chance when she won V85 in the Diamantstoet at home at Bergsåker. Most recently, she was phenomenal when she won V85 at Axevalla despite a trip outside the leader and put on another show. That time, too, she trotted a 1:10, cruising across the finish line in 1:10.1/1,640 meters autostart. The five-year-old mare has thus won over short, middle and long distances this year."There aren't many horses who are more versatile than she is. She has won in volt start, behind the gate, over long and short distances, with or without shoes. Previously, she wasn't particularly quick out of from the gate because her best quality was always her finishing rally. But now she has developed her early speed as well," says Markus Pihlström when we catch up with him Monday at lunchtime.
"Has taken a step forward with us – our training has contributed"
The Bergsåker trainer has enjoyed excellent success with his stable of 52 horses and has already recorded 42 wins this year (47 in total last year) and SEK 4.5 million in earnings (SEK 6.1 million for all of last year).
Unforgettable A.Y. was previously trained by Öystein Tjomsland and was a syndicate horse at Bergsåker. Markus Pihlström took her into his stable in December of last year, and she made her debut for him with a win in March, followed by a second-place finish. Since then, however, she has reeled off four straight wins and become a real flagship horse for Pihlström.
"I picked her out when I worked for Öystein, and you have to remember that she won a Margareta race as a three-year-old and competed in the Breeders Crown as a four-year-old. So she wasn't a bad racehorse when she came to us, and she came in very good condition. But yes, she has taken a step forward, and we had trained her for four months before she started racing for us, so you have to say that our training has contributed," says Pihlström.
Unforgettable A.Y. was previously trained by Öystein Tjomsland and was a syndicate horse at Bergsåker. Markus Pihlström took her into his stable in December of last year, and she made her debut for him with a win in March, followed by a second-place finish. Since then, however, she has reeled off four straight wins and become a real flagship horse for Pihlström.
"I picked her out when I worked for Öystein, and you have to remember that she won a Margareta race as a three-year-old and competed in the Breeders Crown as a four-year-old. So she wasn't a bad racehorse when she came to us, and she came in very good condition. But yes, she has taken a step forward, and we had trained her for four months before she started racing for us, so you have to say that our training has contributed," says Pihlström.
"It's impressive – she has had to dig deep and do a lot herself"
"It is impressive the way she has won these races. You can't exactly say that she has won through luck; she has had to dig deep and do a lot herself. She has put races away easily whether La Yuca was in there or whether she had to race outside the leader, and I'm very happy with what the horse has accomplished."
Pihlström continues:
"You want to get her under 1:10 at some point, and she has that within herself. When she trotted 1:10.2 at Solvalla, the driver grabbed up in the final turn; otherwise she would have gone under 1:10 that day. And most recently at Axevalla, she raced outside the leader on a poor track and still won in 1:10.1. We haven't seen her maxed out yet, so she should be able to lower her time by a couple of tenths more. I don't think she is that far behind the best mares in Sweden, and in the long run I think she will belong among the best mares."
Pihlström continues:
"You want to get her under 1:10 at some point, and she has that within herself. When she trotted 1:10.2 at Solvalla, the driver grabbed up in the final turn; otherwise she would have gone under 1:10 that day. And most recently at Axevalla, she raced outside the leader on a poor track and still won in 1:10.1. We haven't seen her maxed out yet, so she should be able to lower her time by a couple of tenths more. I don't think she is that far behind the best mares in Sweden, and in the long run I think she will belong among the best mares."
"I think she has a good chance here – otherwise I'd be a coward"
On Saturday at Rättvik, Unforgettable A.Y. will be the heavy favorite in the third leg as she goes for her fifth straight win. She has post five behind the gate and will once again be driven by Daniel Wäjersten. Trainer Pihlström has singled his horse in the official V85 Expert picks selections.
"I understand that she will be the favorite, and I think we have found a suitable assignment for her. All races have to be raced, but if you don't think she has a good chance here, you're being too cautious," says Markus Pihlström.
"She trained today (Monday) and I'm very happy with the horse. She had colic when she was supposed to start at Solvalla at the Elitloppet weekend and had to be scratched there. We also had to make some adjustments after Bergsåker two starts ago, so I think that with her most recent start in her legs, she will be even a little better now that we've been able to train her regularly. We aren't making any changes; she'll go exactly as she did last time out."
"I understand that she will be the favorite, and I think we have found a suitable assignment for her. All races have to be raced, but if you don't think she has a good chance here, you're being too cautious," says Markus Pihlström.
"She trained today (Monday) and I'm very happy with the horse. She had colic when she was supposed to start at Solvalla at the Elitloppet weekend and had to be scratched there. We also had to make some adjustments after Bergsåker two starts ago, so I think that with her most recent start in her legs, she will be even a little better now that we've been able to train her regularly. We aren't making any changes; she'll go exactly as she did last time out."
You also have A Last Chance in the first leg. What do you say about her?"
15 A Last Chance (V85-1) we made some changes with last time and removed the over check, which worked out well, but unfortunately she was locked in throughout the entire race and crossed the finish line with plenty left. Now she has a tricky post at the very back, and she isn't one for the win bettors. I'll be happy if she can earn a nice check."