V85: The post position draw does not make Almheden lose faith in "Affe"
After dominating the Swedish Championship, A Fair Day heads to his favorite track, Jägersro, to try to win Müllers Memorial for the third year in a row.
However, the post draw did not go in "Affe's" favor, although Elisabeth Almheden is not losing heart over drawing post twelve.
"It felt a little disappointing when I saw the post, but, well...it all comes down to how the race unfolds anyway," says the trainer ahead of Saturday's feature on V85.
With three straight wins and what can only be described as a complete crush in the Swedish Championship fresh in the memory, A Fair Day has been prepared for a start in the C.L. Müllers Memorial when V85 heads to Jägersro on Saturday.
But then came the post draw. Post twelve behind the starting gate. The worst possible draw.
Elisabeth Almheden has just seen the post positions when we speak on Sunday evening.
"It could have been better...it felt a little disappointing when I saw the post, but, well...it all comes down to how the race unfolds anyway. I'm thinking about his most recent start, when Oscar drove him fantastically, and I also think the long distance is a good thing now. It suits him. I mean, he's such a strong horse, and he's probably actually better over this distance than over 1,640 meters," says "Lisa" and adds:
"And he's in form, so we haven't given up just because we got this post. I believe in my horse."
Not noticeably affected by his Swedish Championship win
The victory in the Swedish Championship just under a month ago sent ripples through the sport.
Starting from the second tier, A Fair Day, as always with Oscar Ginman in the sulky, worked his way into a good position. With 700 meters to go, the driver "pressed the button," and the horse swept past his rivals, leaving them to fight for second place.
"It was wonderful. You could really sense it when we trained him beforehand, that he was going to be really good, but I don't think I expected him to be as good as he was most recently. It was so much fun; he just swept past them...and I mean, he was up against some really nice horses, too."
Has the horse felt just as good since then?
"Absolutely. The horse wasn't noticeably affected afterward either. He just feels sound and good, and everything has been fine. He always gives his all in races, and he enjoys it so much—and that's still the most important thing."
Sharp-eyed observers noticed that "Affe" raced without his characteristic blue earhood last time.
A small change that may also have contributed to the sharp performance.
"Yes, Oscar was the one who said before the race that we should take it off. He's a little lazy behind other horses, which he almost always is, but when he's told to race, he races. Taking the earhood off really worked wonders, so we'll probably do the same this Saturday."
...and he finally proved that he doesn't always have to race on the lead to win?
"Yes, exactly. He's won from behind several times now, and it doesn't really matter where he is positioned during the race. As I said, I think the long-distance race gives him an advantage over many of the others."
Likes Jägersro – and Müllers Memorial
Both the horse and the trainer enjoy racing at Jägersro in particular.
And Müllers Memorial seems to hold a special place in their hearts. The team is actually chasing a third straight victory in the nearly century-old major race.
"Jägersro is a good track and a convenient distance away from home. He doesn't like standing around too much, so this is perfect. We like 'Jägers,' and he's won this race for the past two years as well. Oscar said it most recently: now we're going for three in a row...Last year we also beat Francesco Zet, and it was the first ever V85 race. So that made it feel a little extra special—or very special, actually."
That brings us to the question of whether there are any more starts planned for A Fair Day in the coming weeks?
A lot of people have asked that. We'll see. There's a race in Denmark (Koster Memorial, editor's note), and Meadow Prophets Minne is coming up in about a month, also at Jägersro, so that's a race we're considering. The horse likes the fall, but we'll take one start at a time as long as he feels sound and good. That's the most important thing."
We also have to say a few words about his little brother, 14 Maroon Day (V4-4), who will join him on Saturday by starting in Oktoberstayern, which takes place before the start of V85.
"It was nice that he got in. He has lost a lot of starting points and was initially the second also eligible, but he drew in. Maroon Day also feels good, and now he's sound and healthy again, good in every way, but it's been a little difficult to find races for him. Now he starts 40 meters behind in a long-distance race, so of course it could be tough, but he needs to get a race under his legs," says Elisabeth Almheden.