V86® (jackpot): Going for the third big final with the little mare Tintarella
After the Stochampionatet and the Derby for Mares, the focus now turns to the year’s third major final.
On Wednesday, it’s time for the Breeders Crown, and Thomas Dalborg will be at Åby with the little sprinter Tintarella, who took him to the highlight of his training career this summer.
"She’s small, but she’s really filled out this year. Her greatest strengths are probably that she has two gears of speed, she’s very quick off the start, and overall just a really fast horse."
Winter is approaching, and the trotting world is gearing up for the year’s final major stake finals — the Breeders Crown. Wednesday is entirely devoted to the qualifying round of the series, with Åby and Bergsåker sharing the V86® card — eight nerve-racking elimination races.
From Axevalla, Thomas Dalborg brings one horse to take on the big stables. His only "ticket" on Wednesday night is 6 Tintarella (V86-6) in the event for four-year-old mares.
Tintarella is a small mare known for her sharp closing speed.
The competition on Wednesday is fierce, but Dalborg also has many options as a driver.
"You can send her off the gate, and she’ll still have plenty left for the finish. That ability — to have two bursts of speed in one race — is something that often separates a good horse from an ordinary one. The question is how to play it this time. The draw made things tougher with a few very fast horses on the inside, so maybe we’ll save her speed for the end?" says Thomas Dalborg, thinking aloud.
After returning to Sweden in the summer of 2013, following eight years in Canada as an employee, catch driver, and trainer, he acquired his own farm just a couple of years later. The property sits right next to the Axevalla racetrack.
At home, besides horses, there are also three children and his partner, Hannah Matikainen.
"The youngest two are boys, two and three years old — wild little ones who take up a lot of time. Hannah and I share everything. She’s really my partner in crime. She actually knows Tintarella best and does most of the training work with her."
A short but wonderful moment
As a driver, Dalborg earned around 300 wins in Canada. The success with Tintarella, when he reached the Stochampionatet final in July, stands as his biggest achievement as a trainer.
The duo qualified with a second place in the eliminations. Then bad luck struck — they drew last for post positions in the final and ended up with post eight, resulting in two breaks of stride from an overly excited horse.
"It was an amazing experience to be in the Stochampionatet, but the result could’ve been better, to put it mildly. Without that second break in the home stretch, she could’ve gotten a nice check anyway. But she just got too worked up at the start, with all the cheering from the crowd — it was a bit much for her. Then we had to draw last again for the Derby for Mares and got post twelve in the final, which was really, really unfortunate. Plus, the pace up front at Jägersro that day was just way too slow," says Dalborg.
Sold but stayed
There are 37 horses on Dalborg’s training list, with Tintarella by far the best of them at the moment, at the farm located between Skara Sommarland and the racetrack.
Thomas and Hannah owned the mare until this spring, when she was sold to Finnish owner Jasmi Friman.
The agreement was that Tintarella would remain in their training.
"In the contract, it said she’d stay with us at least until after a potential Derby final. I have an excellent relationship with the owner, and there’s no indication that she’ll be moved. We’ve talked a bit about when she’ll get turned out for the winter and so on — we’re in touch several times a week."
Now, the Breeders Crown is up next. The conditions are that the top four from each qualifying race will advance to the semifinals at Solvalla in November. What about your chances on Wednesday?
"The draw made it a bit tougher. In the Stochampionatet and Derby eliminations, we had the advantage of her early speed. It might be harder to rely on that this time with so many fast ones inside. Goop’s horse 3 Great Knowledge is best in the lead, 2 Giraffa is quick off the gate, and 1 Miss Liberty also leaves fast. Still, our mare can go from any position, and we’re positive."
Tintarella was very good again in her recent win at Åby, leading up to Wednesday’s race. Is the form still there?
"She’s taken another step forward since the Derby for Mares, I think, and showed great form last time. She definitely won’t be any worse this time. She raced with a set earhood in her last start, and now the pull-off earhood is back — the one she’s worn in her big summer races. It’s been pulled three times, and she’s responded really well each time. So it’ll be interesting to go back to that setup now — barefoot behind, as usual," says Thomas Dalborg.