V86®: Stenströmer not happy with the draw – "More likely to win the lottery"
Four horses with freshly proven form racing in V86 at both tracks.
In one way, it looks like an exciting Wednesday for Ulf Stenströmer – but then there is also the matter of the post positions.
"It is almost more likely to win the lottery than to have this kind of bad luck with the post positions," sighs the Axevalla trainer.
7-9-12-8.
That is not a mediocre past performance record but the post positions for Ulf Stenströmer's quartet when V86 this Wednesday is contested at Solvalla and Åby.
The Axevalla trainer sends out horses at both tracks and is more than pleased with where they are in terms of form, but less pleased with how the post position draw turned out.
"I said in the spring that come summer, we would probably get great post positions all the time, but then it continued, so I thought that come fall, it would be our turn, but now we get these spots again. It is almost more likely to win the lottery than to have this kind of bad luck with the post positions. I don't want to sound negative, but you get a little fed up... We just have to hope for some racing luck instead," says Stenströmer when we call him to discuss the chances in V86.
7 Öje Tim (V86-2) is relatively new to the stable and has made two starts since joining the stable.
Most recently, the four-year-old almost managed to reach the winner's circle when finishing second at Åby, and in the start prior to that, according to the trainer, an at least equally good placing disappeared in the final turn.
"Yes, he probably lost second place or even the win due to that break two starts ago. Unfortunately, his overcheck was too long, but we shortened it before his most recent start and the horse felt great. The driver was also very pleased with him and there is plenty of ability in the horse. It feels like he has become a little more settled now, too. I don't know if he found the move difficult because he was quite hot when he first arrived here, but now the horse has become much calmer and we like that. Then he got, like all my horses on Wednesday, a poor post, but you have to make the best of it even if you don't like it... It feels like the horse will put in a good performance anyway, and then we just have to hope things work out."
Matched against tough groups of four-year-olds
9 Jula Redmile Champ (V86-4) is also four years old and has really been thrown into the deep end this season.
The gelding, who won a Class 2 final early in the season, has competed in eliminations for both the Sprint Championship and, most recently, the Swedish Trotting Derby.
He comes into this race off a fine third-place finish in a Breeders Course race on Derby Sunday.
"He has been positive pretty much all year. The horse has raised his game more and more, and most recently he also got a good trip. He was driven really well by Björn Goop. He has faced tough groups of four-year-olds most of the year and has gained some more experience. He is unquestionably still developing and will probably surpass SEK 1 million in earnings this year, but it certainly would not have hurt if he had gotten better luck with the post positions. Now post nine isn't quite as bad, but at the same time he is best when racing near the front, and it is usually difficult to come from a second-tier post, so it feels more realistic to hope for a top-three result here," says Ulf.
12 Superstitious (V86-6), then, you have to say he was impressive in his win at Mantorp most recently?
"Absolutely. But it doesn't matter how impressive you are when you then draw post twelve over 1,640 meters... Of course, if they go 1:09 for the first lap and we get some great cover to follow, then maybe it could work out, but how often does that happen? Otherwise, the horse is in great shape and it feels like he will put in a really good performance. The horse injured himself in the spring, he is a bit study, and hurt himself in a hind leg, but he was given all the time needed to heal and everything looks great now. He will get a few more months to build up his earnings, so hopefully the post positions will be better going forward..."
8 Hugo Boss Shadow (V85-7) starts at Åby. He looked to have a lot of trot when he broke stride in the pocket, just before the last turn, most recently?
"He nearly ran over the leader last time, and I don't think it would have mattered how that race had been run, he probably would have won anyway if they hadn't gotten themselves locked in. You don't expect the leader to stop like that, so there was no shame on the driver. I had found a monster race for the horse that time, but we got nothing out of it. Yes, he has really had crazy bad luck this year, both with the race scenarios and the post positions, and he is really due for a good race. Then there weren't many suitable races for him, and I suspected this would be a great race, and with our luck we got post eight... He could put in a top performance and finish fifth," says Ulf Stenströmer.