V86®: The talent is chasing a spot in the rich final
Reagan Boko won three of four starts last year. On Wednesday, the three-year-old begins the season and should be considered a contender right away. "He is not in top form, but good enough to be in the mix for the win," says Paul J P Hagoort ahead of the V86® start.
Paul J P Hagoort is one of the most successful harness trainers in the Netherlands. He has won the Dutch Trotting Derby several times and also a number of major races across Europe.
Like many trainers in the Netherlands, he has chosen to operate a satellite stable outside his home country, where the purse money is often significantly lower than in places like Sweden.
Hagoort has had a Swedish base for several years. From March to the end of November, he keeps horses at Julmyra training center just outside Heby, which in turn is a little over 100 kilometers from Stockholm.
This year, the stable has started off at full speed. From 23 starters, it has recorded 14 wins and nearly SEK 1 million in earnings.
"Yes, it has started well and we enjoy being at Julmyra. Everything is well organized—when we come out with the horses in the morning, the tracks are in perfect condition. Right now, there are just over 20 horses at the Swedish stable, and several of them are three-year-olds. We hope to compete in bigger races with some of them," says Paul J P Hagoort.
On Wednesday, V86® is shared between Solvalla and Bjerke, and Hagoort has chosen to let Reagan Boko make his seasonal debut in a leg of the Breeders Course series, with the final taking place during the Elitlopp weekend and offering SEK 1 million to the winner.
An extraordinary talent
Reagan Boko made four starts last year, winning three and finishing second in the Swedish Breeders Crown for two-year-olds. This is clearly an extraordinary horse and one that is very likely to feature in several of this year’s major events for three-year-olds.
"Yes, he showed great ability early on is an extraordinary talent. He arrived at Julmyra last week and has trained on well. He looks good and is enjoying it."
How did he train this past winter?
"Good. He had a lot of basic, heavy training and has added quite a bit of muscle mass. He picked up a minor cold a couple of weeks ago—nothing serious—but he had to skip a few workouts. We usually give them a qualifier at Wolvega, but that didn’t happen for him. He has done some tougher work at home instead and it feels good."
What are your expectations for Wednesday?
"That he puts in a good performance and gets going ahead of an exciting season. He is not fully tuned, but he has enough capacity to be considered with a solid chance anyway. The draw is a bit tricky, and I would prefer that he gets a covered up trip and gets to close. I won’t be making any changes."
He has shown he is one of the better horses in the crop. What does the future look like?
"The Breeders Course final is our main target right now. It depends on what kind of performance he delivers on Wednesday. The E3 might come a bit too soon for him, as the eliminations are just three weeks after the Breeders Course. I have other three-year-olds that I hope can compete there."
Sharper on Saturday
On Saturday, 1 Gourmet d'Arc starts in the Drottning Silvias Pokal—how has she come out of her elimination?
"Good. She won easily with plenty trot left. A perfect seasonal debut. She had a sharp qualifier before that and was well prepared, so the performance was expected. She came out of the race well and should be even a bit sharper on Saturday. She faces good horses—several of the opponents impressed me. The draw is good; we chose it, and she is quick out of the gate. I leave the tactics to the driver, Robin Bakker. Gourmet d'Arc is one of many that can win, and she will race barefoot in front this time, which makes her a bit quicker."