V86®: The world's fastest horse is back – "Allegiant feels even sharper after the Elitloppet"
Allegiant shocked the entire harness racing world with her crushing victory in the Elitloppet, setting the incredible world record of 1:07.1.
Now the world's fastest trotter is back on the track, and Daniel Redén's mare headlines Wednesday's V86® at Eskilstuna.
"She has taken harness racing to a whole new level. The truth is, she feels even sharper after the Elitloppet," says Daniel Redén, who also sends out Derby favorite Perfect Chest in the prestigious Four-Year-Old Test.
It has been a month and a half since Allegiant not only wrote herself into the history books as the Elitloppet winner, but also did so with the astonishing winning time of 1:07.1 over 1,609 meters behind the gate. The superstar mare raced with a blind bridle for the first time in the final and also competed barefoot for the first time in her career when she blasted to the lead despite having several lightning-fast leavers to her inside. The fractions were equally difficult to comprehend, as Allegiant opened in 1:04.7 for the first 500 meters and reached the kilometer mark in 1:06.0. It was no surprise that Daniel Redén smashed the TV in his office at Solvalla in sheer frustration, convinced that the mare would tire well before the finish after those unreal fractions. The rest is pure harness racing history, with winning driver Örjan Kihlström had the experience of a lifetime in the sulky and trainer Redén spending days afterward trying to process what had happened.
"It still feels unreal. I haven't fully taken it in mentally and I think about it probably 90 percent of the day. I keep trying to process it, but I can't. It's an incredible feeling," Daniel Redén said in an interview with Per Skoglund.
"I had a revelation when I trained her"
Redén continued:
"It's hard to put this mare into words. It was like I had a revelation when I trained her in that workout. That's when I thought, 'This is where it's going to happen.' I've never experienced anything like that with a horse before, the feeling I had at Solvalla when I was training her alone behind the starting gate."
"The gait she has... I looked down at the stopwatch after 200 meters, and I was sitting there as comfortably as if I were in an armchair, just holding onto her. She was trotting times you simply don't see in training. After that workout, I knew she had an unbelievable performance in her. She has taken harness racing to a completely new level, and she did it in one minute," says Redén.
"A suitable race ahead of the Hugo Åbergs"
Allegiant has already received an invitation to the Hugo Åbergs Memorial at Jägersro on Tuesday, July 28. Before that, however, she makes a prep start in Wednesday's V86® at Eskilstuna, where the five-year-old mare makes her first appearance since the Elitloppet. She drew post 1 behind the gate, and trainer Redén is dialing things back in terms of equipment, returning to racing with shoes all around and a pull-down bridle, just as she wore before the Elitloppet. On his website, the Solvalla trainer wrote the following ahead of Wednesday's start, where Allegiant will be a massive favorite and the star attraction at Sundbyholm.
"1 Allegiant (V86-5) did something historic most recent time and can now call herself the world's fastest horse, which is incredible! She is something truly special with her powerful gait, and the truth is she feels even sharper after the Elitloppet. This will be a suitable race ahead of the Hugo Åbergs, and she'll race with shoes all around and a pull-down bridle, just as she did in her Elitloppet elimination," says Redén, who also sends out another starter in the same race.
"5 Undinia (V86-5) had a tough beginning last time out, but still held on well for second, and she's a good mare. She gets very geared up before her races but still hasn't shown much early speed, which is a little surprising. She obviously faces a difficult task against Allegiant, but she'll race well. Barefoot all around and a regular style sulky."
Derby favorite impressed in his most recent start – "A completely different horse barefoot and with the American sulky"
Eskilstuna's richest race on Wednesday is the Four-Year-Old Test, traditionally contested in mid-July with SEK 300,000 to the winner. Daniel Redén has two highly interesting starters, headed by Perfect Chest, who is also the current favorite for this fall's Swedish Trotting Derby. The four-year-old colt has raced twice this year following his lengthy layoff, and after finishing a somewhat flat third in his seasonal debut, he returned to the winner's circle most recent time with a Breeders Crown victory at Rättvik. He now drew the ideal post 3 behind the gate.
"3 Perfect Chest (V86-7) was very impressive in his most recent start and really benefited from his start at Visby. He's also a completely different horse barefoot and with the American sulky, and that's how he'll race again. The longer distance suits him well, he can leave quickly out of the gate, and he has looked very good in training," Redén says on his website, and he also sends out Mellby Note in the Four-Year-Old Test, who is also coming off a victory and will race barefoot behind again, just as he did when winning the STL Final during the Elitloppet weekend.
"5 Mellby Note (V86-7) was better than I expected last time out with shoes and a pull-down bridle, which was obviously very pleasing. I think he's an exciting horse heading toward the Derby. He should move forward with that start, and now he'll race barefoot behind, which suited him well when he won two starts ago. He'll wear the pull-down bridle again," reports Daniel Redén, who also sends out one more starter on the V86 card, Chestnut, in the sixth leg, a handicap where Silver Division horses take on Gold Division horses.
"10 Chestnut (V86-6) was returning from a layoff in his most recent start, but still raced well and finished strongly behind a very difficult winner to beat. He now faces that same horse again, but the post positions are different this time, and with a coverd up trip, Chestnut can close fast and he should move forward with that start in his legs. Barefoot all around and a regular sulky."