V86: Ulvsåsen chasing four in a row
Ulvsåsen has returned brilliantly after his injury.
On Wednesday, when V86 comes to Solänget Racetrack, he chases four in a row.
"He has never felt better and I think he has a good chance to win," says trainer Anders Wallin.
Ulvsåsen has always been in the spotlight.
Not only because he is good and wins more than every other start he makes, but he is also incredibly charismatic.
"He's a fantastic individual in many ways. He has a wonderful attitude and is joy spreader for everyone in the stable. The fact that he is also a good racehorse is, of course, fantastic," says Anders Wallin.
It has not been a beeline for the 8-year-old trotter throughout his career. At the end of 2022, he suffered a suspensory injury that took a long time to heal.
"It sucked, of course. Thankfully, the owners are great and we decided to give him all the time he needed, and he also got that. I trained him differently, as an experiment, and the result was good. I train a lot in an uphill, just as many other trainers up here do, but with an injury like the one Ulvsåsen had, you have to be careful with that. I have spent many miles along the paved roads and done many 4-kilometer intervals at the track, I'm sure his total was 50-60 kilometers a week in the cart, and also some intervals. Before his return, I trained him in 1:27/2,700 meters."
Feels better and better now
Ulvsåsen showed in his return that the training was a success. Anders Wallin chose to drive himself and he made an early move to sit parked outside the leader before the last kilometer started. After that, the opponents had no chance. In the last turn, he took over the lead and just left the field to win by open lengths without having to go all out.
Were you surprised that he was that good after such a long layoff?
"Well, he was great in his qualifier and he never felt that good and sound. I felt early in the race that we would win and it was a wonderful feeling; this horse means so much to me and it was nice to be able to show how good he was after such a long break".
Ulvsåsen followed up by winning two cheaper races and he just seems to get better and better.
"I thought he was a bit sluggish last time out, but then I talked to Per (Linderoth, the driver eds note) and he didn't agree. My horse trotted 1:21.5 the last kilometer, three wide, and won easily. This horse has a fantastic gait and it can be hard to see from the side, that he trots that fast".
Ulvsåsen has not raced for a while now, how is his form?
"He feels even better after his last start. It was good for him to get that sharpener. I don't want to race him too often so five weeks in between starts is good. He feels great in training".
On Wedensday, the STL Summer Tour continues to Solänget. Ulvsåsen races in Nordgubbens Minne and faces Månlykke A.M. among others.
"It will be very interesting. I have lots of respect for Månlykke A.M. of course, and there are several good horses in the race. Ulvsåsen is in a good spot and he's safe and can race with any trip and my horse feels so good that I think and hope he is one of the horses that can win the race".
Could we get to see him race in the Swedish Championships this year?
"Yes, if he gets out of this start well and is still sound, that is the plan. It would be so much fun to race him there, at our home track. The open class is wide open now between the older coldbloods and I think Ulvsåsen belongs there".