V86®: Viking Lane is in top form – defends the hometown colors at Solänget
Viking Lane has kicked off the season in top form with three straight victories. As the STL Summer Tour and V86 head to Solänget, local amateur trainer Patrik Gidlund is aiming high.
"We believe in him and have high hopes, but I’m fully aware that the competition is tougher now," says the trainer.
The Swedish Trotting League’s Summer Tour stops at Solänget this Wednesday.It’s a jackpot-infused V86 evening on the calendar, as all is set for the Örnsköldsvik track's biggest race night of the year.
Patrik and Sara Gidlund are especially excited for the highlight of the summer at their home track.
The amateur licensed training duo is racing 9 Viking Lane (V86-8), who comes into Wednesday’s race with a three-race win streak — one of only three horses in their stable.
The amateur licensed training duo is racing 9 Viking Lane (V86-8), who comes into Wednesday’s race with a three-race win streak — one of only three horses in their stable.
"Yes, besides Viking Lane we also have Bilbao Ace, who won last time out as well, and we’ve got a two-year-old. I’ve been in the sport for nearly forty years, and it usually goes up and down, either everything is working or nothing is, but right now, things are definitely going well," says Patrik when we call him.
And Viking Lane’s form is well documented.The five-year-old opened the season with a third-place finish and has followed that with three consecutive wins — most recently a big V75 victory at the Midnight Trot in Boden.
"He’s been very good, and it seems like he keeps developing. He raises the bar every time, even against tougher competition — he just keeps getting better."
Three wins from the front – but starting in the second tier doesn’t worry trainer
That last performance may have been the horse’s strongest to date.Viking Lane took the lead after a quick start and fought off all challengers down the stretch.
"It was a great effort, and the driver was really pleased with him afterward. The horse fought bravely to the wire and just doesn’t give up. He’s raced well from behind too, but he really fights when he’s in front."
All three wins this year have come from the lead, but now he starts from the second tier?
"That doesn’t worry me too much. We’ll be in the two-path straight away, so maybe third- or fourth-over, and hopefully we get a good horse to follow. I saw that number two, Olli Boko, is a good horse, so maybe that's a good horse to follow."
It’s also worth noting this will be Viking Lane’s sixth consecutive start over long distance. Surely that’s no coincidence?
"Well, he’s done really well over longer distances, but honestly, it’s partly just a coincidence. We’d been aiming at that race in Boden for a while, and the races leading up to it fit him well and were over longer distances. Plus, many horses don’t like long distance, so the competition can be a bit weaker. But yes, this will be the sixth straight long-distance race."
Still hasn't hit the ceiling – could be good enough once again
On Wednesday, Viking Lane will represent Solänget in a Class 1 leg — his toughest start yet.
"Of course, he won’t just trot right around a field like this. We’ll need things to go our way, and it’s up to the driver to decide how to handle it. The horse is strong and tough, but as I said, it all needs to work out. He probably won’t want to go first up and set the pace himself. But drivers often do the opposite of what you say anyway, so I say nothing...it’s up to the driver," Patrik jokes, adding that they’ll be removing the overcheck (the strap running from the head to the harness) for this start:
"Yeah, we’re probably taking the overcheck off now — he’s broken it in his last two races, so clearly he doesn’t want it… It shouldn’t affect him much. He gets a bit nervous before the start, but once the race is underway, he is fine without it."
Despite the tougher competition this time, should we really count out Viking Lane considering the strong form he’s in?
"No, I don’t think so — he hasn’t been fully tested yet. We hope and believe in him, but again, it’s clearly tougher now. In Boden, there were a couple of good horses, but this time pretty much everyone is good. Also, at all his wins he has been down the inside, and now we’ll need to go wide in the second or third lane. But like I said, he hasn’t hit the bottom yet, and we hope he should be competitive here too," says Patrik Gidlund.