Kim Moberg is coming strong.
The daughter of trainer Svante Båth, you know.
When her father retired at the end of last year, Kim got an amateur training license and she comes into the Wednesday V86® with a recent training double.
"I didn't want to quit training horses and I'm super happy that it worked out the way it did," says the 28-year-old amateur trainer of Albacete.
Nobody found all eight V86® winners last Wednesday and according to ATG's calculations, there is SEK 16 million in the pool for a sole winner this week.
2 Albacete (V86-6) found top form at the end of the summer and comes from a crushing victory in Eskilstuna where he won by five lengths with lots left in the tank.
The Solvalla licensed amateur trainer Kim Moberg had saved every extra gear possible on the 6-year-old, which had a good effect. That same night, Magnus Djuse also won with Fellow Kronos, from the Kim Moberg stable.
Kim Moberg's first training double.
“Everyone doesn't get a training double in their first year as a trainer! It was awesome," she says.
Kim Moberg is the daughter of the big trainer Svante Båth, who after a successful career decided to retire at the end of last year, due to health issues. His hip was bothering him too much.
After many years working as a groom and an apprentice driver in the Båth stable, Kim had to decide what to do in the future. She trains four horses now and is stabled at Stora Alby, in Upplands Väsby, just north of Stockholm.
She takes care of everything that involves the horses and her boyfriend Julian McLaren, who trains thoroughbreds at Bro Park is very supportive.
"My maternity leave ended at the beginning of the year and the kids go to daycare. Julian is a great father and takes care of them a lot when I have my training days in the stable. Then, he takes care of everything and he is very important to me so that I can do this. Without him I could not train four horses" she says.
Proud of dad
Kim also works as a freelance photographer and has gotten back to driving. She used to be a talented apprentice driver who developed into a driver that the bettors always kept their eyes on.
The "daughter of Svante Båth" won several V75® races and got a little bit more out of the horses. As she has started her own stable, all the talk about her being the daughter of one of the best trainers will likely surface again.
"Of course, you want to make a name for yourself, but I'm daddy's daughter and I'm proud of him. I have no issues with that".
Emotional about Mellby Caddy
Her first V75 driving win in November 2016 with her own horse Mellby Caddy is one of her most emotional victories.
She won more V75 races and she drove in a Derby elimination and a Breeders Crown final as well as in Svensk Uppfödningslöpning.
As a trainer, she will drive some herself, but also let others drive for her, as she just came back from maternity leave this year.
Magnus A Djuse drove both horses to give her that training double at the end of September. This week, Ulf Ohlsson drives for her.
What is your plan for the horses and your future, how high do you aim?
"Right now, I'm pleased where I'm at. We live five minutes from Stora Alby where I have my horses stabled. I want to have time for my kids, even if I train horses and have another job. We will see what happens in the future. I have four horses now and I love working with them. In the future, I might have more horses but for now, this is a good number. I like my dad's training philosophy, of course, but now there is a sand track at Stora Alby, which wasn't there when my dad trained. So that's new. The most important thing is continuity for a horse before there can be any results. You can't take any shortcuts".
This Wednesday, you start in a bigger race, Solvallaserien. Albacete has been a bit tricky and made some breaks in his career, but has also shown potential.
"Yes, you can sum it up that way. We got the chance to buy him since he didn't race as expected. We are a bunch of people, all of dad's old owners. So, it's exciting. Sometimes, his gait hasn't been great, but I can't complain about that lately, it's just been a mental issue. He has been mentally weak, but has gotten better".
Albacete seems to be in a good phase now and has stayed flat in his last four starts. You tried some new equipment on him in his last start?
"Two starts ago in Örebro, he raced first time in an American sulky, then we kept that on him when we tried him barefoot for the first time in over a year, in his most recent start. I would say that's his ultimate way of racing. I was surprised because I thought he was pulling too hard throughout the race and was wasting too much energy, but he finally got to show what I felt in training. We have always believed in him and I've been extremely satisfied with him at home all year. We will race him the same way again on Wednesday and keep our fingers crossed!"
It even looked like he had some left in his tank, last time out?
"He had the pull-down bridle that hasn't been pulled in over a year, still unpulled. His heart rate wasn't very high after the race, so he had something left. It almost feels sick saying that!"
What is your message to the bettors this time?
"I think the race looks much tougher this time, but he's good. "Abbe" is both strong and fast. When he’s mentally well, he's pretty much a complete racehorse. The tactic is totally up to Ulf. I have done my job, the driver has to figure out the rest!"