V75®/Tuesday: Redén about Propulsion: "Incredible"
He's the reigning Hugo Åbergs Memorial champion starting form the same post as last year.
Propulsion will be the favorite in Tuesday's race at Jägersro following his magnificent rally last week.
- Örjan said he's never gone down a stretch faster that that. The horse is as good as he was last year going into Hugo Åbergs - if not better, says Daniel Redén.
This Tuesday at Jägersro it's time for "The summer Elitlopp", Hugo Åbergs Memorial with SEK 1 million awaiting the winner. The sprint race is raced in the sunset in front of a huge Malmö crowd, which gives the race a kind of magical feeling.
The reigning champion is Propulsion, who Örjan Kihlström won with last year. Sitting in the pocket, he rode Mosaique Face's back the entire way, got out just in time to nail him before the wire. Trainer Redén remembers it as if it was yesterday.
- It was huge and a powerful feeling. It's a warm and very nice memory I'm gonna carry with me for a very long time. We'll try to do it again on Tuesday so I'll have dual memories, Redén says.
"Soon equaling last year's numbers"
After his V86® training double last Wednesday with Tobin Kronos and Canari Match, it's a trainer in a very good mood we're talking to this Thursday afternoon. And he should be, being by far the leading trainer in Sweden this year. The Redén stable has made SEK 20.2 million so far this year. Compare that to the SEK 22.4 million he totalled last year.
- It's been an amazing year and I'm very pleased, Redén says.
"I think Örjan will leave hard with him"
That number is bound to increase on Tuesday when Redén is sending two horses to Jägersro, the host of V75® Tuesday evening. Most attention is clearly on Propulsion, starting from the exact same post as when he won last year.
- That's good. He will get a great trip form there and we'll see if he can hold up the lead. 1609 meters is advantage compared to 1640 - we'll be closer to the first turn. I would think Örjan will leave hard to try to hold up the lead. Then we'll see if he can leave hard enough to do so. It´s not impossible. He's at the rail anyway, much better than having post eight and getting a tough, wide trip. If he gets locked in, he does. You've got to think about the horse too. You can't be out there winging it every week, says Redén.
And adds:
- But I don't want to speculate in how the race will unfold. Maybe it'll be like with Canari Match - we thought he'd hold up the lead, but he had no chance of doing that. It is what it is.
"It was incredible"
Following being runner-up in the Elitlopp, Propulsion won Norrbottens Stora Pris from outside the leader. In his last start in Årjäng, he was flying down the stretch just to miss catching the leading/winning Dante Boko by a short nose. He finished 1:05 speed the last 400 meters and 1:08.5 last kilometer.
- It was incredible how fast he finished. Örjan said it was the fastest he'd ever gone down a stretch. Turning for home he thought he'd finish 5th or 6th, that's how far back he was.
- The horse has gotten even better after the Elitlopp. His form is moving up a notch with every race and right now he's just as good as he was last year when he won Hugo Åbergs.
Is he better now than he was a year ago?
- Yes, he has improved and gotten a lot tougher, so I would say so. Last year he won Åbergs in 1:08.9 with shoes and bell boots. Now he races barefoot.
Do you think he'll win again?
- He is the reigning champ and should be the favorite but there are very good opponents in very good form. It won't be easy but we're gonna try our best. Of course I hope and think he'll have a good chance. He's felt great in training, following his last start so it'll be exciting to see.
"Wild Honey raced great"
You also have Wild Honey racing in Tuesday's V75. She finished second behind Readily Express in her last start. What do you think about her chances?
- Wild Honey (V75-2) was freshened up before her last start and she looked much better. She raced great and I hadn't pushed her too much going into that race. Her not winning is nothing I look at too hard and she got beat by a very good horse. Now she's just racing against mares and she should be improved with last week's race too. She'll be right there and no changes are planned.