V75® (Boxing Day): Change of plans for Very Kronos
V75 (Boxing Day): Change of plans for Very Kronos
The plan was to call it a year for Very Kronos after his last start which concluded a fantastic fall and winter season.
But that plans have changed for Very Kronos, who starts in the gold division final at Solvalla on Boxing Day.
"The horse feels very sharp in training and he was a hundred percent sound when the veterinarian went over him" says Svante Båth.
Solvalla is hosting the traditional V75 finals on Boxing Day and it's a very good race card, where the gold division final with SEK 300,000 to the winner stands out as the featured race. Very Kronos has had a fantastic year and hasn't only won the Swedish Championships. He finished second in Müllers Memorial at Jägersro in the start after and followed that up by piling up gold division victories. First he won at Romme, then he won SIlverhästen at Solvalla and in his most recent start he won Legolas Minne at Åby. The year has brought him over SEK 1.9 million in earnings and the plan was that he would now be done for the year. Trainer Svante Båth stated that they will call it a year and get him ready for next year's major races in Scandinavia. But everyone can change their mind and on Saturday Very Kronos can once again be found in the entires.
"He had a busy fall season. First he raced back to back weeks when he raced at Skellefteå one week and back at Åby the following week and won both starts. After that that he had two weeks in between two starts, before racing back to back weeks again. Even if he has felt good and sound I always had in the back of my head to never take advantage of a friend. But when the veterinarian went over him, he didn't find a thing to treat on him. I thought that he would probably find some minor thing, but he was a hundred percent sound" says Svante Båth.
"Had there been just the smallest issue with the horse, there would have never been a discussion about making another start. Mia was out jogging him and said that he felt incredibly fresh and sharp. So I talked to Kjell (the owner) and we said since he passed the vet check with flying colors, feels incredible and that it's only 15 minutes to Solvalla and 15 minutes home, he can make one more start".
"But that's definitely it. He will get some heavy winter training. He feels best when we move him, he doesn't like being off completely. We haven't decided when exactly he will start racing next year, but it won't be in January or February, that's for sure".
"Elitloppet fits him like a glove"
You have said earlier that going to France and Prix d'Amerique is not an option this winter and the goals instead are the major races in Scandinavia next year. Is there any specific goal, such as Elitloppet perhaps?
"Elitloppet fits him like a glove. He's quick out of the gate and tough both mentally and physically and racing two heats is no problem for him. We have said that we are aiming at the major races in Scandinavia and Elitloppet is one of them" says Svante.
"He's very quick out of the gate"
But first it's time to put an end to this season for the six year old stud horse. Very Kronos and Erik Adielsson drew post position one behind the gate in the gold division final, V75-6.
"I would have picked any other post position over post one. It's tricky. I know that he is very quick out of the gate if we choose to go with that tactic. But that part is something I happily leave to Erik/Very. They will have to decide as the gates open. We have never let him leave all he can, but you have seen how fast he can leave".
"And I still can't say that I fully trust him. The chance of me saying that I trust him one hundred percent is as big as me becoming anorectic. But it's gotten better and better and the horse has matured a lot this year too. Mia thought that he felt better in the warm up before his last start at Åby than what he did at Solvalla in the start prior. But we're talking nuances" says Svante Båth.
And wraps up by saying:
"There are no machines in this business but my horse feels at least as good as he has before".