V75® (Christmas Day): Karlsson hoping for a late Christmas gift
Eight V75® cards in nine days. 2022 ends with Winter Burst and a multi-jackpot at Axevalla on New Year's Eve.
After the start at Halmstad on the night before Christmas Eve, Umåker takes over the hosting duties on Christmas Day and Björn Karlsson is hoping for a late Christmas gift.
"I hope that Bokli Rapp N.O. can get it done. He feels very good" says the Solänget licensed trainer.
The Christmas food is barely given time to digest before it's time for the second race day of this year's Winter Burst. Umåker is hosting V75 on Christmas Day.
Björn Karlsson takes a break from the Christmas celebrations and makes the 100 kilometer long trip to Umeå.
"Yes, Christmas Eve will be quiet and I hope the horses can give us a late Christmas gift" says Björn Karlsson.
The Solänget licensed trainer trains exclusively coldbloods, by design.
"I grew up with coldbloods and they are lots of fun to work with, a little bit tougher than the warmbloods. They can be hard to handle and to balance, but the breeding has improved the race and nowadays some coldbloods are just as good-gaited as the warmbloods".
The big star of the stable for the last ten years is Tangen Haap who most definitely has made his last start. He is now starting his next career as a stud and he left the farm a month ago.
"It was tough of course, but I know that he will get a good life and now I have to develop another star trotter. I have three broodmares that I will breed to him and it will be very exciting".
The form of the stable a question mark
Björn Karlsson makes the trip to Umåker with some doubts regarding the form of his stable.
"I have had problems with sickness in my stable twice and I don't know how good the form is on my horses even if they have trained for a while and have felt good".
The horse that should have the best chance to win, according to the trainer is 13 Bokli Rapp N.O. (V75-6).
"He feels great and if he is as good as I hope, then he should be able to battle for the win. Last time out, he didn't like the surface. He couldn't get a hold of the track at all that day".
"How come?
"He felt great in the warm up, but they put down both salt and water on the track after that and it just didn't work out for him".
How does he handle racing with corks in his shoes?
"I'm pretty sure that he likes racing with corks, his gait tells me it should suit him well and the track now should be good for him too. I hope that Magnus A Djuse can get some extra speed out of him. Magnus can take home the national driving title and I'm sure he's psyched. I will put one of those hybrid sulkies on him for this start and I hope things will turn around for him now, he is good for his class".
Björn drives 12 Backegubben (V75-6) himself in the same race.
"He is tricky and not at all easy to drive. Now when it's volt start, there's a big risk of him making a break. I hope we don't have to go too many times around before the start, that would mean, we have no chance of getting away trotting. From this post position, there is a chance since he won't have anyone to his outside and I can let him trot out of there at his own pace. He is very pacey and first of all, I have to get him away trotting. I would say that the risk of him making a break is huge. If he trots, he is good and then he could get a good check".
Taking some weight off
Backegubben's little brother 5 Backegrabben (V75-2) is hard to asses as he has been sick several times.
"Unfortunately, he has had his share of issues in his career so far and he has also been sick lately. I have been able to train him for some time now and at first, he got some heavy training and lately a bit easier and he has been good in the intervals. He has been very pacey and has raced with a lot of weight, he has actually raced with riding shoes. I think the horse has matured and he will race with aluminum shoes for the very first time. That's a huge difference in weight. It's hard for me to know how he will race and he is just a longshot".