V75®: Exciting Saturday for Stenströmer
Ulf Stenströmer comes with two very strong contenders in the Class II final.
But the question is, who of Calamari and Django Silver has the best chance to win?
"I have a hard time separating them" says the Axevalla-licensed trainer.
It will be party time in Eskilstuna this Saturday as Sundbyholm racetrack is hosting the V75 races.
The afternoon's features are the two E3 finals. One of the first big battles for the three-year-olds, one filly division and one open division. In addition to that, there are also STL finals. A trainer who comes with great hopes is Ulf Stenströmer from Axevalla. He does not have just one, but two win candidates in the final of Class II.
6 Django Silver (V75-2) is a four-year-old horse whose development curve points steadily upward.
He won a Class II leg at Åby two starts ago and got a tightener at Åmål in his last start. He made a break in the start but delivered a splendid comeback. Django Silver crossed the finish line boxed in, with plenty left in his tank.
"He has done everything right, except for in his last start. He handled the post position, but when the horses to his outside came charging it was too much for him and he made a break. But he felt great said Ulf Ohlsson, who gave him a nice trip after the break, knowing that we had this final coming up" says Stenströmer and adds:
"But he thought he could have won the race, had he decided to take him out wide, he was climbing all over the others at the end. I trained him in the sand today (Monday) and he felt very good".
Calamari is super consistent
A main opponent in the race is the one year older stable mate 7 Calamari (V75-2).
He is a horse who constantly hits the exacta. The dark gelding has, in eleven career starts, seven wins and three second places. Calamari won a leg at Gävle in May and after that he has raced one more time, at Axevalla, a race he also won.
"He got some time off, as planned, after the start at Gävle, he just jogged there but at the same time he was a bit rough gaited. We treated him up and raced him in an easier race at Axevalla in his last outing and he looked fantastic again. It was a perfect tightener for him. He got a good trip and was a bit lazy, but when the driver pulled the earplugs he almost exploded. He has a habit of finishing top two and my feeling is that his form, just as planned, should be very good for this start".
Is it hard to pick which one of the two has the best chance to win?
"Yes, I think it's very hard. Now they both drew somewhat tricky posts, they both can leave OK, and I would think that the drivers would try to leave with them. I have a hard time separating them in this race, but I know I'm coming with two good horses".
Borups Tornado aiming for the lead
Stenströmer's chances don't end there, though.
A few V75 races later, there's another one.
3 Borups Tornado (V75-5) is a tough horse who is closing in on SEK 1 million in career earnings. He has been a frequent V75 starter the past few months and he too won a leg at Gävle, a few weeks ago.
"Borups Tornado also raced in a cheaper race last time out, but our horse had to be used very hard just to get up and sit parked outside the leader and the driver who was in the lead knew who was the horse to beat...Our horse wasn't bad and he came back at the end, but he wasn't super sharp. We hope he will be on Saturday and he drew well. Borups Tornado can leave well and he will race in an American sulky again. We hope he can get to the lead where he always races well".
He has raced frequently on V75, but he is still in top form?
"Yes, he has raced almost exclusively on V75 the last six months. He has been in very good form the entire time and it wouldn't be strange if it ended at some point. But at the same time, he keeps developing, I was very happy with him when I trained him last Friday and the caretaker said he felt very good when he trained today (Monday). So my feeling is that he will bounce right back for this start".
It looks like an exciting Saturday?
"We hope so, that it will be both an exciting and a succesful Saturday".