V75®: Gocciadoro optimistic –"Better than the horses he faces"
He had a record-breaking year last year and was nominated for Trainer of the Year in Sweden.
Spring has started for Alessandro Gocciadoro, who travels to Bjerke with interesting horses in V75 – new acquaintances from Italy for many, and they are showing many wins in their past performances.
"Enaoz is very strong. I think he is better than the horses he faces on Saturday," says Alessandro Gocciadoro.
The horses stabled in Sweden last year had 109 wins and almost SEK 27 million in earnings, according to Swedish Trotting's statistics. Alessandro Gocciadoro was, with those numbers, nominated for one of the heaviest titles of the Hästgalan Awards, which is Trainer of the Year. This past winter, he kept around 20 horses at the farm Stora Alby in Upplands-Väsby, but as spring is coming, the stalls are starting to fill up with new horses from Italy. The plan is to have 50 to 60 horses in Sweden by May, the same number as last year.
This Saturday, several new acquaintances appear in the program when V75 goes to Bjerke in Oslo, Norway. Gocciadoro has four starters in V75, and besides Ecstasy, who is already at Stora Alby, three horses are shipping straight from Italy to Bjerke to join Ecstasy back to the Swedish stable after the races. Alessandro Gocciadoro shares some interesting information about his starters and is not afraid to say what he thinks about them.
"9 Enaoz (V75-3) has no problems starting in the second tier. He's a very strong horse who can handle racing on the outside, either first up or from behind. I think he will have a great season in Sweden, and I think he's better than the horses he faces on Saturday. He will race barefoot, with an open bridle, and in an American sulky," says Alessandro Gocciadoro.
"He's toying with his opponents"
"10 Fly Express (V75-4) is a very strong horse. He is big and has a special gait, and sometimes, he interferes with himself, but he usually stays trotting. I will try to take his shoes off at some point, but right now, he is just toying with his opponents in the class he is in, so I don't think it's necessary. I plan to race him with shoes. I think this will be a very good horse and he has shown that he can with in many different ways. He will race with a blind bridle and in an American sulky."
"3 Dolce Viky (V75-6) was interfered with and made a break in his last start; he probably would have won without that incident. He's a good horse who won Group 1 races in Italy last year, and I think he will have a strong season. He is quick out of the gate, but there are many quick leavers in this race. I think he will race well right away. He will go barefoot, in an open bridle, and with an American sulky."
"12 Ecstasy (V75-7) made a break in the stretch last time she raced, and it's pretty much all or nothing with her. She races against herself and her own mentality, first and foremost, but she is strong and can handle the distance. She has already shown that, and I'm not worried about her form; her last efforts have been strong if you look past her breaks. Starting in the second tier isn't that bad for her, I can take it easy in the start and make a move later," says Alessandro Gocciadoro.