V75® (Good Friday): How good is Iznogoud Am?
He had a solid season as a four-year-old - but without that big victory.
Iznogoud Am is one of the country's most interesting horses. The time has come for his much anticipated seasonal debut.
V75® Spring Race keeps us company during the entire Easter weekend. On Good Friday, Färjestad racetrack is traditionally in charge of the entertainment and the feature of the afternoon is Prins Carl Philips Jubileumspokal, a sprint race for five-year-olds. The race is usually filled with speed and it is not unusual that the winner gets invited to Elitloppet. Someone who is not shy to admit that they are aiming for that last weekend of May at Solvalla is Stefan P Pettersson. His star trotter 4 Iznogoud Am (V75-6) is now ready to make his seasonal debut.
"Yes, we'd better be ready now. You can train and fine tune forever as a trainer, but it's time to start racing now. It will be a tough first start, but most of his opponents are also making their first start of the year, we have to look at it that way. But he's such a nice horse and I have to be optimistic" says the Mantorp licensed trainer.
Second in the Sprint Championship and Grand Prix de l'UET
Iznogoud Am arrived at the Stefan P Pettersson stable late in his three-year-old season after having raced in the United States for Marcus Melander. Last year, as a four-year-old, was strong. The dark stallion earned almost SEK 2.9 million and won six races, but didn't get that big title. He finished second in both the Sprint Championship and the Grand Prix de l'UET. He also made it to the final of the King's Trophy and the Breeders Crown (where he was scratched).
What is your gut feeling about the seasonal debut on Friday?
"We have to believe in a good effort. He will surely need a couple of starts to be in top form. He trotted in 1:09 in the Sprint Championship and I don't think he is there now, form-wise. He will need a couple of starts since he's a pretty big horse. But we expect a good effort".
He drew post position four behind the gate in this eight-horse field.
"That's a good spot for him, right in the middle, having a few horses to his outside that he hopefully can hold off. Then we will see what the ones to his inside do, one trainer has two of the horses (Bo Westergård) which could be a concern. We have to try to leave a bit and see what happens".
Do you see any concerns going into the race?
"You always see a lot of concerns...but if we expect that the horse is right, then of course I believe that he has a good chance to win. I have to".