V75®: Good start to the year for the Kolgjinis – hot chances at Åby
The Kolgjini stable is off to a good start to the year.
The winning percentage is at an impressive 27 percent, and their four starters in V75® at Åby are all in good form and come off wins in their last starts.
"Now we are at the level where we expect to be. Many of the horses are in a way too low class compared to their talent. We have a couple of very good chances," says Dante Kolgjini.
The Adrian Kolgjini stable has started the year as well as they did last year. In the last month, the horses have won frequently, and the winning percentage is 27.
"Last year also started well, but this year, we have chosen to start racing them a little bit later than last year. We started racing already in January last year, with many starts in V75 and V86. Those horses will come out now in the spring. The horses who have started and won so far are horses we had hopes for already last year as 3-year-olds. Many of them are in way too low classes compared to their talent, which is also a contributor to many of them winning right off the layoff," says Dante Kolgjini.
He then adds:
"I think all our 4-year-olds who have won their seasonal debut, are also undefeated so far. We are now at the level where we expect to be. Last year started that well, and I think we would have had a great year had we not had all the bad luck we did in three months in the midst of the season. First, we had bad hay, and then there was a virus. There were explanations to why the horses never reached their normal standards. I hope this year will be better," says Dante.
"Looks like a classy horse – the horse to beat in the lead"
Adrian's little brother shares detailed and very interesting information about the four starters in V75® at Åby this Saturday. On paper, it looks like they have several hot winning candidates, and all four horses come off wins in their last starts.
The first one to race from the Kolgjini stable is Langli in the second leg. He is a horse who has won four times in seven starts, and he won his seasonal debut parked outside the leader at Halmstad.
"3 Langli (V75-2) is a big talent who does things very easily and looks great on the track. He looks like a classy horse when he comes out on the track but has struggled the last 150-200 meters, where he has gotten rough-gaited. We haven't figured it all out yet, but we treated him up after his last start and he feels good in training after that. He is a very capable horse, and normally, he should have made more money by now. He starts from a good post positions and is very quick out of the gate if Adrian wants to leave with him. In the lead, he should be the horse to beat, and he might race with pullout earplugs for the first time and it will also be his first time racing in an American sulky. He should have a good chance to win, and if all is well in this start, we are looking at the King's Trophy eliminations as his next start," says Dante.
"He has one heck of a speed with the right cover"
In the fourth leg, the Kolgjini's have Patriot Zon, who comes off an easy win at Solvalla, where he just jogged to victory in the lead. This time, he gets to start from behind.
"10 Patriot Zon (V75-4) is a classy horse that we have high expectations for this year. He wasn't really ready when he came to us last year and has gotten the time needed to grow and mature this year. He has put on a lot of muscle mass, and we hope that will help him keep his gait together better. I think he looked better than ever in his last start, and we hope he stays on that path. Then he will make a lot of money this year. He won easily on the front end last time out, but this time, he starts in the second tier, and he has never from behind for us. But it would surprise me if he can't race from behind with all the speed he has. With the right cover he has one heck of a speed the last 300-400 meters. No changes. He will go as he did in his last start."
"My stopwatch showed 1:11.7 the last kilometer, and he wasn't tired"
In the fifth leg, Dante gets up behind Poblano after they won together in his seasonal debut.
"7 Poblano (V75-5) was very ambitious in the warm up, but I was pleased with how he acted in the race in his seasonal debut. He was nice and relaxed in the race, and my stopwatch showed 1:11.7 the last kilometer, and he wasn't particularly tired. It was a nice seasonal debut, and he should improve off of that start. The post position isn't the best, that far out, but we have to hope for some racing luck. We might try a pull-down bridle this time; last time, he raced in an open bridle. Other than that, he will race as in his last start with shoes and in an American sulky," says Dante Kolgjini before the stable closes out the day with Swish The Cash, who comes off an easy win from the lead where he trotted the last 500 meters at 1:10-speed.
"10 Swish The Cash (V75-7) is in super form right now and should have a good year. I'm not a big fan of the post position. I think he's a typical front runner who loves being in the lead. Considering the conditions, I lay low with him this time. Should there be a high pace, he could get in the race, of course. The plan is to race him barefoot all around," says Dante Kolgjini.
Who would you say is the hottest chance?
"Based on what he showed last time out and how good he looks, I would say Patriot Zon is our best chance."