V75®: Hamre's star trotter the favorite at Åby
Stoletheshow is one of the best trotters in Europe.
The others are not.
The eleven-time millionaire Stoletheshow will be the favorite in Legolas Minne at Åby this Saturday and Frode Hamre is pleased with everything but the post position behind the gate.
"Kihlström has to leave out of there with him and then he can drive how he wants" says Hamre.
8-year-old Stoletheshow has been defeated the last few times he has raced in Sweden.
In October, he finished fourth in the Elite Circuit final for the twelve most successful horses in the European Grand Circuit races during the year.
In July, he was locked in when he raced in Hugo Åbergs Memorial at Jägersro.
In May, he made it to the final of Elitloppet.
The gold division this Saturday, Legolas Minne (V75-3) goes over the middle distance, 2,140 meters, and the Norwegian trainer Frode Hamre has to accept that his horse will be the favorite, despite the tricky post eight behind the gate.
"It was too bad with the post position. but there's nothing we can do about that. I have raced him against some easier competition in his last two starts here in Norway after he was fourth at Solvalla, and he won both starts as the huge favorite from the lead. He is in excellent form now" says Hamre.
Hamre thinks Stoletheshow is a bit above the opponents, together with Håkan K Persson's 10 Four Guys Dream.
The Halmstad trained horse is fresh in the gold division with his SEK 3 million in earnings. Stoletheshow has been part of the elite for several seasons.
"I think my horse is as good as he can be. He is sound and his form has been good for a while now. I'd rather start from post eight than from the second tier. Örjan Kihlström has to leave out of there with him and then he can drive the way he wants" says the Norwegian champion trainer.
Took his lifetime mark in Elitloppet
Stoletheshow has had a terrific year with the Finlandia-Ajo win in May stands out. Magnus A Djuse drove the horse that time and won the rich Finnish race after a first over trip.
In Elitloppet, the 8-year-old made it to the final, and from post position eight, Dexter Dunn found a spot along the pylons and did all he could in a tough race.
He set a new lifetime mark of 1:09.5 in that Elitlopp final.
"He has had a good season and won Finlandia-Ajo and set his lifetime mark in Elitloppet. Last time out at Solvalla he ran into the best horses in Europe. To finish fourth against them is not bad" says Hamre.
No problems with a wintry track
The 8-year-old maintained his form in the open class back home in Norway in November. He won both starts from the lead with trainer Hamre in the sulky.
On November 28, Stoletheshow was outstanding at a snowy Bjerke in Oslo.
"He won with shoes and corks and if the track is wintry at Åby, that won't be any problems for him. He races well on those tracks. He will race well but it's hard to say what type of trip he will get" says the trainer.
Legolas Minne has been raced since 2015 and the winner gets SEK 200,000.