V75®: Hoping to win at his home track
He is already having a career year.
Tomas Malmqvist is hoping to put the icing on the cake with a big at his home track.
"It would be so much fun if we were to win on Saturday" says the Jägersro licensed trainer of Fiftyfour, the favorite to win Svensk Uppfödningslöpning.
Over SEK 25 million in earnings in 2022.
Tomas Malmqvist is going toward his best year ever as a trainer after a long and successful career.
But for the Swedish betting public focusing on V75®, the success has passed them by.
The reason is that Malmqvist nowadays is more French than Swedish, at least if you look at where his horses are stabled.
Three-quarters of the horses he trains are stabled in France, where the big owner Ecurie Hunter Valley backs him up.
That's also where most of the millions have come in, with help from the queen of the three-year-old crop Jazzy Perrine and the monté specialist Intuition.
The two of them have earned over SEK 7 million combined this year and are currently being prepared for the winter meet at Vincennes.
"Jazzy has been at it since she was two years old, pretty much without any breaks so she is just getting some easy training right now. The plan is to race her in December and only in the biggest races. I will try to find races against just fillies and mares for her, but she will also have to face the boys".
"Intuition has been fantastic in two Group 1 races lately and she is in to go again on Sunday. The plan is to make a start or two a month over the winter".
Could Prix de Cornulier be in her schedule?
"That's not impossible, but it's tough for a horse who has just turned five to go out there. To do so, she really has to be good on Sunday and in her next start".
When can we get to see them race on Swedish soil?
"That's hard to say. Jazzy Perrine is not eligible for The Queens Trophy, so there are not many good races for her in Sweden next year".
Can't she come to the Four-year-old elite for mares and Intuition to the Monté elite during next year's Elitlopp weekend?
"Maybe Jazzy could come race there. Intuition has other races in France where there is more money to race for, so I doubt that she will come. But we might have another horse for that race, we will see".
What do you think of the results of your stable this year?
"I am very pleased. You sometimes think that you could have had more luck in some starts, but overall it's been a fantastic year. I think the same goes for the stable in Sweden, considering the number of horses we have there" says Malmqvist, who only has the big stables of Daniel Redén and Timo Nurmos ahead of him in the Swedish trainer standings.
More apprehensive and open-minded
Why have things gone so well this year?
"Because I have had some exceptional horses. More horses and better horses, that's the biggest reason. I also think I have become better as a trainer, but not that much better".
Have you made any changes in your training that you can point out?
"No, not really. You make some minor changes every year, we don't do things exactly the way we did six months ago. But the basics are the same. The only thing I can point out is that I am a little more laid back now, I don't have to be involved in every decision. That might have made me more apprehensive and open-minded".
What are those basics?
"Interval training. But that can be done in many ways. Sometimes we train on a regular straight track, sometimes on the uphill track, and sometimes in the sand".
Is training horses in France different compared to training in Sweden?
"Yes, a little bit. In Sweden, I have my stable at Jägersro racetrack and there are such amazing opportunities to train there. But here in France, it's just as good, just different. Here I have more uphills to train in. In France, there are more long distance races and many different types of racetracks. At Vincennes, the races are always raced at a super high speed, which means the horses have to be strong. So I train strength a little more here than I do in Sweden".
Is it realistic to think that you can stay at this level with SEK 25 million in earnings going forward too, or will 2022 be an exception?
"I obviously hope that we can stay at this level. But we need good horses to work with. But right now it looks good. We just got 30 yearlings, I have never had that many before, except last year. And nine of them have already won this year as two-year-olds".
Did no have to go all out
Speaking of two-year-olds who have won, the best of them all is in the stable in Sweden.
3 Fiftyfour (V75-4) has won three out of four starts so far and won his elimination to Svensk Uppfödningslöpning, the biggest two-year-old race in the country where the winner receives SEK 1.6 million.
"He showed speed and talent right away. He was very easy to break as a yearling and has been easy to train from day one. He qualified early and has raced great in every start. After losing in the Breeders Course, he has felt even better in training. I was very happy with how he performed in the elimination, where he trotted a good time without having to go all out".
Are you making any equipment changes for the final?
"No, we are not changing anything. He races with an open bridle, set earplugs and an earhood, like he has done before".
Is he ready for the best effort of his career so far, this Saturday?
"Yes, everything indicates that he will be in top form on Saturday".
He has won from the lead every time, do you think that is where he races best?
"I can't answer that. He has only made four starts, it's too early to say where he races best. But racing behind horses is no problem for him".
Moves like her mother
The last time Tomas Malmqvist won a stake final in Sweden, was with Uncertain Age in the E3 final back in 2016. Two years before that he had Backfire, who won both the Queen's Trophy as well as the Breeders Crown for four-year-old mares.
Backfire is the dam of Fiftyfour.
"He is a bit like his mother. Maybe not his looks, but he is also a very uncomplicated trotter who is both quick and strong and who can race with any type of trip. They both carry their heads low and have a nice, light gait".
How big would it be for you to win Svensk Uppfödningslöpning at home at Jägersro on Saturday?
"I have finished second and third in this race several times before, but there was always some horse who was too good. I hope it's our turn now. It would be so much fun if we could win on Saturday" says Tomas Malmqvist.
The stable is not all young horses, which 11 Love No Pain (V75-7) is brilliant proof of. The six-year-old mare who joined the stable this past summer now has two straight wins.
"She made an accidental break in her first start for us. I had removed her overcheck and she stumbled, but then we added a long overcheck to give her just enough support and after that, she has been very good. I can't say I'm surprised, I felt early in training that she is a good mare".
The fact that she is in against tougher opponents this time, doesn't seem to scare Malmqvist.
"I chose to enter her here because I think she will do well against the boys in this class too. She won in a very good way, last time out and we haven't pulled the earhood or the pulldown bridle yet. If she just gets a normal trip without any traffic trouble, she is very strong the last kilometer".
"I am very pleased with my horses racing on Saturday and I hope both of them can end up battling for the win".