V75® (jackpot): Could be the main character this weekend
The best among all trainers in the country last year and a strong start to the new year.
Johan Untersteiner has the potential to be the main character at both the awards show Hästgalan, as well as in the V75® races. But he is not there himself.
This weekend is a weekend of festivities. The awards show Hästgalan, where all the best horses and horsemen/women will be crowned, is Friday evening in Gothenburg.
Johan Untersteiner finished first in the trainer standings in both wins and earnings last year and he has the chance to become trainer of the year for the second time. The day after, a jackpot infused V75 card will be raced at Åby, where the successful stable from Halmstad has four starters.
The festivities will be held without Johan Untersteiner's presence. He is on a well deserved skiing vacation in Italy this week. He mentions it in this week's episode of the podcast 'V75 – lördag hela veckan', where he goes over the Saturday starters from the stable.
The 6-year-old 9 Cascabella (V75-1) is the first one out.
The mare was recently third in a leg of Diamantstoet in Kalmar and she faces a similar field here, starting from post position one, with a twenty-meter handicap.
"It's a perfect post position for her this time, I think. She's a bit tricky in volt start, but she can usually handle post one. She needs a nice trip from there, but I think she can pass many down the stretch with the right trip. She's a bit of a long shot, but she makes good money all the time and her form is pretty good," says Johan in the podcast.
Make it or break it
The talented 7 Stens Retention (V75-3) finished second in the Breeders Crown final as a 3-year-old and almost made it to the final of the mares Derby last fall. She is now ready for her seasonal debut as she comes out in the second leg of Diamantstoet.
"Stens Retention is in better form than it looks on paper, I think. The problem is that the more she races, the more we see of her temper. You can't sit in the back of the field, she is just lazy and uninspired then; she feels good but when you make a move, nothing happens. We have to try to be more aggressive this time, it's make it or break it for her. I'd rather see her first over than fourth over," says the trainer and continues:
"As I said, I think she has shown that she won't deliver when she's too far back in the field, but when she's near the front she races very well, even with a tougher trip. She has to prove herself now if we are going to continue racing her this year, if not she will get bred instead".
Could win - with some racing luck
The Saturday feature is the STL Champions.
It is the race where last year's most successful drivers in the Swedish Trotting League battle for the title, from this year, in just one race. Johan Untersteiner is not, for obvious reasons, in the race, but he has still a starter in the race. Erik Adielsson will drive 3 Real Scotch (V75-6) who recently finished fourth in the bronze division, over the sprint distance that time, which according to the trainer is not his best distance.
"I think Real Scotch is in good form, I would give him an eight out of ten. He raced in V75 at Axevalla and raced well and tried his best, even if the short distance is not his best. He was trotting all that he could in the last turn and was still left behind. I was happy with his performance, and I think it was better than it looked".
Can Real Scotch win the race?
"For him to win the race, it takes a bit of luck. He is one of the horses who could win, but we need some racing luck for it to happen. During the week we will discuss which bridle he will race with; I have raced him with a blind bridle when he has started behind the gate and a pull-down bridle in volt start, but I might want to try him with a blind bridle, even though it's volt start this time, but it's a bit of a gamble".
What is the status on 7 Game Brodde (V75-7), who last fall finished third in the Breeders Crown final and who won his most recent start?
"I had a good feeling about Game Brodde going into his last start. I told everyone that he just made an accidental break at Kalmar and he was not tired at that point, he just got doubled up when we tried to hold another horse out," says Untersteiner, who is not completely happy with the post position and the distance this Saturday:
"I was debating whether I was going to enter him here, or not, because the distance is not his best, but the he doesn't have a lot of races to choose from right now so instead of racing in a regular overnight at Kalmar, we took a shot and entered him here and hoped for a good post. We didn't get that which doesn't feel so good, but the horse is in good form now, I think".