V75/jackpot: Do not count Taxi out
Winless in 41 starts.
On Saturday Taxi Out makes another attempt at getting out of the egg in the win column when his home track Jägersro is hosting V75 which comes with a jackpot worth over SEK 50 million.
- "I think the conditions are right for him"says trainer Ola Karlsson.
"The day everything goes his way I'm certain he will win a race. The conditions on Saturday are good" says Ola Karlsson.
Despite only having nine horses in training Ola Karlsson had his best year as trainer in 2020 with SEK 1.8 million in earnings and 18 wins in 129 starts which means a win percent of 14. 2019 those numbers were SEK 830,000 in earnings and eight wins in 56 starts.
"The explanation is simple, I've gotten better horses to work with and then the reults also come" says Ola who doesn't have any plans of getting a bigger stable.
"I’m happy with the horses I have and I'm not the type of trainer who goes out there to 'pick up' new owners. I let the results do the talking".
"An ATM machine"
And they sure did in 2020.
A horse that contributed to those good results is Taxi Out, the now five year old gelding, who made SEK 281,114 in 22 starts. Despite never winning a race.
"He raced well on several occassions and he's like an ATM machine. He always gives us a good effort and I'm tired of hearing that he never wins" says Ola, whose trainee comes from two good third place finishes on V75.
First he was third in Halmstad before Christmas when Astronascente Zac won before Sweetman.
"That time he lost to two horses who were better".
Then he was third again in Kalmar on January 2. That race was won by M.T. Oscar before Arvid S.H.
"He was locked in that time" says Ola, who is pleased with how the son of Scarlet Knight feels in training going into this start.
"Good conditions"
On Saturday Taxi Out starts in V75-7.
"These are good conditions for him and he can leave well. At a first glance at the sheet I saw that our toughest opponents drew worse than what we did".
Could trying to race him in the lead be an option?
"I leave all the tactical questions to Jörgen (Sjunnesson). He is a grossly understimated driver, who I think without a doubt is top ten in the country, I think most people in the business agree. I'm happy to have him drive my horses, he sees the long term plan and drives with the inside of his head and he knows that he will drive them again. He also has very nice hands".
Any news for this start?
"I will put an American sulky on him this time. Other than that no changes".
Will it be long before he gets his first win?
"I don't know. I'm sure he will give us another good effort and then we'll see how far that takes him. He's the dark horse of the field" says trainer Ola Karlsson.