V75® (jackpot): The professional mom with the sky high win percentage
Last year she had a lot of success as an amateur trainer with just a few horses.
Now, Sandra Eriksson is back in the spotlight as a professional trainer with a much bigger stable.
"So much happened in such a short period of time. At the same time, I was ready to take the step to become a professional trainer" says the mother of two, who sends out two horses in V75® at Umåker.
For a long time she has been one of the country's most promising drivers.
One month after her first son Philip was born in 2019, Sandra returned to the sulky and won a big race at her home track Boden.
After that, her new successful career started, as a trainer.
As an amateur trainer, Eriksson has made a name for herself the last two years and especially last year's numbers where her stable won 26 out of 66 starts gave her big headlines.
As of the beginning of the year, she is now a professional trainer, despite having an addition to her family when Philip's little brother Colin was born.
"So much happened at the same time, with my family and everything and I just let it all happen at once. At the same time I was mature and ready to take the step to become a professional trainer. Not too many choose to start as a professional trainer at the same time they're becoming mothers. To become a father might be a bit different, but you have more expectations, even if you shouldn't, when you are a mother" Sandra Eriksson says to the podcast 'V75 - lördag hela veckan'.
And the owners did not miss their chance. She went from having a handful of horses a year ago to training 23 and also having two full time employed caretakers today.
"It's so much fun to get this chance, that the owners wanted to send their horses up to me. There are many very nice horses".
"Has developed this past winter"
Four of last year's victories came on V75, one taken by the then three-year-old Devils Tounge at Skellefteå in October and the remaining three belonged to the star of the stable, Swagger.
The same two horses are racing at Umåker on Saturday as V75 comes with a big jackpot where according to ATG's calculations a sole winner with all seven winners picked can take home SEK 49 millions.
The first starter from the Eriksson stable is 9 Devils Tongue (V75-1) who has made two starts after his winter break and he comes off a convincing effort at Umåker where he won despite a trip first up.
"I think he is getting into form now and he feels even better after that last start, even if it just felt like he was out for a jog" said Sandra Eriksson in the podcast 'V75 - lördag hela veckan' and she also said that she is no stranger to the horse being as good as he was when he last won on V75.
"I think he could come up with the same effort again. I think his form is that good. And I absolutely think that he will be even better than that. He trotted 1:11.8 at Skellefteå on a bit of a sloppy track. Even if he's always been early, I think he has developed over the winter and put on some more muscles, so I hope that he can trot even faster this year".
On Saturday he will have to start from the second tier behind the starting gate, though.
"It's not totally ice cold, he has raced well from behind before. But when it's 1,600 meters and you have a horse who can leave you want to be on the gate, whether you have post one or post eight you want to be able to leave and get a position from the start".
Are you making any changes?
"No, he will race the way he has raced lately. I haven't studied the race that closely but it's post 9 on V75 and it's early in the season so maybe I should lower my expectations a bit. But he's a very nice horse who is very fast and he has a great attitude on the track".
Could he be better than Swagger?
"I don't really want to answer that".
"I like both horses. They are by the same sire (Zola Boko) but they are very different. Both are very nice in their own ways".
Wants to lay lower
9 Swagger (V75-7) has similar conditions and he has also gotten two starts in his legs after a winter break, he also comes off a win and he too is starting from post position 9 in the second tier behind the gate.
"It's the same thing with him. He's a horse who can leave and I would have liked to be on the gate with him too, to be able to get a good position. But we have two pretty good horses in front of us, so I'm pretty happy anyway".
"He has gotten two starts in his legs and should be even quicker now. But I want to be realistic. Sure, he could win a race like this one, but over 2,600 meters I want to lay a bit lower to be fair to the horse" says Sandra Eriksson.
Are you making any changes on him?
"No, he will go the way he usually does".
So you should treat Swagger with caution, while Devils Tongue should go the V75 ticket?
"Yes, I think so".