V75® (jackpot): Wäjersten going towards new records
From zero to SEK 10 million and over 90 horses in training in four years.
Daniel Wäjersten's training career is off to a flying start to say the least.
On Saturday he has four starters on V75®.
"They are all good enough to win" says the trainer.
He is celebrating four years as a trainer.
Even though Daniel Wäjersten had a lot of eyes on him when he started his own stable, it was hard to predict this type of development.
At least for himself.
"Of course I had goals and ambitions when I started. But i didn't think so much about the size of the stable or the earnings. My thought from day one was to succeed as much as I possibly could with every single individual. I still think like that. But I never imagined having over 90 horses in training after four years, I can admit that".
How much do you want to grow?
"It's enough where we are at now, it's a good number. When you have this many horses there is always a circulation. Every week there is a horse who leaves, goes to the breeding shed, gets moved to another trainer or is being sold. At the same time there are new horses coming in. It works out well right now".
Among the horses who have joined the stable lately is the talented three-year-old filly Great Skills. She started off her career with five consecutive wins for trainer Hans-Owe Sundberg and was the favorite going into the Swedish Trotting Oaks, but that day she was not at her best.
"I have only trained her very nice and slow so far. The plan is to give her break in December. Then we will resume training in January and aim to make the seasonal debut late spring. I am very happy with what I have felt in her so far. She doesn't just have a lot of potential - she is also a very pleasant filly".
A party for the crew
The Daniel Wäjersten stable is currently 15th in the trainer standings in Sweden and a successful Saturday will mean that they surpass SEK 11 million in earnings for the year.
"I usually don't set up specific goals, but when we surpassed SEK 10 million and also 100 wins for the year around the same time, it felt very special. That caused for celebration and we had a big party for the crew last weekend" says Daniel Wäjersten.
The biggest contributor is 9 Esprit Sisu (V75-3). A horse who was winless for the year when he came to Daniel in the fall of 2020. He has now established himself in the Swedish elite and has made SEK 1.8 million this year.
"He has always been a very good horse and I don't want to take too much credit for his progress. He had a tough year last year when he was new in the gold division and he needed that year to grow into the class and get a little tougher. I think many horses are at their best when they are seven years old and he also got better when we could race him barefoot all around. Earlier he got too pacy at the end like that, but now he is strong enough to handle it".
Will it be tough to have a year like this again next year?
"I hope not, obviously. I hope he can stay at this level now. We will do our best to make it happen. But first we have to have him as good again on Saturday. He has traveled a lot this fall and even if he is not the type of horse who looses weight when he travels, there is no guarantee that the form is still intact, we will see".
What do you make of the race he is in?
"The post position could have been both better and worse, but he is good at following horses from the start so hopefully we can keep up, regarldess if I choose to follow the 1 or the 2 horse. He has beaten these horses before so I will have a good feeling when I enter the track with him. No changes".
Considering a bridle change
Another horse who is a bit of a poster boy for the stable is the one year older 1 Algot Zonett (V75-5) who can also look back at his best year on the tracks.
"He was away from racing for three years, so considering that it's huge for him to come back the way he has done. He is soon up in the gold division and the plan is to race him there this winter, at least over longer distances”.
On Saturday he starts from the inside post behind the gate.
"He is one of the few horses that I don't want to have post position one with on V75. He can not leave fast and I don't see how we would be able to hold up the lead. He does not like to have a horse in front of him, so my plan is to try to get out and place him outside the leader".
You always sit completely still in the sulky with him at the end. Why?
"He has a bit of a French gait which means he can not switch gears quickly. I feel that he always tries his best at the end so should I ask him for more, there is a great risk of him making a break. That's why I sit still and trust the horse".
How do you like his chances to win?
"He has a chance. But I have a lot of respect for Reijo's horse (3 Admiral As) and it would be no shame to finish second to him".
Are you making any changes?
"I am considering a bridle change. He has raced with can't-see-back side rolls lately and I am thinking about closing him up further. I haven't done that before. But I haven't decided yet and it depends on how the horse warms up. The plan is to get him to focus more and hopefully be able to leave a little bit better".
Advantage Gooner
In the final of the bronze division (V75-6) the two stablemates 1 Xanthis de Roi and 2 Gooner have drawn the two inside posts.
"It’s a good post position for Xanthis even though he just leaves OK and might have trouble holding up the lead. He is an interesting horse for the fututre, since I feel that he still hasn't released the hand brake, even if he was very good two starts ago. I wasn't as happy with his last start, so we have trained him tougher after that and hopefully he will be back at the same level for this start. If that works out, then I think him and Gooner are equal" says Daniel Wäjersten, who chose to drive Gooner for the third time in a row.
"It was a natural choice since I drove him the first time they were in together, so Mats (E Djuse) will keep on driving Xanthis. But I would say the two horses are equal. What gives Gooner the advantage this time is that I am more sure of his form, plus he is quicker out of the gate. I will try to get to the lead and I would like to race him there".
Are you making any changes on these two?
"No, they will race the same way they did last time out".
Who do you think has the best chance to win out of your four starters?
"I think we come with four horses who are all good for their respective class. They feel good in training and it's hard for me to say who has the best chance. They are all good enough to win with the right racing luck but on the flip side we could go home without a win and I could be happy if they all race the way I want them to" says Daniel Wäjersten.