V75®: Jerka ready to sting in the new year
Claes Sjöström ships two horses to Karlstad and hopes to kick start the year with one or two V75® wins on the first card in 2025.
The Solvalla trainer has two horses in good form, ready to sting their opponents.
The popular Jerka Sting won the final of the Silver division in October after earning almost SEK 1 million in 2024.
"I trained him at Solvalla ten days ago and was pleased with how he felt. It will be exciting to try him in the Gold division," says Sjöström.
Färjestad Racetrack kicks off the 2025 V75® season.
It could turn into a Saturday with some sting.
The small breeder Masby Sting in Norrtälje has just concluded a successful year, their best ever as a breeder.
The Solvalla trainer Claes Sjöström also hit a new lifetime best with earnings of SEK 7,4 million for his stable.
The common denominator is the fantastic Jerka Sting, who won four legs of the Silver division and ended his 2024 racing season by winning the Silver division final at Solvalla in October.
Claes Sjöström is grateful for Domino Time Trot, Lavender, and Ronno — three horses that joined his stable when Reijo Liljendahl left the country last year. He is also proud of the 2-year-old You Bow To No One and his first season on the racetracks.
2024 was still Jerka Sting's year. Everyone loves a winner, and the 7-year-old's usual performance has clicked with fans.
"He is easy to like. He has a great attitude and is a real professional," says the Solvalla trainer.
Rune Sjöblom owns many horses under the stable name Sjöblom Gruppen AB.
His favorite horse is Jerka Sting, who was bought at an auction and sent to Stig H Johansson.
When Stig retired, the horse came to Claes Sjöström.
"Rune got to know the breeders, and their Sting-horses caught his eye. He now owns the bigger part of both Micke Sting and the 2-year-old Olle Sting, who is already a winner. Jerka Sting started it all, and after that, Rune had a preference for their horses," says Claes Sjöström.
A different Gold division race on Saturday
The step up from the Silver to Gold divisions can sometimes be big. The fact that Jerka Sting debuts in a Silver versus Gold handicap on Saturday makes the debut in the open class a bit easier.
In this handicap, the post positions were assigned based on the lifetime earnings. With SEK 1,9 million in earnings, Jerka Sting was assigned post position six.
"This is something new, combining the classes, which can be interesting. After the Silver division final in October, he has trained as usual. The plan is to ease him into the open class during the winter. It's not easy to come out in the Gold division in the summer, as everyone knows," says the trainer.
Is this a "we will take what we get" start on Saturday, or do you have higher ambitions?
"No, I absolutely think that we can win the race. He feels great, and it is not as tough as a regular Gold division. I trained him at Solvalla ten days ago and was pleased with how he felt. He trained in 1:23/3,000 meters with a little speed at the end. He felt so good that I decided to enter him right away".
Your advice to the bettors is to use Jerka Sting on their tickets in his Gold division debut?
"The horses with the higher numbers are the worst opponents, of course. But he is dangerous to dismiss. We believe in him. If he gets a good trip, I think he can be dangerous".
There is more sting in the Bronze division, where 7 Micke Sting (V75-6) drew a post position you can not be too pleased with. Micke is also a warrior who has shown good form lately.
"Yes, he drew too far out behind the gate for me to be happy. But in a 2,640-meter race, you can still have some hopes. It will be a different race when it's 2,640 meters, a bigger chance to get in the race even if you have a bad post".
Micke was heroic when he finished second after being out wide for the entire race two starts ago and followed up by winning easily in the lead in his last start at Solvalla.
"In his last start, when he got to race at the pylons, he was great; he usually has to go three wide. Micke has been good to us. We will leave a bit to see where we end up. His form? Last time out was the best I have felt him! So, we can't complain about the form. He has trained as usual and hasn't missed any training days, and of course, we have hopes".
It seems to be a matter of taste who your best chance is between Micke and Jerka on Saturday?
"I would say so. Who gets the best result will come down to external factors like the trip and the opponents," says Claes Sjöström.