V75® (multi jackpot): The Swedish champion back in the spotlight
His seasonal debut exceeded the expectations.
When he starts on V75 on Sunday he is a decisive factor when the Easter millions are being handed out.
"I'm going to Romme because I think I have a chance to win" says the trainer.
Last winter Gunnar Melander, 73 lost his super horse Månprinsen A.M. He is of course greatly missed but his exceptional career will always have it's own chapter in trotting history. His richest offspring Månlykke A.M. (V75-4) is making his father proud up there in horse heaven.
"You can't compare him to Månprinsen but he has shown that he is talented enough to be a part of the coldblood elite and he is the reason I'm still training horses. I'm working on over time so to speak and I'm doing this because it's fun and once you've been racing at the top level, that's what keeps you going" says Gunnar Melander.
"Better in his second start"
When Månprinsen A.M. tragically had to pass on back in December, due to the fact that he had gotten aggressive and was a danger to both himself as well as to others, he had won 71 races and made SEK 9.4 million. He was a five time Swedish Champion. Månlykke A.M. has with his 16 wins and SEK 1.4 millon in earnings a long way to go before he is that level, but he walks in his father's hoof prints and last August he won the Swedish Championsip for the first time. And in his seasonal debut two weeks ago he showed that he will be a factor in any class this year too. From the lead he sprinted away to a very easy win.
"He was very good and he actually won easily, because he let up a bit just before the finish line but when I asked him to go again he picked up the bit after the wire, so he wasn't tired" says Gunnar Melander.
"He feels fresh after that start and hopefully that will bring him a step forward. Last year he was much better in his second start. You never know, but he has trained all winter and he was good right off the bench, so everything feels good and he should race well on Sunday".
Thinks he has a good chance to win
The Sunday V75 card is also the final of Spring Race and a multi jackpot will be handed out. Månlykke A.M. fits the class perfectly in the final of dubbelcupen where he starts with a 20 meter handicap, but 20 meters in front of his worst opponents.
"Of course it's tough with a 20 meter handicap and the horses who are starting 20 meters behind us are experienced horses but I have a good horse and it feels like he will race well. It's just up to the trainer and driver to solve that" says Melander with a laugh and continues:
"Roli Eld is one of the good ones and Daniel Redén and Örjan Kihlström are both world class, so of course I have respect for that, but I think my horse feel good and I'm going to Romme because I think I have a good chance to win".
Swedish Championships the big goal
However the race on Sunday goes, Gunnar Melander has no plans of racing in Elitkampen during the Elitlopp weekend at Solvalla in May with his seven year old horse.
"I don't want to race him there this year because it's such a tough race, but if he continues to feel this good he will keep racing and the next start we have looked at is V75 at Bergsåker on April 17 and possibly Vårbjörken at Umåker on May 15. And then it's always fun to win the Swedish Championships...