V75® (Saturday): Malmqvist sending his starting lineup
Almost SEK 20 million in earnings together.
The France specialist Tomas Malmqvist boosts the Elitlopp weekend with several very interesting guests.
"I have never had such a strong group of horses for this weekend. They are five very good horses who all look like they have found the top form" says the 2023 leading Swedish trainer.
Last year, the stable set a new record with SEK 30 million in earnings, which placed him third in the Swedish trainer standings behind Daniel Redén and Timo Nurmos.
But, as opposed to them, Tomas Malmqvist made most of the money in France.
Just like last year, he leads all Swedish trainers going into the Elitlopp weekend with over SEK 10 million in earnings so far this year.
"I think it could have gone even better in France, we have had a lot of second places. But overall I have to be satisfied. The trainer's standings is like Vasaloppet, we set a high pace at the beginning, but it's a marathon – not a sprint, and it will be tough to hang on for the win. I will be happy if we can reach the same numbers as last year" says Malmqvist whose big star in his French stable is the four-year-old mare 6 Jazzy Perrine (V75-5, Sunday), one of the best three-year-old fillies in France last year, when she made SEK 4 million.
On Sunday, she makes her first start on Swedish soil in the four-year-old elite race for mares where she faces the superstar 9 Joviality.
She does it with extremely mediocre-looking past performances, as the start of 2023 has not been successful at all.
"I think she is in a good period right now, and she has been very good in her last two starts, but has been locked in. Two starts ago, she made a break in a tight spot, and last time out she was also far from tired. At the same time, they were tough races against the best boys. She feels great in training and it will be fun to try her on a flat 1000-meter track, I'm imagining that she will like it. She has a quick turn of foot, but I don't know how fast she can leave behind the gate since she's not very used to that" says Malmqvist, who has entered his mare with an American sulky - something that is not allowed in France.
"I have never tried it on her so we will see how it works out in the warm up. But I have no reason to believe that she won't be good in it".
Are you trying her with a blind bridle also?
"No, she will race with her regular pull-down bridle".
How fast can she trot over 1,640 meters at Solvalla?
"That is absolutely impossible for me to say. But no matter how fast the others will trot, I think she will trot with them and have a speed left at the end".
Will trot under 1:10
In Sweden Cup, which goes before V75® on Saturday, Mamqvist has two starters.
3 Invictus Madiba (V5-1) closed brilliantly when he finished second in the four-year-old elite race last year at Solvalla and he is coming off a strong effort at Åby, where he finished second to Kentucky River.
"I think he raced super in Göteborg, but it was impossible to win when Per (Nordström) got to the lead that easily. After that, the horse went back to France to breed".
Is that something that could affect his form?
"No, not in a negative way at least. He has done it all along and he did that before racing in the four-year-old elite last year. We expect him to be at least as good as he was in his last start".
How quick is he behind the gate?
"I don't know, because they don't drive that way here in France and he hasn't raced in any sprint races. But I think he can leave very quickly, but if it's enough to take the lead is hard to say. He has enough foot to go barefoot in two heats, so we will pull his shoes and he will race with an American sulky, and a pull-down bridle already in the elimination and he should be a winning candidate. He likes the Swedish tracks much better than the ones in France".
Is he staying in Sweden over the summer?
"No, he has more breeding to do so he will go back home to France again. But he might come back later this fall. If he manages to get enough start points, he could come back to race in Jubileumspokalen in August".
How fast can he trot over 1,640 meters?
"He should be able to trot a little bit under 1:10 I think".
3 Bandit Brick (V5-3), is well known for Swedish bettors and he also comes out in Sweden Cup, after a pretty flat effort in Copenhagen in his last start.
"I think he raced at a high level in the two starts prior to his most recent outing and I had hopes for him last time out, but he was more sluggish than I had expected. He has been much more alert in training after that start and I expect him to race better on Saturday".
You were talking about maybe using a blind bridle and trying to get the lead last time out, what are the plans this time?
"We passed on the blind bridle then and we will probably not use it in the elimination this time either. Should he make it to the final, we might use it on him then. But I have not decided and I need to think about it more.
How fast can he trot over 1,640 meters at Solvalla?
"A low 1:10, so we will see how far that takes him there".
"Strong and well prepared for this"
Malmqvist's two contributions to this weekend's biggest betting form, V75, both come out in Harper Hanovers lopp (V75-7).
9 Calle Crown was a courageous second behind Önas Prince last time out, in Copenhagen Cup in his second start back after a long layoff.
"He had surgery in an ankle after his last start of last year, and after some rest he trained back down, which took a long time. Everything has worked out well, the horse is sounder now and he feels very good in training. We hadn't pushed him too hard before his return and not that much before Copenhagen Cup either, so according to all sorts of logic, he should be even better on Saturday. The distance is no problem, even if I can't really say that it's a plus or minus compared to 2,000 meters. In my opinion, the best horse is 15 Moni Viking if he reaches the same level he's been at before, but you never know if he will again. I expect that Calle can match the rest of the field and with some racing luck he can win it".
11 Eric The Eel is less known for the Swedish trotting fans and he finished sixth in his most recent start behind the Elitlopp contenders Hohneck and Etonnant.
"While Calle is tough and used to racing against the older elite, Eric has taken a different route and is on his way into the top class. Racing against the elite was a new experience for him and he was sitting a bit too far from the front but closed well and he has never been as good as he is right now. There’s not a lot separating my two horses today and I wouldn't be surprised if Eric ends up battling for the win with the right trip. Both of mine are strong and well prepared for this and I count on them racing well and that they are good enough in a race like this".
Are you making any equipment changes compared to how they have raced in France?
"No, they both race barefoot and with a pull-down bridle as usual".
A horse missing from this Elitlopp weekend is last year's two-year-old champion Fiftyfour, who has not been seen on the racetracks yet this year.
"He has trained in France this past winter and he is feeling great. Last week, he trained his first heat on the track, in 1:17 over 2,000 meters. We are coming up to the E3 eliminations at Färjestad on June 12. I had planned on him making one start before that, but we couldn't find any race fitting his racing calendar. I would have raced him in the three-year-old elite race, but since that is a final, he was not eligible there".
Which one of your horses has the best chance this weekend, the way you see it?
"It's tough to say, all my horses are really good but you also need to luck this weekend. If I have to rank them, I think Invictus Madiba is first and Calle Crown second. After them two, Jazzy Perrine is the one I'm most excited to see, but she is in against the best mare in the world and she also has a bunch of fast mares to her inside" says Tomas Malmqvist.