V75® Spring Race (Friday): Going for a pink ticket
Many poeple want to see Önas Prince in Elitloppet.
On Friday, the five-year-old makes his seasonal debut at Färjestad in Prins Carl Philips Jubileumspokal.
"I would really like to be behind the gate the last weekend of May and I will drive him accordingly" says trainer Per Nordström.
Önas Prince had a fantastic season last year. He won the King's Trophy, the Sprint Championship and the Breeders Crown and he finished second to Calgary Games in the Swedish Trotting Derby. Önas Prince won 12 out of 14 starts and made SEK 6.9 million.
"It was a fantastic year and sort of like a fairy tale. He keeps progressing and I hope he can be an international star" says Nordström.
Önas Prince made his last start of the year at the end of November and after that he has also fulfilled his breeding duties but that doesn't seem to have had any negative effect on the horse.
"No, he is a true gentleman and a professional and he did that job with perfection and I haven't seen anything negative on him".
Tough field
On Friday, Önas Prince makes his first start of the year as Färjestad arranges V75® and the race is Prins Carl Philips Jubileumspokal with SEK 250,000 to the winner. The race is a five year old open and it has attracted several top trotters, ready to take the step into the elite.
"I knew it would be a good race and I have a lot of respect for the opponents. It will be a real challenge right off the bat and a good test to see where my horse is at and what his racing schedule will look like in the near future".
There is no doubt that Önas Prince has had a good winter. Per Nordström is euphoric about how his horse trains.
"He hasn't missed one single day of training, everything has worked out as planned. I took him to Jägersro recently to train him faster. I trained him at 1:13.3 speed over 2,100 meters and he wasn't particularly tired. I usually don't train that fast but I want to make sure that he is ready and he felt great and I was very pleased. He couldn't be any better than what he is right now".
Tactics are given
The drew came out to Önas Prince's advantage and the tactics are given.
"I will go for the lead. The inside post isn't the best at Färjestad. The best posts there are four and five, but Önas Prince is very quick right out of the gate and I don't think anyone will be able to get past him. I think you need to trot 1:10 or under to win this race and I hope we can do so. I am not making any equipment changes on Önas Prince".
It is no secret that Per Nordström wants to race his horse in Elitloppet and he will drive accordingly.
"I want to open up his lungs and give him a real tightener, so if we can hold up the lead I will keep a high pace. I want to show him off for Anders Malmrot and get that pink ticket".