V75®: Starting his journey toward Elitloppet
The horse has gotten tough training this past winter.
The trainer is in the middle of a strict training program himself.
It is a fit driver and horse combo, who on Saturday start their journey toward Elitloppet in the STL gold division.
In last year's final of Elitloppet, 6 Önas Prince (V75-3) made a break in the last turn with a chance of finishing top three. According to his trainer, he will be even better in this year's Elitlopp, the last Sunday of May at Solvalla.
"I have been able to increase his training and also intensify it, meaning that he has trained much tougher this past winter than what he did the winter before" says Per Nordström in the podcast 'V75 - lördag hela veckan'.
It is not only the horse who is fitter this year. Since Per Nordström came home from his vacation in Barbados in the middle of January, he has joined a demanding training program to get in shape himself.
"I had decided already before my vacation to join this training and dieting program called '16 weeks of hell' and I am 45 days into it now. It's no walk in the park but I feel terrific and I'm very pleased with the result so far. I feel that I have improved my physique a lot in such a short time. I have lost 13-14 kilos and it feels great".
Per thinks that since both himself and the horse are going into this season after significantly tougher training could lead to the fastest winning time in the history of Elitloppet.
"I expect and definitely think that partly because I am lighter and more athletic in the sulky, we will go in 1:08 in Elitloppet this year".
When Per Nordström is told that Önas Price is at high odds to win Elitloppet right now, the answer comes rapidly:
"Then I think you should bet him".
"A very good chance to win"
But we are still eleven weeks away from Elitloppet at Solvalla and to start the year off, Önas Prince needs to give his trainer the answers he is hoping for in his seasonal debut this Saturday.
Halmstad is hosting the Swedish Trotting League with V75 this week and Önas Prince drew post position six behind the gate in the gold division.
"I think he has a very good chance to win. Of course, we are facing some good horses and it's his first start of the year, but what the heck, if you have a horse who has raced and been compatible in Elitloppet, he should be able to win on Saturday too. I think he is ready for a very good effort, everything suggests that. I have been very pleased with him in training and I expect a top effort".