V75® (Sunday): Believes his best buddy has a good chance to win
The San Moteur connections said no thanks to Elitloppet.
Now they take aim at Norway's biggest race, Oslo Grand Prix.
"He feels fantastic in training says the horse's go-to guy Håkan Arvidsson.
San Moteur came up with a very impressive effort in Prins Carl Philips Jubileumspokal at the end of April. Despite trotting first up he won in 1:09.4/1,640 meters and all trotting fans wanted to see the horse race in Elitloppet.
The connections chose to say no thanks and aim for other races this summer.
"The horse is only five years old and he has only made 17 starts. We thought two heats would be too tough for him. There are many other big races we are aiming for. We want to race our horse for many years and Elitloppet will still be there next year" says Håkan Arvidsson, who is the breeder and owner and who does most of the training with the horse.
Last week San Moteur was invited to the biggest race in Norway, Oslo Grand Prix and Håkan did not need a lot of time to think before he accepted the invitation.
"We chose between Oslo Grand Prix and Jämtlands Stora Pris. We ended up choosing Norway and it feels good and it will be exciting. San Moteur hasn't raced for five weeks, but that doesn’t worry me at all. He has always raced well after some time off and he feels great in training. Post six could have been better, but it also could have been worse. There are several quick horses inside of us and it looks like it could be a tough battle for the lead, which we definitely don't mind".
Dreaming about France
This is the first time the five-year-old faces the older elite.
"He's an extraordinary horse and he has taken a couple of steps up this year. Last year he struggled a bit with sickness and he was never really in top form. Going into the Derby, he had been sick and he finished third thanks to his talent. We have been able to train him just the way we want going into this season and he has developed quite a bit. Of course, I have a lot of respect for his opponents, but I think he should have a pretty good chance to win. He will race barefoot behind this time, which he didn't do in his last start. It's also possible that Björn might want to take some more weight off of him upfront, but that's a decidion we will make closer to the start of the race".
With a horse like San Moteur, there are many races in the future and also many dreams.
"Of course we have a game plan, but the horse decides and we will take it one race at a time. If everything is well after the Sunday start, we have three or four different options, both Jarlsberg and Hugo Åbergs. Jubileumspokalen is a goal, of course. That race is perfect for him. It's a race for five-year-olds over 2,140 meters, which I think is his best distance as of now, even if he will be a sharp sprinter with time".
"As far as dreams go, France is in my thoughts. The plan is to try him there, come fall and there are several nice five-year-old races for him, such as Prix Tenor de Baune. If he will race down there, he will travel back and fourth. I can't deal with having him stabled down there. He's my best buddy and I won't let him out of my sight".