V75®: Sövik's exciting new acquisitions
V75® celebrates 30 years as Jägersro hosts the races this Saturday.
The hometown trainer Preben Sövik is racing two exciting new acquisitions.
We are going towards the end of October, and this weekend is the 30th birthday of V75®.
It is celebrated by returning to the track where it started in the fall of 1993 – Jägersro. The hometown trainers are of course ready, one of them is Preben Sövik, who has had a strong year. This Saturday he sends out four V75 starters, two of them are new acquisitions in his stable.
The first one to race is one of the new horses. The 4-year-old 11 Every Day Elegant (V75-1) has recently joined the Sövik stable, after having been trained by Roger Walmann. In his training, the gelding made it to the Kriterium final last year, and his most recent start was in a Derby elimination, over two months ago.
"Every Day Elegant is now making his first start for me and he came in excellent shape. He last raced in the Derby eliminations and has been in tough races for most of his career, so he should be tough enough for the Bronze division" says Preben, who was not as happy with the draw.
"Unfortunately, the post position is ice cold, I think. Had we drawn a little bit better I would have been more positive because I'm very pleased with how he feels in training, he feels like a horse who has a lot left to do on the track, but from post eleven we need some luck along the way".
We note that Every Day Elegant is entered with an American sulky for the very first time?
"Yes, he might race in an American sulky, but it's not decided yet. Had he drawn better, we would have done so for sure, but we'll see what we do, maybe we will save that for a better spot".
Gold division horse making his first start
In C.L. Müllers Memorial, this week's Gold division, the Sövik stable starts their next new acquisition.
That is the 6-year-old double millionaire 6 Revelation (V75-3), who already as a 2-year-old established himself as one of the best in his crop when he won Svensk Uppfödningslöpning, then trained by Per Nordström. He has been around with several trainers after that, most recently Timo Nurmos.
"Revelation came to us in the middle of September and he too came in good shape. We have made some minor changes on him and put him in our system, and he seems to like it here. I trained him at the track last week and was happy with him but of course, he is in against tough horses, and for me, this start is about seeing that he looks good and races well" says Sövik and adds:
"He is a horse with a lot of talent as everyone knows, but we have to get him to show it on the track too".
What type of changes have you made?
"Nothing major. We took him to the veterinarian and after that, we have just gotten him into our system, our way of training, so no magic tricks".
Not far from top form
The remaining two V75 starters are horses that the trainer knows better.
- 3 Sobel Caviar (V75-4) comes off an impressive victory in Kalmar and seems to have the right conditions this time, with post three behind the gate over the short distance.
"I wasn't particularly surprised by how good Sobel Caviar was in his last start. We had gotten him ready for the start prior, in the Swedish Championships for Amateur drivers, but he made a break there and things didn't go as planned. He redeemed himself last time out in Kalmar instead, and it feels like he is still in good form. Now he drew well and he can leave pretty fast and should get a good trip".
Does the post position mean he could make it to the lead?
"It depends on how fast the others are, but I suspect that it will be tough to get past Adrian's horse (2 Warrior's Tale), but we will give it a try, of course".
The last horse out from the Sövik stable is 9 Bottnas Idol (V75-6).
A horse who has already won on V75 three times this year. After a short summer break, he has now gotten two starts in his legs going into the Saturday start in Oktoberstayern, a race over three kilometers.
"He really needed those two starts. In his first start back, he was uninspired and lazy and acted sort of immature, and last time out it was a strange race; we were all pretty much just watching each other, and nobody at the rear of the field wanted to take any initiative. There were many lengths to make up at the end, but I think he did well, going three wide the last 800 meters and he is getting close to the form I want him in. The distance is no problem, the longer the race, the better it is for him, pretty much".
So, you have the horse in top form now?
"He is not far from top form; he feels as he should when he is good".
Is he your best chance to win on Saturday?
"Yes, I think 'Bottnas' is my best chance" says Preben Sövik.