V75® : The coldblood queen mega favorite in her last career start
The first lady of the coldblood trotters makes her last career start this Saturday.
Stjärnblomster could win her fourth Swedish Championship for mares as the giant favorite, in V75® at her home track Hagmyren.
She is in foal and will move to the breeding shed after this.
"It would be sad, not least for herself, if she wouldn't win her last start. She gets very disappointed when she loses a race," says the caretaker, Jenny Pettersson.
On Saturday, the Swedish Championship for coldblood mares kicks off the V75® card at Hagmyren. A race that the four-time millionaire Stjärnblomster has won the last three years.
The fan favorite from Hudiskvall seems to be in top form going into her last career start. In her most recent start at Bergsåker, she won for the 39th time in 65 starts, when she easily rounded the field despite starting with a 40-meter handicap in a race for mares, with her regular driver Mats E Djuse in the sulky.
This Saturday, all the mares start at the same distance in V75-1, and almost everyone counts on her winning the race.
Business as usual. Except, it is not.
Jenny Pettersson who works as a caretaker in the Jan-Olov Persson stable, will not be there. Mats E Djuse, Jenny's boyfriend, and Stjärnblomster's regular driver is also absent.
Mats goes to the United States on Thursday to drive Jörgen Westholm's Castor The Star in the Yonkers International Trot on Saturday. Jenny goes to Norway with Majblomster and Hertiginnan Stöen, to race in the Mare Derby and the Filly Kriterium.
"Considering how small the coldblood sport is, I find it strange that it has to be like this. It is sad not to be able to be there. I also take care of Majblomster and Hertiginnan Stöen and of course, I would have liked to be at both tracks," says the caretaker who takes care of all the best fillies and mares in the Jan-Olov Persson stable".
"Most of all she's mine"
Jenny Petterson, born and raised in Hudiksvall, started working for Jan-Olov Persson at the end of 2017 and started taking care of Stjärnblomster when the mare returned to training after having given birth to Blomsterprinsen in 2019.
Stjärnblomster is now in foal to Bäcklös Uriel.
Jenny Pettersson is the girlfriend of Mats E Djuse, and the couple met when he started working at the Persson stable.
"She means a lot to both him and me, it feels like she's a part of our family. Most of all she's mine, of course. She will stay in our stable until the end of September and will gradually train down before she moves to Ortsjöns Hästgård in Nurunda, not far from here, where her dam Järvsö Blomster also is stabled," she says.
The star can be disappointed in herself
That both the caretaker and the regular driver would be absent for Stjärnblomster's last career start was not according to plan when the connections, including the owners Stall Rabatt were going through the race calendar, a few months ago.
"It was tough when I paddocked her at Bergsåker. knowing it was the last time I would do that. She's my favorite, of course, and she was the first real good horse I ever took care of. If she knows when she gets beat? Absolutely! You can see it on her when she comes off the track." Jenny says, laughing.
The caretaker is, of course, biased but thinks that Stjärnblomster deserves to win her fourth Swedish Championship on Saturday.
"If she comes in second, she gets so incredibly disappointed, you can tell from her appearance that she is unhappy and disappointed in herself. She usually doesn't eat well and shows it clearly. She has such an incredible personality and I hope, especially for her sake, that she can go out on top," says Jenny.
Linderoth gets the drive
We listen in with trainer Jan-Olov Persson about the Saturday race. The mare that has made SEK 4.4 million, was crowned the coldblood of the year in 2022 and has beaten the boys has to have a good chance of winning V75-1.
"Per Linderoth never drove her before but he gets the drive on Saturday and he is good. She drew well too. Magnus Djuse was nice enough to agree to go to Norway to drive on Saturday when Mats is in the United States. Örjan (Kihlström) has driven her a few times before, but he is also in the United States on Saturday".
How is her form now at the end of her career?
"I believe her form is great, she was good in her last start. We hope for a win and she will keep racing with shoes up front. An extraordinary career by an extraordinary mare".
What can you say about Jenny Pettersson?
"She is outstanding, never leaves anything to chance, and very good at what she does. She's also extraordinary and takes care of all the best fillies and mares we have. On Saturday, Henrik Kihle will step in for Jenny".
Is there any specific race you want to highlight from Stjärnblomster's career?
"Steggbests Minne in Skellefteå (2021) must be a historical race. That's when she sped by Tangeen Haap in the stretch. That was amazing".