V75®: Thor Borg hunting new trophies in the Breeders Crown
He retired from racing horses.
But life as retired was not for Thor Borg.
The Norwegian native has made a grandiose comeback as a trainer and is now chasing another stake title with Daim Brodda.
"There should be some development left in her, she hasn't really been bottomed out yet," he says, going into the Saturday Breeders Crown final.
Thor Borg is one of the greatest names in Norwegian trotting.
When he, a bit surprisingly, announced that he would retire as a driver in 2017, he had over 3,000 wins.
But life as retired was not for the 72-year-old Thor. Three years ago, he returned to the scene, as a trainer — a comeback he has never regretted.
"No, I was retired for four days, it was incredibly boring. Things have gone well. We were lucky to find such nice yearlings that have developed the right way, it feels great. It will be exciting on Saturday; I look forward to it," Borg says when we reach him for a chat.
The Thor Borg stable has over NOK 7.5 million in earnings this year, which places him fourth of all trainers in Norway.
A strong contributing factor is 4 Daim Brodda (V75-4).
The Swedish-born 4-year-old mare has shown a remarkable development curve this year, with the victory in the Mare Derby as the highlight. She now returns to Sweden looking for another big stake win in the Breeders Crown final this Saturday.
She won her semifinal without any problems.
"Everything looks good with her after her last start. She has been very good all year; I think she's been fantastic and I see no signs of her not being in the same form as when she won the Mare Derby".
Leaves lightning fast — but does need the lead
Ten wins in 14 starts and over NOK 3 million in earnings is the result so far for Daim Brodda, who earlier this season also finished third in the Stochampionatet.
"Yes, fantastic. She has been great. I knew early that she had the ability, but she was very tough to handle at age two and three, which is a big reason why she got started so late. There should be some development left in her, even if you never know how that ends, but she hasn't really been bottomed out yet," says Thor.
She drew post position four in the Breeders Crown final. That should work out well for her?
"Yes, the post position is fine. She has shown that she can leave fast and I think we will try to get to the lead again. But she does not need to race in the lead, she usually just ends up there thanks to her gate speed, but I'm sure she races just as well from behind".
Is this the last start of the year for her and what are your thoughts on next year?
"Most likely it is. We haven't made plans for next year yet, that's something we will sit down and discuss, there are several options for her. But she will race next year too and it will be exciting; if she can step up a couple of notches, then I think she could be compatible against the best".
Stablemate also worth a look
Daim Brodda is not the only starter in the Breeders Crown for 4-year-old mares from the Thor Borg stable.
10 Maharasha (V75-4) has perhaps not been as successful as her stablemate, even if she won a division of the Margaretas Tidiga Unghästserie this past summer but the trainer thinks she should be worth a look on Saturday.
"I don't think she's that far behind Daim Brodda. She has a lot of ability but has not had much racing luck. Last time out, in the semifinal, she raced well and she keeps taking steps. Starting from the second tier is a bit riskier but it could work out well, I'm happy with her post position even if she will need luck with the trip. If so, she could end up in the photo".
But she can not beat Daim Brodda, can she?
"Normally, she won't make up a couple of lengths on Daim Brodda, but with a perfect trip from this post, she's worth a warning. As I said, I don't think she's that far behind her ability-wise".