V75® (Thursday): Djuse red hot in the Sprint Championship - "Could be in the mix"
He once again has a great year and is on his way toward an all-time high in both wins and earnings.
Mattias Djuse is hot wherever he races nowadays – and on Thursday he has hot win candidates in both the Sprint Championship as well as in the Sprint Championship for mares.
"Hustle Rain is one of the horses with the highest potential that I have trained. He is one of the horses who can win the Sprint Championship and with the right trip Kayla Westwood could be in the mix in the Sprint Championship for mares" says Djuse.
The Sprint Championship meet kicks off at Halmstad Racetrack on Thursday. Shortly after 22:00, the final of the Sprint Championship, or "the Swedish Hambletonian" as it is also called will go to the gate. The fastest four-year-old in the country will be crowned and also receive the first prize of SEK 1.2 million. Mattias Djuse trains one of the favorites, Hustle Rain, who made the trainer say "This is a real good horse" after he won at Gävle on Maundy Thursday. The four-year-old horse has won six times and finished second twice in 16 starts and has earned a total of SEK 781,000.
"6 Hustle Rain (V75-2) is a horse with a lot of potential. He trots so easily and he is both strong and fast. He's just a really good horse" says Mattias Djuse.
Is he even the best horse you have ever trained?
"He is one of the horses with the highest potential that I have trained. Racing Brodda is the one with the best record so far, but it's not impossible that he can become the best one".
Fantastic performance last time out - "Was frustrating"
Hustle Rain finished fourth in the King's Trophy and trainer Djuse says that he hopes to race him in the biggest four-year-old stakes this year. Following the Sprint Championship, the aim is set at the Swedish Trotting Derby. After the King's Trophy, the horse made a start at Solvalla and came up with a very strong effort. He was not cooperating when going up to the gate and made a break, had to work hard to catch up before he made another break in the start, and lost a lot of ground, but still managed to finish sixth after a phenomenal comeback.
"It was unfortunate last time out. First, there was a recall when a horse had some broken equipment behind the gate. It took a long time to fix and he got a bit too fired up. He wants to race".
"He made a break going up to the gate and came up late to the gate and when Örjan's horse made a break in front of him in the start, Magnus had to grab into him and he made another break. But after that, he raced fantastic and it was just frustrating that all of that happened" says Djuse.
How has he felt after that start, leading up to the Sprint Championship?
"He has just gotten regular training after that and I trained him slowly today (Monday) and he felt good".
What do you think of this race, where he starts from post position six behind the gate?
"My horse is very quick behind the gate if the driver wants to leave. He left very fast in the King's Trophy, for example. We'll see what Magnus wants to do, we haven't talked about that yet".
Is he one of the horses who can win the Sprint Championship?
"I absolutely think so. I have a lot of faith in my horse and I think he will do fine".
Any changes for this start?
"No, he will race the way he usually does, barefoot all around, open bridle, and in an American sulky".
"Races super all the time – could be in the mix for the win"
Mattias Djuse does not only have Hustle Rain in the Sprint Championship, but he also trains one of the favorites in the Sprint Championship for mares. We are talking about Kayla Westwood who won her elimination impressively, despite trotting first over in 1:11.5. She starts from post position four behind the gate with Mattias' little brother Magnus in the sulky, where a check of SEK 800,000 awaits the winner. Kayla Westwood has won seven times in 18 starts and has finished top three in 15 of those 18 starts. So far she has made SEK 2.5 million and she can add to that on Thursday.
"4 Kayla Westwood (V75-6) is a very nice mare who races super all the time. She impressed me last time out, when she won despite that tough trip, with the earhood still on. She was far from tired and she came out of that start very well and has felt good in training after that. She is not very fast out of the gate and had no chance of holding up the lead from post one in the elimination. But I hope she will get a good trip and I don't feel beaten going into the race. She will race barefoot all around and in an American sulky again and with the right trip she could be in the mix for the win" says Magnus Djuse.
On his way toward a new record-breaking year – owners waiting in line
The Solvalla trainer is having another great year and the horses from his stable have made almost SEK 10 million. That places him sixth in the national trainer standings. Last year was a record-breaking year with SEK 15.1 million in earnings and trainer Djuse looks to be on his way toward a new all-time high.
"It has worked out great and we are getting nicer and nicer horses to work with. We have quite many horses who are good enough for the big stakes now and good depth among the three-year-old fillies where several of them have made good money already. Then we have Hustle Rain and Kayla Westwood who can make good money in the biggest four-year-old stakes" says Djuse who trains 116 horses and the owners are in line to send him horses. '"We have no empty stalls right now" he says.