V75® (Thursday): Exciting start to Easter for Wallin
She is back after her adventure in France.
Iceland Falls has an interesting year ahead of her and she will defend her title in Påskägget on Thursday.
She is not the only winning candidate Fredrik Wallin sends out when V75® Spring Race kicks off in Gävle.
Easter is around the corner – and V75® Spring Race is back.
V75 will be raced four days in a row during the holiday and it culminates at Romme on Easter Sunday where a dream jackpot can give a sole winner with all seven winners picked at least SEK 100 million.
But it all starts at Gävletravet on Maundy Thursday.
The hometown trainer Fredrik Wallin comes well-prepared and he sends out five starters on the V75 card.
The most interesting one on paper is 14 Iceland Falls (V75-6) who has spent all winter in France and made four starts in the toughest possible races at Vincennes. This will be her first start on Swedish soil since the Swedish Championships for mares at the end of September as she now tries to defend her title in Påskägget.
"Everything has been well with Iceland Falls for quite some time and she has trained well and felt great training at Julmyra at the end of last week. It looks good for her and we have a good feeling about her," says Fredrik.
Iceland Falls was in terrific form last spring.
She finished fourth in Copenhagen Cup and went on to win her Sweden Cup elimination during the Elitlopp weekend. She then finished third in the final.
Considering the rock-hard competition she has faced in France, the Thursday race looks suitable for her.
"I have to believe so. I haven't looked too hard at the competition here and it's hard to say how the race will develop, but she feels great and these are good conditions for her. I think she is ready for a very good effort".
What does the rest of her schedule look like, is Sweden Cup in your thoughts this year too?
"I don't know, it depends, she has to show what she wants herself, but if she does, we may go for something similar again".
An exciting horse for the future
The second leg of V75 is Påskstayern. A test of endurance over three kilometers.
The Wallin Stable's contribution to the race is 8 Global Education (V75-2) who has shown good form in three starts this year and he now returns after a shorter break.
"He has been treated after his last start and looks much better gaited now. Hopefully, that took care of the last little obstacle for the horse. He feels like an exciting horse for the future. I don't think the distance matters for him, he has raced well over 2,640 meters and he's not a difficult horse, the only thing might be that he hasn't trained all that hard lately, even if it doesn't feel like that would be a problem," says the trainer.
5 I love Esther (V75-3) is still winless after eight career starts, but will probably try racing barefoot for the first time now.
"She underperformed a bit in her last start but has trained well at home after that. I don't really have a certain feeling about her, neither good or bad. She is quick in the start, needs cover and it looks like she will get that here. She will probably race barefoot, at least we will take some weight off of her and I absolutely think that's a plus for her".
3 Maserati Hall (V75-5) has no win in his last five starts, but on the other hand, he has raced in some tough races for quite some time now.
"Yes, Maserati Hall has raced against tough horses in every start. He's a nice horse who I think will have a pretty good year. I haven't looked too hard at the race here, but he's good. The post position is good, he has a big gait but he can leave pretty well and should find a good spot".
The Wallin stable's fifth and last starter is 1 Drizzle (V75-7).
The 6-year-old gelding has gained experience from racing in V75 lately and the inside post is interesting. The horse was scratched the last time he was supposed to race, though. The trainer explains:
"Drizzle had a smaller injury from being kicked before that. We thought it would take longer to heal, but it didn't. He doesn't feel anything of that and he has trained well. The post is good, then we will see where he ends up. We will add some extra grip in his shoes for this start, to make him leave as fast as possible. Of course, he would benefit from holding up the lead, but it might be hard for him to do so".