V75®: Träff is pretty optimistic
Without spectators much of the party feeling is missing in Bollnäs on Saturday.
Magnus Träff - awarded the trainer of the year at the track last year - has plans for the digital viewers instead.
"I think both Arabesque and Queer Fish should go on a V75 ticket".
Bollnäs in Hälsingland is the battefield for Saturday's V75.
It's a big event for the little track who has to run the races without spectators this summer.
Magnus Träff has had this race day in his aim since last winter and managed to get two starters on V75.
Eleven year old Queer Fish upset won Sweden Cup last year and is still going strong.
Träff puts out a warning for the star of his stable in the gold division (V75-3) but has just as high hopes for stable mate Arabesque in the lowest class (V75-2) on this jackpot infused V75 card where a lone winner with all seven winners picked can take home SEK 34 million.
"I know where I've got Queer Fish who is very consistent and stable - while Arabesque is the eager type who surely has higher peaks than Queer Fish has today".
The authorities in Sweden are still saying no to spectators at sporting events.
"It's a shame when it's such a big race day in Bollnäs but we have to do our best for the TV audience" says the home town trainer.
Came injured from Malmö
After having trained as an amateur trainer for many years, Träff got his professional trainers license in January 2019 and got awarded trainer of the year at his home track during his first year as a professional trainer.
The bay gelding Arabesque started his racing career as a two year old for Joakim Lövgren at Jägersro. After being injured he was moved to Bollnäs and the Magnus Träff stable.
"Arabesque never raced as a three year old. Tord Olsson from Malmö has many horses with Lövgren and he reached out to us. We bought half the horse and became partners with him. Olsson has given us all the time necessary to get the horse back to racing" Träff says.
18 starts for the new stable have resulted in four wins. Arabesque is quick out of the gate and has often taken the lead when starting in the first tier. Post position two in V75-2 on Saturday is pretty much the best possible post position for him" says the trainer.
"Ulf (Eriksson) will take care of the tactics but the horse leaves so quickly on his own so I think he has to leave a bit with him. Then we have to see how the opponents get away. He races well in the lead and he feels great right now. So I hope and think that he will race really well and he might even win" says Magnus Träff.
In his first V75 start in May Arabesque made a break short after the start. What was the reason?
"He is a bit nervous so we have been careful not to pressure him too much, so he won't pop a fuse somewhere. In Gävle his old self caught up to him. He wasn't at ease and was pretty wild already in the warm up. We have changed his warm up routines the last two starts and he has been much better".
What does he do in between starts?
"He trains as usual at home. But with him we avoid taking him to the track at Bollnäs to sharpen him up. He has gotten some tougher training instead before this start to step him up a notch - and he feels good in training".
In Gävle he raced barefoot behind for the first time and made a break. How will he race now?
"Him making a break that day had nothing to do with shoeing so I'm sure we'll pull his hind shoes again this time. I will also talk to Ulf (Eriksson) during the week about trying him in an American sulky. He's got such a nice gait and I think he would benefit greatly from that. 8 Champ Lane and 9 Slippery Runway are two good opponents. But I think the race is wide open. Many of the horses could win and I think that Arabesque is one of them" says Magnus Träff.
Queer Fish has one win in 13 starts after his Sweden Cup victory back in May 2019. He was good when he finished fifth in his most recent start in a tough race in Lindesberg won by Missle Hill.
"He was better there than he has been before yes. He's had a hard time getting in this spring and summer but it feels like he's back in good form again. We weren't completely satisfied with his gait in his last start and he's been treated and has trained very well after that".
So what can to tell the betting public?
"I really believe in Queer Fish this time. He feels good and it's usually a good sign when he doesn't even tough himself behind in training with his big gait. He trots without touching anywhere and that's a good sign. He will race barefoot all around this time. I think we'll pull everything we can and go as cleanly as possible. He will race barefoot, with blinkers and in an American sulky. The gold division might be even more open than the race that Arabesque is in. Pretty much anyone can win it and the trips they get will be the deciding factor and Queer Fish at least has a good post position" says pretty optimistic trainer.