V75®: Wäjersten's record breaking year comes with some tough choices
He has more than doubled the earnings from last year - for the fourth consecutive year! Over SEK 8 millions in driving earnings.
The life as a horse trainer and driver is going very well for Daniel Wäjersten and on Saturday he is in the spolight with six starters from his stable and two catch drives when V75 comes to his home track Bergsåker.
"None of my horses are racing only because it's V75 at our home track, they all have a chance to win. We have a strong roster and I hope we can get at least one win on V75" says Daniel.
SEK 6.1 million in earnings to the stable and another SEK 2 million as driver is Daniel Wäjersten's results for 2020 with less than a month left of the year.
"The horses have been good all year and I think we have delivered as well. Many of them have done well on V75 and I'm actually happy if we can keep these numbers up for next year".
"You should always aim high, but I think this year has been so good that we don't have to set a higher aim for next year, but of course the goal is to make as much money as possible" says Wäjersten.
A tough choice and an easy one
On Saturday the trainer has two horses in the bronze division as well as in the gold division which has put him in a delicate position that far from all trainers will ever experience when it comes to V75.
"Sure it's a sick feeling sending out two horses in the top class in the premier league of trotting. It's not something I reflect over every day, but I didn't expect things to go this well when I thought about the future five years ago".
"I had a very tough choice between J.H. Mannerheim and Esprit Sisu in the gold division since there's pretty much nothing separating them right now but this time I picked Esprit Sisu. Next time they end up in the same race it might be the opposite - it was a tough choice and I basically just had to pick one of them. I'm happy we got Ulf Ohlsson as a replacement on the other horse".
"The choice between Algot Zonett and Merritt in the bronze division was much easier. Algot has a history of being difficult and being close to making breaks at anytime. Now when we got him on the right path I had no thoughts of changing anything so Per Lennartsson will drive Merritt for me. He is easy to drive so he will do just as good for someone else as he does with me driving" says Daniel.
When we ask Daniel to tell us who is best chance is on Saturday he can't really come up with a name.
"It's very hard to name a single horse who has the best chance. We have six strong contenders from our stable who all can win if things go right. Overall I think we have a very strong roster for Saturday and we have to hope that some of them get the right trip so we can at least get one win" says Daniel.
Wäjersten's comments on his V75 starters:
"10 Heading Reference (V75-1) won a final of the silver division three starts ago and raced well in the start after that too. Before his last start he hadn't raced for a month and a half and wasn't very sharp. He's a horse who usually improves a lot after the first start back. He is still in the same class of which he won the final and he has proven to be good for this class. He has won in the silver division with shoes before so the barefoot ban is no big deal for him. It's tricky starting in the second tier, but he is one of the horses who can win this race".
"7 Moeses (V75-2) is a nice and pleasant horse who needs a nice trip. I haven't had time to study the race this early in the week but I know I will give him a trip along the pylons. If things go his way he could finish top four. Considering he needs a nice trip, post position one with the 20 meter handicap is actually pretty good".
"11 Global U.S.A. (V75-3) is very capable, but there are some question marks before this start. All her wins have come when she has raced without shoes and she really found an extra gear the first time we pulled them. It will be interesting to see how she functions, but it's definitely a big disadvantage beforehand for her, racing with shoes. Another question mark is the fact that it's volt start. She has never started with volt start since she came to me and that’s no coincidence. She has been very tense and she just haven't wanted to trot when you turn her. She has gotten older now and I hope she can handle both the start and racing with shoes. If she does, then she has a lot of nice races ahead of her this winter. She is in top form and she is used to doing all the dirty work herself three wide the last kilometer so that part doesn't worry me. She is in a bit tough money wise, but so are the other mares starting from the same distance as her and if she just functions well she is good enough to win, but the two question marks beforehand makes me not want to be too optimistic".
"5 Gooner (V75-5) has made four starts for me since he came and he's a horse that I really like. He's an easy going horse in every sense. Gooner is both quick and strong and he has a good attitude and it feels like he has further developing to do. He has raced against tough horses lately and the opponents don't scare me this time. I also wouldn't have entered him in a three kilomter race if i didn't think he could handle it, but I haven't thought about the tactics yet. He can race any way I want so I don't have to commit to a certain typ of tactics beforehand. The only thing I could call negative is that it's been a bit too long since his last start, other than that everything is well and he can win".
"5 J.H.Mannerheim (V75-6) had an issue with a pulled muscle after his start two starts back which is why he hadn't raced in a while. He needed that last start even if I think he raced very well. He had to do the hard work outside the leading and winning Weekend Fun and hung on well, the last 800 meters were very fast. The long distance is no problem, he made it to the derby final as a four year old. Racing with shoes is no issue either, he has raced well like that before. With the right trip I think he will finish top four and compared to my other horse in the race I think the post position gives Mannerheim an advantage".
"12 Esprit Sisu (V75-6) raced back to back weeks and I think that's why he didn't race as well in his last start. He looks good in training so it's too bad he drew post position twelve. I have not given up though, since the gold division is such an open race this week. If the tempo is good he is very strong the last kilometer and he is a very good horse when he's good. He always races with shoes upfront so the fact that he has to wear shoes behind too is nothing I worry too much about. He's such a good horse that I hope to win a few gold division starts with this winter and I woudln't mind doing it already this Saturday".
"5 Algot Zonett (V75-7) has improved a lot lately and he has become much more self confident with the routine we have for him now. He likes getting at least 14 days in between starts and he stays sound that way. Before his last start, the final of Klass I, we thought long and hard about pulling his shoes for the first time, but after discussing it with the owners we chose to save it for next spring. I think it will give him a huge boost once we do it, but being that he has been so stable lately we didn't want to do it now. He didn't let us down and he trotted 1:10.3 the last kilometer to finish third. The short distance on Saturday is no advantage, but he has improved like I said. He has raced best when he has been able to set a high pace outside the leader but he raced well behind horses in his last start too, so we'll see what the tactics will be on Saturday. He has a history of being difficult and being close to making breaks but he has been good lately and I hope it stays that way".
"7 Merritt (V75-7) got a little break after his last start which was planned since he had been racing cosistently for a long time. After that we have had the aim set at the bronze division this winter and he trained well at Bergsåker last Wednesday. He should be ready for a good effort right away and considering that he has won in this class earlier this year and also finished third in a final, you can say that he is certainly good enough for this class. He also raced very well with shoes last winter so I really have no complaints for this start. He is easy to drive and it was an easy choice for me to pick the more difficult Algot. I think he will race very well on Saturday but from post position seven in the bronze division, racing well might only get him a fifth place. With some racing luck he is definitely one of the horses who can win this race" says Daniel Wäjersten.