V86®: A vagabond on an extreme distance
Smålandsstayern is a race that is 500 meters longer than most other trials of strength.
The Axevalla licensed amateur trainer David Persson's Vagabond Bi likes the long distance races and the task this time is over 3,680 meters.
"He is strong and tough and he can hold his speed over 3,100 meters so I hope he has the extra 500 meters in him too" says Persson about the Wednesday race on V86® at Vaggeryd.
V86® Xpress has taken a summer break and on Wednesday Vaggeryd in Småland is hosting all eight V86 legs at a normal pace.
David Persson is a hard working amateur with a stable at Bjertorp trainingcenter in Västergötland. He trains ten horses where the monté specialist Polycrates Face, the V75® winner Emmylou Who and Vagabond Bi are the biggest names.
Six year old Vagabond Bi was purchased from Italy in the spring of 2019 and has become a steady money maker. His last victory came in a three kilometer race with Ulf Ohlsson in the bike at Axevalla back in February.
The country's leading driver will once again take the reins in V86-7 on Wednesday.
Carl Johan Jepson who has driven the horse in his last three starts picked off for Magnus Dahlén trained Vischio Holz. An indication on which one he thinks has the better chance?
"Jepson had already promised Dahlén when I asked him but he did say that he thought mine would have the better chance" says David Persson.
Smålandsstayern is a race that goes over the distance 3,640 meters where the big favorite on paper will start all the way in the back, with a 60 meter handicap. Björn Goop lets Ready Ribb make his return after a year long layoff. Goop thinks that his horse is way too big of a favorite and that he will probably need a start before Ready Ribb is in top form.
If the favorite proves to be rusty there are many horses who are ready to step up.
"It will probably be tough to hold off Ready Ribb. I think Björn's horses are always good and ready when they come off a layoff so it could be tough. But of course we're going for the win. Vagabond Bi doesn't win all that often but he's very consistent and doesn't get passed by many horses down the stretch. He can hold his speed and that's worth a lot in a race like this" says David Persson.
Successful on V75
The job at the engineering workshop in Götene is only at 30% now. David Persson recently hired someone at 50% to help with his horses.
"I'm going towards being a full time amateur trainer you could say" David says.
Digger Elias was his first V75 winner in 2016. Dealwithakiss also has a win in the Premier League of trotting and Emmylou Who has won twice.
A win in Smålandsstayern on V86 at Vaggeryd would mean SEK 75,000 to Vagabond Bi's owners.
"We bought him from Italy last year and he came here with nothing but breaks and zeros (when you finish outside the money it says '0' instead of where you finished in the Swedish system). We had some problems with him initially but after castration and fixing some other issues he has become more and more consistent. You sort of know what to expect from him every time now. If he just has a bit of racing luck I know he will hold his speed to the wire on Wednesday and that usually goes a long way" says a pleased trainer.
Even if the driver change to Ulf Ohlsson wasn't planned it should be good with the country's leading driver in the bike this time?
"Ohlsson yes. If I think my horse is consistent then the driver is even more consistent! Of course you want some speed in the race. I also know that he can maintain a high speed for a long time. If he's not too far back in the field he's got a chance to win, because he always holds his speed to the wire".