V86®: Admiral As enjoys having a friend in the field
The very capable Admiral As is ready for his seasonal debut.
Reijo Liljendahl's star trotter begins his racing season in a V86® race at Bergsåker.
"I am very pleased with him in training and I hope things will work out for him this year" says Liljendahl.
Admiral As is surrounded by an aura that only a few horses have. Things have not gone straight ahead in his career and Admiral As is now seven years old. His best season so far was as a five-year-old when he won eight out of eleven starts and made almost SEK 1.3 million.
Trainer Reijo Liljendahl had high expectations for his horse last year and aimed at Elitloppet. Admiral As was invited, but made a break down the stretch in his elimination, which cost him a spot in the final. The rest of the year did not go as the trainer had hoped.
"No, it was a bit of a disappointment for various reasons. He made quite a few breaks and things didn't go his way in the bigger races" says Reijo Liljendahl.
On Wednesday, V86® is split between Solvalla and Bergsåker and the Solvalla trainer has decided to let his star trotter make his seasonal debut at Bergsåker, in Gösta Bergengrens Minne.
"That race looks like a good spot for him to start the season. I am really pleased with him in training and I have trained him in 1:17.5/2,100 meters at Solvalla. He feels very good and he is well prepared".
Are you making any chances?
"I have made a few minor changes to his equipment and Admiral As has also been able to get turned out together with another horse for the very first time. Now he gets turned out with his little brother Emiral As and they like each other's company very much and it's mentally very good for him".
How far do your expectations go this year?
"We will make this start first and I think he will race well and after that, it's up to the horse what happens. Everyone knows how highly I think of him and of course, I hope that we can race in the bigger races".
"The money she has made does not match her talent"
The Reijo Liljendahl stable has two more starters on the V86 card at Bergsåker.
"11 Perpetuate (V86-1) was good as a four-year-old and I had hopes for him last year, but he didn't stay sound and only made three starts. We decided to have surgery in one of his knees and it looks like it has helped him. He feels great in training and I have trained him in 1:17.5/2,100 meters in a good way and he comes well prepared. I believe in a good effort, but from this post position over the short distance it won't be easy to get in the race".
"4 Dorothea Mil (V86-7) started her career very well as a three-year-old and won an E3 elimination and in the final, she got locked in. We had a lot of problems with our horses last year and she got really sick. We chose to stop with her in time and she seems to have found herself again. She has trained a lot and has also trained in 1:17.5/2,100 meters at Solvalla. She has a lot of talent and the money she has made does not match her talent in any way. You never know how horses react when they have been racing sick and it's difficult to know how she will race and I'm also not very happy with how she drew".
Lastly, these starts at Bergsåker are the first starts this year for your stable. Why is that?
"I run a smaller stable nowadays and I don't have that many racehorses. The training conditions have not been so good some weeks and I want to make sure my horses are well prepared and I hope that will benefit us for the rest of the year. They feel great and I hope they get to show that on Wednesday".