V86® (double jackpot): Bergh sends out three in the endurance test
The Wednesday endurance test, S:t Leger at Åby, attracted 13 4-year-olds.
The local trainer Robert Bergh won the race three years in a row, from 2019 to 2021 and this year, he sends out three starters in the three-kilometer race.
"I often have horses who do well over long distances and this year, I think it looks interesting for Underground Artist," says Bergh.
Solvalla and Åby share this week's V86® hosting duties and since nobody could pick all winners last week, this week's card comes with a double jackpot.
According to the calculations, a sole winner with all eight winners picked could take home SEK 18 million.
The 4-year-old race S:t Leger has been raced since 1967 and Robert Bergh has won it four times.
In 2019, Bergh won with Pinto Bob, in 2020 with Power, and in 2021, his winning horse was Samson.
"Strong horses, all three. Pinto Bob made SEK 3 million and Power needs no introduction with SEK 12 million in earnings. We never got Samson figured out, he had talent and the right attitude, though," says the trainer.
The 8-year-old Power has not raced since the French winter meet at the beginning of the year. Whether he will race again or not, is still to be decided.
"Power is likely going to stud. Nothing is decided yet, but the owners are considering it," says Bergh.
"Back in splendid form"
S:t Leger, with SEK 200,000 to the winner goes as V86-7 this Wednesday. The starting distance is 3,140 meters and the Åby licensed trainer has starters on all three distances of the race.
11 Underground Artist has to overcome a 40-meter handicap and with earnings of SEK 930,000, he starts from the same distance as Johan Untersteiner's Stens Rubin, with earnings of SEK 3 million.
"Underground Artist is back in splendid form and is a typical three-kilometer horse. I think it looks interesting on paper. It's a good field and more open than usual. He has a decent shot. I absolutely think he can win the race on this distance," he says.
Bergh has the most respect for Svend Dyhrberg's 1 Connors Broline.
"He's a nice horse, I really like him".
Breeders Crown was the goal
This weekend's final of Breeders Crown was the goal of the year for Underground Artist. He won the last leg at Kalmar on V86, in the middle of October. After an aggressive drive, the 4-year-old won easily as the biggest longshot of the night.
In his next start, the semifinals at Solvalla, he finished fifth. A disappointing result.
"That was a bummer. He got pushed out four deep with 800 meters to go and that ruined his chances. He was in the final of both the Sprint Championship and the Derby and he deserved a spot in the Breeder Crown final on Saturday".
You are part owner of Underground Artist, but you might have driven him anyway on Wednesday?
"Yes, I would have. He is the one with the best chance of my three starters. He will race barefoot all around as usual. He raced only with earplugs in his last start, but I will also add an earhood this time, because of the post position. Not a big change since he has raced with it in most of his starts".
In the S:t Leger, you also have 8 Västerbo Voodoo, a strong horse who won the Kalmarsunsstayer in June on the same distance as the S:t Leger. What is his status?
"His form is great, I just think that all the give and go got the best of him last week. Nothing to worry about, I think he's good. He has to learn to race behind horses. We will see how he does. I plan to race him with pullouts for the first time, he has never raced like that and we're trying to find an extra gear in him. Now when he's in good form, he could upset".
3 Light In gets Thomas Dalborg in the sulky from the starting distance of S:t Leger. This horse recently joined your stable and he steps up in class from a cheap race in his first start for you. What is his status?
"He got a bit sluggish when he raced behind another horse in his last start, but he looks good and I will try to wake him up for this start. He will get some form of blinds this time (raced open last time out) and he will also race barefoot now. So, maybe he can step it up. This race might be too tough for him to go in the lead, but I will definitely try him there soon. Since his last start created some questions, I want to see him step up a notch before I can be more optimistic".
You also have 9 Laredo Boko (V86-1) on the V86 card, he raced well from way back in the Silver division, in his most recent start.
"Tough race. It is almost V75 class. And a bad post position, again. He has drawn in the second tier ten times this year. He raced well when he finished second twice this past fall from better post positions. It's unfortunate with these bad post positions since I think he's very good right now. Had he drawn in the first tier, I would have said he had a good chance to win. He races better when he doesn't have too many in front of him":
In the 3-year-old race, you have Googoo Cool (V86-3), a horse we know that you like.
"Yes, he looks good after his layoff. The horse had a lot of time off this past summer. An interesting horse for this start and going forward. He has a chance to win the race. I hope he steps up to the level I know he can race at, and if does, there's a lot within him" says Robert Bergh.