V86®: Hoping for continued success for Babsans Bankir
A dazzling closing speed resulted in a victory on the very last day of last year.
Lindesberg trainer Niclas Westberg is hoping that Babsans Bankir will start off 2023 the same way.
One bettor became SEK 16.8 million richer after having been alone with all eight winners picked on V86® last week. Solvalla is co-hosting this week's card with Åby and the bettors are champing at the bit again.
A horse worth using in the last leg is 9 Babsans Bankir (V86-8).
The now five-year-old gelding has shown brilliant form lately. In his last start, he won a Class 1 leg at Axevalla on New Year's Eve.
Even though it looked like he had too many lengths to make up in the last turn, Babsans Bankir closed brilliantly to win.
"Yes, when I saw the horses in the last turn, I didn't even think he would make money, but then he closed so well. It seemed like the inside was deep that day and the horses on the front end were tired..." trainer Niclas Westberg remembers, as he looks back at the race.
What is the status of your horse today?
"He seems good. We trained him last Wednesday and he will train again during the weekend. He is still in top form, nothing suggests anything else".
Been an indescribably good year
Babsans Bankir has put a very successful year behind himself. The horse who started his career as a three-year-old in 2021 with eight starts and modest earnings of SEK 17,000, found another gear last year and won seven races. Two of those were on V75. Besides the win in his last start, he also won on V75 in August.
"It has been an indescribably good year. It's a bit hard to take it all in for a small amateur trainer. He won a V75 start back in the summer at Bergsåker and then we got to finish the year by winning another one on New Year's Eve. It's hard to grasp".
Niclas Westberg from Nora has three horses in his stable.
Besides Babsans Bankir, he also has the two years younger brother Babsans Bentley plus the four-year-old mare Babsans Lotus. All are home bred in several generations.
"We breed these horses ourselves, my sister and I. We had both the dame and the grand dame, so we have been in on this pedigree for some time now. We train the horses here at home in Nora and then we go to the racetrack in either Lindesberg or Örebro to train the faster heats. This is our hobby. We now have horses who are three, four and five years old so we hope we can race a bit going forward".
Same post position - but a kilometer longer
When Babsans Bankir won his last start he did it from post position nine. Same post this time. The difference is the distance, which now is a kilometer longer. Something that the trainer doesn't view as a disadvantage.
"Yes, we got post nine again but the distance is longer so it feels better. Last time out, he raced over the short distance for the first time. So I feel a little bit better this time, he always closes well and it's easier to get in the race on the long distance. He has won on the front end too, but he doesn't leave all that fast, so coming from behind suits him well".
It sounds like you are optimistic going into the Wednesday start?
"It's a field of good horses here in the new Solvallaserien, which is a good initiative, it attracts many good horses so it's almost like a V75® start. But I think we have a chance to win. We don't feel beaten beforehand, we have respect for the opponents and he needs some luck but he likes the conditions".