V86®: Hot chancers for Lars I Nilsson – “All four could end up on the photo”
Lars I Nilsson has an exciting evening ahead of himself in Åmål on Wednesday.
The Jägersro trainer has four starters on V86®, and they can all win according to himself.
“I think we are coming with four nice horses who are in good form. With just a little bit of racing luck they can all end up on the win photo” says Lars I Nilsson.
V86® continues its summer tour around the country and the next stop is on Wednesday in Åmål. Note that post time is 19:20 and that there are STL races this Wednesday on the 800-meter track. A trainer who makes a long trip for the rich STL races with the same money as on Saturdays is Lars I Nilsson. He makes the 500-kilometer-long trip from Jägersro to Åmål with four horses who all are very interesting.
“It’s a five-hour trip but I think it’s a trip worth making when it is V75 races and the horses are in good form, come off good efforts, and have fitting classes. Since it’s Åmål in the middle of the week, I suspected that it wouldn’t be as tough as on Saturdays. It’s almost always high-quality races but on Saturdays, there are usually twelve good, even horses in the races, now the fields are a bit more uneven. Neither the silver nor the gold division filled” says Lars I Nilsson.
Good return and better with a start in his legs
The Jägersro trainer had a great race day at his home track a few weeks ago when he had a V64 hat trick and went 100 percent on Ascension Day. Two of the winners that day, Sweetman and Aramis Face are also racing on V86 this Wednesday. But we will go through the horses in the order they will race and start off with A Good Point, who finished second last time out and now has a start in his legs after a three-month-long hiatus.
“10 A Good Point (V86-1) was castrated during his time off and got a period of training in the pressure cart. He only had one fast heat before his last start, and it was a spontaneous thought when I entered him. He didn’t have that many races to choose from and he turned out to be in good form right off the layoff. He took the lead and let Romero go and he hung on well in a fast finish, 1:09.3 speed the last 500 meters. He should be improved with that start in his legs and this silver division race isn’t by any means the toughest one, even if there are always good horses. Starting in the second tier on an 800-meter track is no advantage, but the distance is 2,400 meters so there is time to get into the race. I think he should be considered early” says Lars I Nilsson.
“Means a lot to me and touches me – he is important”
In the fourth leg, the gold division, the start of the stable Sweetman comes out. He won his last start at Jägersro easily after having been put on the lead and you can hear that he is a horse that is close to Lars I Nilsson’s heart.
“7 Sweetman (V86-4) means a lot to me he has carried the stable and made it possible for us to participate in V75 the last few years. Of course, he is very dear to me, always races well, and has kept a very high standard. I still don’t think he has given his all and he touches us and is important to us. He has spoiled us by always being sound, smooth, and solid. Even if he is getting older now, he is still comparatively sound, and as long as he gets feed and water he just keeps going” says Lars I Nilsson.
“Last time out he made it to the lead and stayed there. He wasn’t very tired after the race, and he came out of it well too. He feels great after that start, but he did before that start too. It was a bit too long in between starts because he didn’t get in. It’s hard to find fitting races for him and at the same time you don’t want to travel too far to race”.
What do you think of his chances from post seven behind the gate?
“It’s a bit too far out behind the gate but he leaves fast, and we have to try to leave. They say that the three inside posts are not as good as usual since the start comes right out of the turn, so post seven might not be as bad as it usually is. If the four, five, and six can get by the inside three, then we might get into the race easier. We have to try to leave and Sweetman is always Sweetman, and I always believe in him. No changes”.
“They are my best chances on V86”
In the seventh leg, trainer Nilsson sends out Eton Degato who showed top form when he held on strongly to finish second after a tough trip, in his last start.
“5 Eton Degato (V86-7) had post eight behind the gate last time and he was hung out three wide around the first turn and was parked for the rest of the race. He fought well and in the start prior he was locked in. He raced in a King’s Trophy elimination before that and did well, but since it looked like he would get parked there too, I wanted him to get a nice inside trip instead”.
“Post five behind the gate is good and he can leave fast. Last time out the driver didn’t leave hard from post eight and he can leave much faster. For instance, he left fast in the King’s Trophy elimination and did well considering the horses he raced against and how green he is. I think he is one of my better chances to win” says Lars I Nilsson.
“Has a good post, leaves fast, and likes racing in the lead”
But the Jägersro trainer has one more hot chance in the last V86 leg and that is Aramis Face who after two straight wins, never got the chance last time out and he was locked in with a lot of trot as he finished fourth.
“3 Aramis Face (V86-8) had won two in a row from the lead and there were only six days in between starts before his last start. The driver had to choose between sitting parked or sitting third at the pylons and chose the latter and when the leader trotted 1:09.4 the last 500 meters, it was hard for the others. My horse wasn’t very tired, and he almost found the pocket, then he would have probably finished second. He has a good post, leaves fast and he likes racing in the lead. Now when it's a 1,600-meter race, we will try to get there, and he will race in an American sulky again. Last time he raced in a regular sulky since it was a volt start race. I think he is, together with Eton Degato, our best chance on V86”.