V86® (jackpot): Anders' promising 3-year-old aiming higher
The first loss of her career, but also her best race so far.
Ready To Run H.C. has emerged as a challenger among the 3-year-old fillies.
Trainer Anders Eriksson steps it up a notch going into the fall season, starting with the Breeders Crown leg this Wednesday.
The V86® card is this week, unusually co-hosted by Halmstad and Solvalla.
It is also a jackpot card. SEK 13 million awaits a sole winner after last week's low payout.
Halmstadtravet hosts a leg of the Breeders Crown series, the penultimate chance to qualify for the semifinals, a fact that has attracted many of the best horses in each division.
The Solvalla licensed trainer Anders Eriksson makes the trip to the west coast with his rising star of the country's 3-year-old fillies.
1 Ready To Run H.C. (V86-1) started her career by winning her first four starts, one of them came in Sommarfavoriten for fillies at Solvalla, before she, last time out, had to taste defeat for the first time, in the short final of E3.
"She feels great, keeps developing, and came out of her most recent start well. She feels good after that start so now we aim higher, first towards the Breeders Crown, and then towards the Oaks in three weeks" says Anders.
Sure, the win streak ended in her last start.
But her effort in the E3 final might have been the best thus far in her young career. After being taken off the gate to sit last in the field, Ready To Run H.C. delivered a powerful closing rally to finish fifth, not far from being third. She was clocked at 1:08.5 speed for the last 800 meters.
"Yes, she was very good. It was a five-star effort, it was her first start on the short distance, we had the worst post position and we didn't maximize her equipment-wise. She is quick-footed and has a good gait for such an inexperienced filly, being able to trot that fast three-wide and even four-wide".
Could be a busy fall season
It is still early in the career of Ready To Run H.C.
But from what the filly has shown on the track, so far, her trainer has every reason to have high hopes for the future. With five starts in her legs, the bar is now raised, going into the busiest part of the season.
"Yes, the Oaks is the big goal for her. Things have gone smoothly for her, she has been able to train as planned in between starts and had a good amount of time in between each start. Now it is four weeks from her last start to this one, it was good for her to get a bit of a break, especially if we are going for the Oaks and after that, hopefully, the Breeders Crown semifinals, and maybe the final after that. It could be a busy fall season for her".
You have high hopes for her going forward, obviously?
"She has done everything right so far and has developed nicely. She was good already in her racing debut and it feels like she just keeps getting better and better. We hope that she can keep developing with these starts, then I believe we will have a nice fall with her. It would be fun if we could qualify for one of the bigger finals".
"I think she can leave well"
But first, the race this Wednesday.
The daughter of Nuncio comes out in the first leg of V86, a leg of the Breeders Crown series for the 3-year-old fillies where she drew the inside post behind the gate.
"I have never asked her to leave the gate. She has mostly started from outside post positions; in her last start I took her off the gate from post eight and two starts ago at Solvalla, we had post seven and I took her off the gate that time too. At Bollnäs we had a better post, but I didn't ask her to leave there either, she trotted out of there on her own and I let her do what she wanted, so I think she can leave well once I ask her to. It's always hard to say how from the inside post, if they could leave as fast as they would from the middle of the track, but as I said, it feels like she could leave pretty fast and I'm sure she could hold most of them out".
You mentioned that you haven't maximized her equipment. Any changes planned for this start?
"No, not yet. Last time out was her first time in an American sulky and she also raced with a blind bridle, but I think we will back off on that. She raced with a can't-see-back before her last start and now that it's a 2,100-meter race, I don't want her too aggressive either, but that won't make her any worse of a horse".
To sum it up; you make the trip to Halmstad hoping to win?
"Yes. She showed, especially in her last start when she raced against some of the best fillies out there, that she belongs, and she also raced super, maybe her effort was one of the best in the race. I wouldn't want to swap horses or post position with anyone".