V86®/jackpot: Checking in with Persson before the Derby night
V86® in Östersund on Wednesday is showcasing the coldbloods - with the Swedish Derby for coldbloods as the icing on the cake.
Jan-Olov Persson is of course there with a bunch of horses in top form, but his best chance is not in the Derby.
"Bellfaks is our best chance on V86" he says.
The Persson stable contains between 90 and 100 horses, coldbloods exclusively. And of course they're well represented on the big coldblood race nights.
This year Jan-Olov Persson has two horses in the Derby for coldbloods at Östersund on Wednesday, V86-7. 2 Järvsö Elling with driver Dagfinn Aarum and 10 Fräcke Prins with driver Mats E Djuse.
"But the Norwegian horses look strong in this year's Derby" says Persson.
He is hoping to win already in V86-1 where he has both 5 Guli Tor and 8 Bellfaks. The latter is very talented...
"Bellfaks has some issues staying sound on and off. And he's a bit of a goofball too. But he has a lot of talent! And he has stayed flat for two starts in a row now. For the first time since 1977...haha...at least for the first time in a couple of years".
Two starts ago Bellfaks won in 1:26 in a three kilometer race at Skellefteå. In his last start he finished fourth in a very tough race and trotted 1:22.3 with the volt start in Årjäng. Two very good efforts.
Post position eight behind the gate going the short distance this time?
"That doesn't mean much. He's versatile and races well on all distances, when he's on his game. If he gets a decent position and stays flat the entire race, he should have a pretty good chance to win, I think".
So he should finish ahead of 5 Gull Tor?
"Normally he should, absolutely".
Jan-Olov Persson won his first Derby for coldbloods in 2004 with Hallsta Lotus.
He won again in 2008 with Järvsöviking.
The last time Jan-Olov Persson won as trainer was in 2017 when Örjan Kihlström won with Järvsö Pegasus.
This year Persson has Järvsö Elling and Fräcke Prins in the race but winning it could be tough.
Øystein Tjomsland - Norway's jan-Olov Persson - has won the last two editions of the Swedish Derby for coldbloods, with Nordsjö Odin last year and with Philip Ess in 2018 and chances are he will win this year too.
"The justified favorite"
Tjomsland's star Grisle Odin G.L. made a break in his elimination and missed the final but he instead showcased a couple of other good horses.
"Yes, 3 Havglimt seems very good. I think he is the justified favorite in this year's Derby" Persson says.
Also Tjomsland's other horse in the race 9 Grisleprinsen G.L. (Örjan Kihlström drives) has a chance to win the Derby, Persson thinks. And Frode Hamre's 1 Kinge Svarten was also good in his elimination. Persson thinks that 'Team Norway' (meaning these three horses) is so strong this year that he prefers to lay low. Despite the fact that the quick leaver 2 Järvsö Elling has a good chance of making in to the lead.
"Järvsö Elling could be third, fourth on Wednesday normally. Fräcke Prins has good speed too. But normally my two horses are just longshots this year".
10 Fräcke Prins?
"Järvsö Elling is a bit safer, but Fräcke Prins has great speed. Sure they could trot around 1:24 both of them. In the Sleipner Cup final at Romme a couple of starts ago Fräcke Prins made a break in the start, but the ones who want to look for an upset here can watch that replay and time Fräcke Prins' last 1,800 meters. I didn't have a stop watch but I think he trotted around 1:22 after that break".
Dagfinn Aarum is a 'different' catch driver?
"Magnus A Djuse who usually drives Järvsö Elling is suspended. And Dagfinn has driven the horse before, he won with him in Gävle back in March, that work out well then".
Also in the Mares Derby for coldbloods, Øystein Tjomsland has a couple of sharp entries in 2 Norheim Borka and 10 Brenne Berna. But in that race Jan-Olov Persson has another winner and it's not his own 7 Järvsö Majlis.
"I hope and think that 1 Alfa Lina can win that. I think she has shown that she is good enough to get it done. That would be so much fun for Lars-Erik Karlsson who also is from my neck of the woods around Järvsö".
What about your mare in V86-3, 7 Järvsö Majlis?
"She is in too tough now. But we are going to try her barefoot all around if the tracks allows it, that would be first time for her. But the way it looks on paper, we're happy if we finish sixth".
The coldbloods' V86 card
The first prize in the Derby for coldbloods is SEK 700,000. The winner of the mares final will receive SEK 450,000.
Four of the eight races on V86 this Wednesday are for coldbloods. And Persson of course has a starter also in the open, V86-5. But 12 Järvsöodin didn't have any luck in the draw.
"No, talk about a reversed handicap. The horses who have made the most money drew the best post positions. Järvsöodin is good enough to go with them, but from this post position I can't have any high hopes, we need luck".
1 Lome Brage looks like he will take the lead and he should be the favorite?
"If Lome Brage gets to call the shots in the lead he will be hard to beat. But I don't see him as a given winner. 2 Tangen Haap should have a chance too. And there are a couple of other ones too".
Persson thinks the coldblood racing has good energy right now.
"Yes, just look at the Wednesday card. Depsite the open being full, the race that Bellfaks and Gull Tor are in which is closed at SEK 1.6 million lifetime also filled".
There were 25 horses entered to each of the coldblood races at Bollnäs on Saturday, enough to split at least one of them. That shows that the coldblood racing is booming".
Speaking of Bollnäs on Saturday, you have both 12 Demex and 15 Gott Klirr starting with a 20 meter handicap in V75-4?
"I think they could have a chance to win with some luck. They're pretty equal. Demex drew the better post position and he will race barefoot upfront this time. I think my horses will end up in the photo!".