V86® (jackpot): Peak Of Glory should know Solvalla by now
Four wins in seven starts so far for Peak Of Glory.
In her last start, the talented 4-year-old mare from Jägersro lost for the first time when staying flat.
In that start, she tried to exit the track in the last turn.
"Solvalla's track exit is right there in the last turn and it can be tricky for younger horses – it will go better this week," says trainer Elke Frinta.
Peak Of Glory won as the biggest favorite of the day at Jägersro back in December, she was in a class of her own, despite a first up trip for Per Nordström.
Thomas Uhrberg has also won with the mare and this Wednesday it could be Ulf Ohlsson's turn.
The amateur trainer Elke Frinta who is stabled in Hans Adielsson's old stable at the Jägersro backstretch, has a very talented mare in her care.
She was undefeated when staying flat, up until her most recent start.
In the race, two and a half weeks ago, Peak Of Glory started from post position nine, in the second tier, behind the gate. It was a leg of Margaretas Tidiga Unghästserie for 4-year-old mares and it was also the mare's first long trip away from home.
Elke Frinta is happy with how her mare handled the long trip, but wants to forget about the race.
She sat fourth over and the race was pretty much over for her already there. When the 4-year-old mare got a bit homesick in the last turn, it ended with a sixth-place finish.
"Solvalla is a bit tricky for younger horses who have never been there before, the exit is right there in the last turn and the horse in front of her was tired and Uffe (Ohlsson) said she saw the exit when he moved here out to pass the horse in front of them. She just spit the bit and thought the job was done for the day. Let's go home, sort of," says trainer Elke Frinta, the owner, and breeder together with her boyfriend Daniel Larsson.
The sixth-place finish at Solvalla was the mare's first loss when staying flat. She has raced against, and beaten, both colts and fillies early in her career. This Wednesday she only faces mares again, in V86-4 at Solvalla.
Peak Of Glory fits the class nicely with earnings of SEK 167,000 and should be used heavily on the V86 tickets.
"The long trip was no problem at al last time, she was calm and ate normally. Uffe said that she was good in the race. The last 150 meters, she picked it up again and closed pretty well, once she realized the race wasn't over. We will go to Solvalla and back the same day again, and we hope for some better luck this time," says Elke Frinta.
"Leaves fast but is stubborn"
This time, Ulf Ohlsson will be prepared in the last turn and should get a better trip unless something happens, as she starts from post position six behind the gate.
The talented mare from Jägersro has shown that she can leave well and she is also strong enough to do the hard work herself in a race.
Elke Frinta says that it has to be up to the mare, herself.
"First off, she has a much better post behind the gate this time. She's smart, so I don't think it will be a problem. She can leave fast, but she is very stubborn and when she has made breaks, the driver has either tried to chase her, or grab into her out of the gate," she says.
What about post six behind the gate?
"She will leave better now from post six, when she has horses on both sides of her and it also helps being further out in the racetrack. Of course, we won't risk anything in the start, but she could still make it to the lead. If not, she can do the hard work too. I think it looks very good on paper for her. She faces mares that are not as good as the ones she raced against in her last start and I expect a good effort from her," says Elke Frinta.
She has won regardless of the trip. As a big V86 favorite in mid-December, Per Nordström took a slow start and made a move first up, just to leave the field by five lengths in the last turn. She seems to like racing.
"Yes, she really wants to win and she is actually a safe horse. But she wants things her way and we have to remember that. She's extraordinary, but you might not think so, just by looking at her. She's small but we think she's very good".