V86® (jackpot): The dream horse going for five in a row
Four starts – four wins.
Hans R Strömberg has a big talent in the three-year-old filly Xerava C.D.
"She is a real dream horse" says the trainer.
Solvalla and Åby are co-hosting V86® this Wednesday and at the capital track, a very promising three-year-old filly re-visits. 5 Xerava C.D. (V86-2) is off to a spotless start to her racing career. She has four wins in four lifetime starts.
She now visits Solvalla again, this time for Vårfavoriten for fillies.
"She has done everything right so far, things have worked out perfectly for her. It's really awesome" says trainer Hans R Strömberg.
After the Rättvik-trained filly won both her starts last year as a two-year-old, she has only raced at Sovalla so far this year. Last time out, the connections aimed high and raced her in Margaretas Tidiga Unghästserie, against some of the best three-year-old fillies and she came off the track with an impressive win. Xerava C.D. lead every step of the way and sprinted off easily to win by a couple of lengths, with plenty left in her tank.
"It sure looked that way, Örjan said there was a lof left in her" says Strömberg.
Does exactly what is asked of her
The three-year-old filly is by Uncle Lasse, out of Jodas Julia, who earned over SEK 4 million in her racing career.
Judging from her first few starts, you can easily say that Xeravia C.D. has inherited her parents’ good qualities.
"She is cool, relaxed and she does exactly what is asked of her. She can leave quickly, she's safe and you can race her any way you want. She is a real dream horse. I can't really compare her to any horse I have had before, she has shown such good qualities from her first start".
What are the plans for her this year?
"If she progresses the way we hope, she will race in the bigger races for three-year-old fillies, she has shown such good qualities so far. She is eligible to E3 and the Oaks, to name a couple of stakes, so those are the races we are hoping for".
...and the near future, after this start?
"There aren't that many races for three-year-old fillies. This Breeders Crown leg is in Halmstad, which is a bit far away for us, but there are races at Solvalla's Elitlopp weekend and Guldstoet at Axevalla in the beginning of June".
Aiming for the lead again
Xerava C.D. showed off her gate speed and went straight to the lead from post position three, last time out.
This time she drew post position five and the trainer hopes for a repeat.
"We drew well I think, and we will try to go forward right out of the gate and I hope it doesn't cost too much to get to the lead. But she races well from behind too, she can do pretty much anything".
Time for Totte to race barefoot
The Strömberg stable brings another starter to Solvalla on Wednesday. The six-year-old 1 Totte C.D. (V86-8) drew post position one in volt start in the long distance race closing out the race card. Kaj Widell does the driving once again.
"Totte C.D. has been pretty lazy, but he raced well last time out in Eskilstuna when he finished third and this time he will race barefoot and with a pull-down bridle, we hope that will give him an extra kick. He has raced barefoot before and has raced very well like that. I don't really see him winning this race though, but he could finish top three thanks to the good post position and the fact that he likes the long distance".
Will we get to see 'Piraten' again this year?
When talking to Hans R Strömberg, it is hard to not talk about On Track Piraten. The big star of the Strömberg stable and a fan favorite in Sweden.
The now fourteen-year-old fighter with over SEK 19 miilion in earnings last raced the day before New Year's Eve. There is a chance we might get to see him on the racetracks this year, too.
"We were thinking that he might do a couple more starts, but we will see, we haven't decided for sure yet. He trains as usual but we will wait a bit. I can't promise anything, we want him to race well if he is going to make any more starts".