V86 (jackpot): Wäjersten red hot – "Several good chances"

The V86 Summer Tour has touched down in Skellefteå this week and offers a racecard that is spiced up by a jackpot. Daniel Wäjersten runs one of the hottest stables in Sweden, and with with SEK 17.2 million in earnings he is second in the trainer standings behind Daniel Redén. Wäjersten sends out no less than nine starters on V86 this Wednesday, and assistant trainer Oskar Florhed has plenty of interesting information as we go through the nine starters, of which four are the betting favorites as we do this interview. It unarguably looks good on paper and we will go through them as they appear in the program. 

"9 Mellby Lion (V86-1) has adapted a bit to the opponents, so to speak. She has done OK and she was good when she won V75 from the lead this past spring. After that, she has been OK, but we hoped for much better efforts. She should be able to win this type of race. Sure, she is best when she is in the lead, but this is a handicap and she has made much more than most of her opponents, so we think she should be alright despite starting in the second tier. She will race in the American sulky again, which is an advantage and I think she will end up in the photo. But I would never leave her singled on the ticket, she is way too inconsistent for that," says Oskar Florhed. 

"5 Heartbeat Tunder (V86-2) raced well in his last start and driver Per Linderoth was happy with him, he closed well after some traffic trouble. Two starts ago in Boden, he should have done better, but as I said, he was good in his last start. He is a bit inconsistent and sometimes he comes up big, but next time when we expect a similar effort, he could come up flat. This is a bit easier competition than what he is used to and he should be in the mix. No changes".  

"7 Mellby Joker (V86-2) is in good form and has been consistent lately and has raced well from bad post positions. He is fast out of the gate if you ask him to leave and Daniel will probably do so. When he's in good form, he can handle leaving hard even over 2,140 meters. Usually, he can handle leaving over 1,600 meters, but I think he will be fine now too, considering the form he's in. He races best on the front end and tries harder there. He doesn't like having someone in front of him and he should be considered early here. No changes". 

"Feels strong in training" 

"8 Kingslayer Pellini (V86-2) raced well again, last time out from post twelve in V86 and that was a better result than we expected, since he wasn't trained to be sharp in that start. He drew poorly again and will likely get away among the last ones and it will be tough to win. He should be better with that last start in his legs and if we can get a good horse to follow, he might finish third, or fourth. No changes". 

"3 Global Badman (V86-4) feels great in training and two starts ago he raced well, just to come up flat in his last start at Dannero, He acted a little bit strange all week before that start. He underperformed and has just trained as usual after that. Last three times in training, he has been very good. He's a bit older but he seems to be in good form right now and he will race well. He is strong and also quick out of the gate and I believe Daniel will try to get to the lead and race him there. I think he should go on the ticket. No changes". 

"If he gets the lead, they have to be good to beat him"

"2 Macao Keeper (V86-5) was good when he won three in a row and he raced well in Lindesberg, in his last start too, but he ran into two very good horses. He trotted a fast time (1:11.8/1,640) and has raced well all along. He is quick out of the gate and if he gets the lead, they have to be very good to beat him. No changes".

"9 Zigzagzagazoo (V86-5) hit a knee and made a break in his last start, so we probably had the wrong shoes on him. That's on us. It feels like he's in good form and he feels good and strong and training. He doesn't have a full race in his legs for some time, so there might be some speed missing, but he’s a good horse. Should Macao Keeper for some reason not deliver, then he should be in the mix. No changes".

"1 Competivo (V86-7) was good in two straight wins, but last time out in the final, he got a tough trip and I think he hung in OK. He's a bit nervous so the volt start is no advantage. But from the inside post he gets to dictate the speed a bit. There is plenty of room to turn for him and the long distance is an advantage, since he's very strong. Should he get away well in the start and not end up too far back, then I think he is a winning candidate. The opponents have not raced in a V75 final like he has, and I think he is a head above his opponents. No changes". 

"8 Kingen Mearas (V86-8) was not as good as we thought in the Sprint Championship, we hoped he would make it to the final. He got second over and had to do some work three wide, but I thought he would trot a much faster mile than that. Daniel thought the long trip and sleeping away from home might have taken its toll on him, since he also underperformed when he slept away from home in Norway earlier this year. We don't know for sure and it could also just be coincidental. He feels good in training and he doesn't have to sleep away from home this time, since we leave the day of the race. He is very quick out of the gate if the driver wants to leave, but so is Belfort Rags, to his inside. You never know what that driver is thinking, but I think that Kingen Mearas is one of the horses that can win the race. No changes, says Oskar Florhed".