V86®: Lövdal has hopes for his new acquisition
After a summer break turned out in the field, the new acquisition Jacques Mearas makes his second start for trainer Andreas Lövdal in V86® this Wednesday.
Last year was the Solvalla trainer's first whole year as a trainer.
"It was a year when I learned a lot and Jacques Mearas is one of the horses I hope we can get going in 2025 — he is a very capable horse”.
Andreas Lövdal started as a professional trainer in August 2023 at Solvalla.
2024 was his first whole year on his own which ended with SEK 2,7 million in earnings for the stable.
In the Wednesday V86®, the 28-year-old makes his first starts of the year with a couple of the stable's horses.
The Norwegian native trains 17 horses at his friend Philip di Luca's family farm Norrby Gård in Nyköping.
Express Cash was the big star of the stable during last year and is expected to be the locomotive also this year.
"He is my best horse and naturally, he is the one we have the biggest hopes for, this year. He is now in the Bronze division, soon in the Silver. All the big stakes are behind us and he feels like a horse who should do well in V75" says Andreas Lövdal.
Express Cash is racing in V75 this weekend at Bergsåker and Lövdal says his form is intact. In the Wednesday V86, he starts two horses and he thinks one of them feels a bit extra exciting.
"Hopefully, we can develop what we had in 2024, even if I was pleased with the result, after all. I think we had a good first year and we made some good money. I'm not sure we will beat those numbers, but we have to work toward it".
One goal is to have more horses share the success. That more horses than Express Cash will make a name for themselves in bigger races.
"It's important to have more than one horse making all the money. We have a few good horses that I haven't really gotten going the way I would like, it might come this year, instead".
Summer break
Lövdal mentions 10 Jacques Mearas (V86-6) as an exciting horse for this year. The now 6-year-old gelding came from the Björn Goop stable in May with six wins in 14 starts and almost SEK 300,000 in earnings.
"The horse came to me in good shape. He had stepped on himself at Åby and was given the summer off, turned out in the field. His wins came the year before that and last was sort of a gap year. I think he is a very capable horse and he hasn't made that much money yet. He is still in a low class compared to his abilities," he says.
"Will take some weight off for this start"
The combined return and debut for his new trainer, ended with a fourth place at the end of November. Jacques Mearas sat last in the seven-horse field and closed fast without having to go all out.
"Fine Manners which is a good horse, was in the lead and nobody wanted to do the hard work on the outside. So, we sat at the rear end of the field and he closed well. I was pleased with my horse and I think he raced well. He raced with heavy shoes, steal all around. We will take some weight off of him upfront for this start and I think that will make him a bit better".
What type of individual is he?
"He has a bit of an attitude. He is a son of Ready Cash, a typical one. He has his own will. But overall, I think it all works out well. I like this horse. All is good, we just want some more starts into him. He has won many races and when he hasn't won, he has made breaks, pretty much".
Jacques Mearas has post position ten behind the gate in V86-6, a race in the Solvallaserien over 2,640 meters. Is he ready to win already?
"He feels so good in training that I would say he has a chance to win. Of course, he will get better going forward. He will make a few starts now in the winter time when the races don't go all that fast. Jacques Mearas races well with shoes. Changes? I am thinking about racing him in the FinnTack American style sulky, instead of a regular style one":
You also have 12 I.D.Gasolin (V86-6) who drew the worst post position in the same race. What about his chances?
"The post was such a bummer, it feels like he's in good form. He raced very well in a cheaper class and with a nice trip, last time out, but he was good. Earlier I felt like he didn't release the hand break, but last time it felt like he really tried down the stretch, which was positive. He will race in the same sort of American sulky. It would probably be hard for him to win this race regardless of the post position, but now it looks very tough from post twelve," says Andreas Lövdal.