V86®: The harness racing newcomer believes in his horses
Just over a year ago, he got his trainer’s license and he recently retired form his job.
It is never too late to get involved in harness racing. Something that Mats Solönhaf exemplifies.
On Wednesday, he has two starters on V86®.
It was in January last year that Mats Solönhaf made his first start as a trainer. And the success was immediate. Solkattens Eros won at the home track Mantorp.
For Mats and his wife Susanne, the journey in the harness racing business got started relatively late. It all started when the broodmare Ballerina River was purchased in 2012 and a few years later, their first breeding saw the light of day. Last year, Mats became an amateur trainer and trains three horses today.
How did you get into harness racing, Mats?
"I don't really know myself...well, it all started around ten years ago when we bought a horse, my wife and I, to have something to do together. We have bred around twenty horses now and that's our main focus, but I took my trainer's license too since I love going fast..."
Solkattens is the first part of most horses' names bred by the Solönhafs. It is a name put together by the first part of their last name and the farm Kattendals Gård, where their journey in harness racing got started.
The couple has bred over twenty horses so far, with more to come at the farm outside Valdemarsvik on the Swedish east coast.
"We think this is a lot of fun. We will give it a few years, I am actually retired but I am still doing some construction work on the side" says the 65-year-old.
Trying barefoot all around
Even if the main focus is on breeding, Mats Solönhaf is also as mentioned, a trainer.
Two of the stable's three racehorses are in to go this Wednesday on V86 at Solvalla, a card that is shared with Åby.
The first one out is the five-year-old mare 6 Solkattens Olivia (V86-2) who broke her maiden two starts ago after a strong effort where she trotted first up during the last kilometer. After that, she had some issues with an eye.
"In her last start, she got a small stone in her eye. So after that, she didn't really want to go, and it also swelled up. We also had to scratch her when she was supposed to race, but that was due to a sore back that she struggles with from time to time, her mother had the same problem. But now she is fit for fight again".
So, what do you think of her chances on Wednesday?
"The plan is to really race her this time. She drew well, she can leave fast and she will go barefoot all around for the very first time. How much effect that will have we don't know since it's her first time barefoot, but I think she will be good. It feels exciting and Rikard (Skoglund, the driver) thinks so too".
"Had a lot of bad luck"
Later on Wednesday, stable mate 12 Solkattens Eros (V86-6) will enter the Solvalla track. The same horse who gave the trainer his first training win last winter. Last year, the horse won three races but this year he is winless so far, but the results are not giving us the whole truth according to the trainer.
"He has been in some tough races for a while, he is hard to train so he needs to race to get in form. In his last start, he made a break, unfortunately, but Björn Goop who drove gave us some good ideas that would help the horse. We will add some more weight and follow his recommendations. Björn drives again on Wednesday, but we got post position twelve. I think my horse is in really good form, he has had a lot of bad luck lately. Two starts ago, he had no racing luck and got locked in and never got the chance, so the form is better than what the program says".
So the V86 bettors should not write your two starters off?
"I believe in my horses. I always do. If not, I wouldn't race them" says Mats Solönhaf.