Breeding races, V86 and sick leave

Yesterday evening, the qualifying races for Svensk Uppfödningslöpning at Solvalla were decided – Rocksteady Artist and Martha Minow each won their race – and at Jägersro, the Danish Sphinx Boko prevailed. The V86 was shared between Jägersro and Solvalla that evening, and both Trav365 and Sulkysport presented tips for the round. At the same time, it was confirmed that Svensk Travsports head of sports Robert Karlsson is on sick leave.

V86 tips for Jägersro and Solvalla

V86 is a betting format with 8 races (individual races), and on 4 November the round was split between the racetracks (facilities where harness racing is held) Jägersro and Solvalla, with betting closing at 20.30. Ahead of the round, Trav365 published interviews and analyses, in which Kim Brask, among others, highlighted his upset pick: “My million-upset pick is completely forgotten”, while Mario Lipovac said: “My form is really good for my low-odds upset pick”. Micke Nybrink described his selection with the words: “It’s my fun V86 pick”.

Sulkysport’s expert panel analysed the mixed round, covering everything from young-horse races to stayer races, and picked out its best ideas “on the way to a full pot”. Trav365 also featured the headline “Watch out for a giant upset – completely unbet at V86”. Trav365 Sulkysport

Rocksteady Artist and Martha Minow won

The first qualifying race (a race that qualifies horses for a larger final race) for Svensk Uppfödningslöpning was decided at Solvalla, ending with a “watertight victory” for Claes Sjöström’s Rocksteady Artist. In the second qualifying race, Paul Hagoort’s Martha Minow sprinted to victory – her third consecutive win since her debut.

At Jägersro, Danish-trained Sphinx Boko and driver (the person who drives the horse in the race) Birger Jörgensen were the answer in a gallop-packed qualifying race for Svensk Uppfödningslöpning. Sulkysport Sulkysport Sulkysport

La Yuca takes the lead – Ibiscus Man in Nantes

Driver Örjan Kihlström described La Yuca as “reliable” in the winners’ circle after the hurdle race (a race reserved for mares, in other words female horses) at Solvalla, and the five-year-old mare was strong when she was allowed to run in the lead, also called the front. At Jägersro, Sphinx Boko had earlier that evening won her qualifying race.

Ibiscus Man with Mathieu Mottier won the twelfth round of Grand National du Trot (€90,000) in Nantes, after having “flew home down the home straight”. Harness racing Harness racing

Moto Moto – the stable cat that went viral

Hanna Olofsson, 41, is a harness racing trainer in Boden and has this year earned nearly four million kronor with around 40 racehorses in her stable. Her grey-and-white cat Moto Moto, just over a year old, has become Sweden’s most viral cat and was recently featured on TV4’s ”Efter fem”.

”He rides in a golf cart, drives a quad bike and helps take the horses out”, says Hanna Olofsson. Trav365

In brief

• Robert Karlsson, 60, sports chief at Svensk Travsport, is receiving chemotherapy for stomach cancer and has been signed off sick – his duties are being divided among several people for the time being, according to CEO Jörgen Forsberg. Trav365
• Claes Broberg will serve as acting sports chief during the winter. Sulkysport
• Trotting icon Anders ”Linkan” Lindqvist says that the cancer has spread to his back and that he has been hospitalized in Paris for almost two months. Trav365
• A Swedish trotting personality has been charged with aggravated drink-driving – his blood test showed 3.11 per mille alcohol – but the man denies the offence. Trav365