French raider Ibiki de Houelle drawn well as Åby Stora Pris field locks in

Daniel Redén will send out three runners for the Group One Åby Stora Pris on Saturday week, but it’s the sole French visitor who came away happiest from Sunday’s barrier draw.

Ibiki de Houelle, prepared by Kevin Leblanc for owner Franck Leblanc, landed post five in the 12-horse field for the 3,140 metre autostart feature at Åby Racetrack in Mölndal, southern Sweden. First prize is 1,500,000 SEK (roughly 137,000€ at current rates).

The French raider arrives with form to match the occasion. He finished third in the Prix de Paris and has strung together wins in May and June.

Åby’s sporting director Jon Walter Pedersen, who chased a French contingent for the race from the outset, was quick to note how the draw fell.

“I’m very pleased with how it worked out. The bigger favourites have drawn back or a bit wider,  and the French horse has drawn well,” Pedersen said, speaking to gratistravtips.se.

Redén will need traffic to break his way from where his trio landed. Epic Kronos, to be driven by Björn Goop, starts from barrier seven. Francesco Zet, with Örjan Kihlström in the cart, is out in nine. Kentucky River, driven by Magnus A Djuse, has the back marker’s draw at eleven. All three of Redén’s runners were invited into the race off recent form, with Kentucky River securing its spot after finishing runner-up in a lead-up feature.

The rest of the field is drawn: Macahan (Dwight Pieters, trained by Maria Törnqvist) from barrier one, Petho (Erlend Rennesvik, who both drives and trains) from two, Indy Rock (Mats E Djuse, trained by Jörgen Westholm) from three, and High On Pepper (Rikard N Skoglund, trained by Katja Melkko) from four.

Get A Wish, driven by Carl Johan Jepson for trainer Robert Bergh, starts from six. Phantom Express (Ulf Ohlsson, trained by Joakim Elfving) is out in eight, Charron (Magnus Teien Gundersen, trained by Geir Vegard Gundersen) in ten, and Powow, driven by Lars Anvar Kolle for trainer Jan Kristian Waaler, rounds out the field from barrier twelve.

Powow’s inclusion doubles as a lead-up assignment of its own. Connections have flagged the, MGM Yonkers International Trot on 12 September as the horse’s next major target, with this run intended as a form booster before the trip across the Atlantic.

With three from the powerful Redén stable drawn to do it the hard way, and the home team’s favourites pushed wide, Ibiki de Houelle’s inside draw looks the difference between a genuine winning chance and a horse forced to make up ground. Sweden’s home hopes will need a strong pace and a bit of racing luck to run him down.

 

by Harnesslink Media