There were times last season when Mattias Hjalmarsson wondered if this harness racing game was worth persevering with.
The 42-year-old Swedish-born horseman, who has worked for some of the best trainers in the northern hemisphere, almost returned to his other career as fully qualified baker.
“I did actually return to the baking industry for a brief while not so long ago but it didn’t agree with harness racing. I was doing some very long hours and my family were suffering,” the Pukekohe father-of-two said.
“It’s just so hard trying to pay the bills sometimes when your team isn’t firing,” he said.
Thoughts of those long arduous sleepless baking mornings were firmly cast aside at Cambridge Raceway last night (Friday) when Hjalmarsson won his first race in 23 months.
Driven a treat by Andre Poutama, CR Commando gelding Lundqvist notched up his first career win in 17 starts when triumphant in the $6,200 Waikato Principals' Handicap for the up to R49-rated trotters.
Lundqvist was the only starter off the front row and was the $7.70 fourth favourite.
He led all the way trotting the 2200m stand in 2:53 even (mile rate 2:06.5) with final 800m and 400m sprints of 61.9 and 31.1.
“He should have won on both days at Manawatu but broke when looking likely. I thought he would go close tonight. He had a lot of them off the bit a long way from home.
“I’m glad I persevered with him because I’ve always known how good he can trot. if I didn’t know how good he was I would have given him away by now. I just needed to iron out some of his bad habits because he was the horse that kept me interested,” Hjalmarsson said.
“He’s fuelled my fire and got me keen again. I’m sure that won’t be his last win,” his owner added.
Hjalmarsson said he would now line Lundqvist up at Cambridge Raceway again next month. He was the only horse he took to the trots last night.
“I’m working about six at the Franklin track. It was a rough old year last season not getting any winners. It’s taken me a wee while to acclimatise from the South Island and how they do things down there.
“It’s a bit different up here but the place (Franklin Park) is really busy and I enjoy working alongside some of the North Island’s best horsemen,”Hjalmarsson said.
Hjalmarsson, his wife Lisa and two children, relocated from West Melton to Waiuku in August 2013. He came to New Zealand in early 2010 and worked for John Green and Brian Hughes for 18 months.
In September 2011 he then relocated to West Melton where he worked for Ken Barron for 10 months.
Hjalmarsson then went out on his own in mid-2012 and trained and drove his first New Zealand winner when his old favourite Amy’s Invasion won at Washdyke on July 8 that year – a week after he was granted his training licence.
All up Hjalmarsson has now trained nine winners from 200 starters and placed 35 times for $104,796 in stakes.
His last winner came via Eyrewell Pegasus (Todd Mitchell) at Cambridge Raceway on November 16, 2014.
Other highlights from Cambridge Raceway last night saw the Barry Purdon and Zac Butcher ‘combo’ train and drive Laredo Torpedo and Lady Madonna to win races four and eight respectively. They were the hot $1.40 and $1.50 favourites.
Tauwhare horseman Todd Mitchell also picked up a double when he trained $24.90 outsider Raschker (Kyle Marshall j) to win race six, and then three races later he conditioned $3 favourite Westwind Flyer (Andrew Drake j) to win the last event.
As well as Raschker, Marshall also drove one other winner at the meeting – the other was the Roni Lauren trained I Got Rhythm in race three.
Duane Ranger