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Stabell talk Annike Bye Hansen's 2021 team Geir Stabell's in-depth presentation of classic winning trainer Annike Bye Hansen's team of horses for the 2021 season. Abolish (middle) going close in Goeteborg Stora Pris. Photo: Stefan Olsson Abolish – consistency has its price Imported from France ahead of the 2020 season, Abolish ran five times in Scandinavia last year – and produced smart form at three different venues. It almost beggars belief that he failed to win under Annike's management but the best horse does not always win in handicaps. Thoroughbreds rated as highly as on 85kg by the handicapper normally visit the winners' enclosure at least once through the campaign. Abolish was unlucky not to win last year and his consistency clearly had its price. When you keep on going close, time after time, you will not be dropped in the handicap list. Abolish is the type to keep up the good work as an older horse, however, and we can hope for success in 2021 with this horse. He ran a cracking good race when runner-up in >>> www.annikebyehansen.com Stabell talk 10 May 2021 Annike Bye Hansen's 2021 team Abolish >>> Goteborg Stora Pris in Sweden in August, going down by just a neck to the smart filly Ramone, who carried 3kg less than Abolish. Accomplished horses like Match Maker, Shantou and Fiftyshadesfreed filled the places behind Abolish, making the form of the 1400-metres contest look particularly strong. Abolish's next task was the Herbert Sachs Memorial over 1600 metres at Bro Park the following month, and he was once more game in defeat, finishing third behind Rapidash and Lush Lashes, beaten 2 lengths and a neck while giving weight to both of these rivals. His season was then rounded off with another third place finish back home at Øvrevoll in October. The competitive Advance Party Handicap, run over 1370 metres, was won by Sir Leo, with stable companions We Got the Boss and Abolish close up in second and third – and Abolish was once more the one who carried the highest weight of the principals. Abolish has been a sort of an 'in between horse'. The form he has shown is a few lengths below what is required to have crack at the Scandinavian elite, while it is so good that he will always end up with tough weights in strong handicap races. All of his 2021 starts came on turf, and he has proved effective from 1370 metres to 1600 metres. A well bred Juddmonte gelding from the same family as champions Zafonic, Zamindar and Announce, Abolish joined Annike's team after being purchased on behalf of C J Thoroughbreds at the Tattersalls Sales in Newmarket in 2019. He had gained one win and been placed second or third four times in France that year, being successful in what looked a decent maiden heat over 1400 metres at Fontainebleau. Abolish progressed to take third twice when tried at the premier venues Saint-Cloud and Chantilly later on, both times tackling 1600 metres. His career record going into the new season stands at one win and seven placed efforts from just twelve starts to date. That's a healthy 66% top three record, and there should be more to come from this five-year-old. www.annikebyehansen.com Stabell talk 10 May 2021 Annike Bye Hansen's 2021 team Calcaterre – age no hindrance It is not at all unusual for sprinters to keep their form well as older horses. As we saw with our champion Captain America, age is no hindrance in this division. Calcaterre is another good example. Getting ready for this ten-year- old campaign, he is a tough, battle hardened fighter who recorded his 16th career win when landing the Giant Sandman Cup Sprint over 1170 metres on the turf at Øvrevoll last July. Ridden by Elione Chaves, Calcaterre produced a rock solid performance that day, pipping the smart filly Ramone while giving her 3kg. Backcountry finished third, with Martini filling fourth place. The win was worth 62.500 kroner. Calcaterre earned a bit more in the second half of the season and his career total now stands at 1.484.577 kroner. A look at his past two campaigns makes for interesting reading. He won twice in 2019 with 172.419 kroner in earnings and last year he actually picked up Calcaterre (left) winning on turf last summer. Photo: hesteguiden.com 181.698 kroner. Financially measured, he did slightly better at nine compared to when he was eight years old. Can he keep up the good work in 2021? Why not? Calcaterre continued to be competitive right to the end of the 2020 season, with three runner-up efforts in the autumn, including two such placings within a week in October / November, when he ran second in two valuable handicaps over 1100 metres on the dirt track, beaten by Shantou and Madi Banja. Calcaterre, who won six times and was voted Handicapper of The Year back in 2017, stays further than pure sprint distances. One of his wins in 2019 came over 1600 metres. This versatility gives him options, which is obviously a big advantage when Annike picks his races. His consistency, on the other hand, means that Calcaterre will hardly ever be leniently treated in handicaps. His current handicap mark is 83kg, just 1kg lower than his end of season mark in 2019 and 3kg lower than his career high. Pretty remarkable for a horse with his sort of mileage on the clock. Bred by Storfjord Stutteri, Calcaterre is a son of the well bred Juddmonte stallion Camacho out of the Desert Sun mare Chasing The Dream. Chasing The Dream won over 6 furlongs and a mile in Ireland. Her dam, Dream Of Jenny, was a fine broodmare who produced six winners, most notably Jack Dawson, who won 9 times (including twice in smart company over jumps) and Destinys Dream, a winner of 6 races. It's no big surprise to discover that Calcaterre comes from a family of strong and durable performers. With 53 top three finishes from 107 runs, he is a true credit to his trainer. www.annikebyehansen.com Stabell talk 10 May 2021 Annike Bye Hansen's 2021 team General de Vega breaking his maiden at Bro Park. Photo: Stefan Uppstroem General de Vega – lightly raced talent General de Vega is a lightly raced four-year-old, formerly trained in Sweden, who was sent to Annike Bye Hansen's stable last year. He made just the one start at Øvrevoll, finishing a game third behind Backcountry and Match Maker in the highly competitive New Options Handicap in late July. Eight runners went to post for this turf contest, staged over 1370 metres on soft ground, and General de Vega was a slight favourite, taking a little bit more money than Match Maker, a winner over the same trip on his preceding start. Backcountry beat them both, however, coming home 1 ¼ lengths in front of Match Maker, with General de Vega a length further adrift. London Rock, a winner of four races in 2020, was almost four lengths behind him in fourth place. Backcountry franked the form by beating Dardenne in an Eliteløp two weeks later. The reason for General de Vega's subsequent absence from the races was that he underwent successful surgery to remove a bone chip in August. Norwegian racing fans have yet to witness the absolute best of General de Vega. He had produced some taking performances previously, winning in a canter at Klampenborg in May after having been placed behind a black type runner at Meydan racecourse in Dubai during the winter. We might as well deal with the Meydan race first; the Dubai Trophy, a three-year-old conditions contest over 1200 metres on turf. It was won by one of the race favourites, Godolphin's Listed winner Platinum Star, who beat the 66-1 shot Hamama, while General de Vega was third at 14-1, passing the winning post 2 lengths behind the winner. Hamama was the big surprise but it's well worth noting that he ran third in a minor event at Jebel Ali next time out. Unfortunately, General de Vega became very ill afterwards, and he ended up in an equine hospital in Dubai, rather than in another race at Meydan. His previous trainer Lars Kelp later told galopsport.dk that General de Vega's illness had in fact been life threatening. His next outing came four months later, a visually impressive performance over 1400 metres at Klampenborg in May, when he beat Billy Byrnes comfortably by 2 ½ lengths. General de Vega has two wins to date, from just five racecourse appearances. Back in 2019, the well bred son of Lope de Vega gained an easy 5-length win in a maiden race over 1200 metres on dirt at Bro Park, beating Never Think Twice in the style of a really talented runner. Dragonfly finished third on the day, beaten 12 lengths by General de Vega. He has had an interrupted career thus far, but what we have seen from him has mostly been positive, and General de Vega could well be a horse to follow in 2021. www.annikebyehansen.com Stabell talk 10 May 2021 Annike Bye Hansen's 2021 team I Rest My Case – related to Al Buraq I Rest My Case, a juvenile filly by Deceptor out of the Special Quest daughter Sweety, is bred to be good. Out of a mare that was fast and precocious, I Rest My Case comes from the same family as the highly successful handicapper Al Buraq.

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