Armas Hot’s horse finally won.
Armas Hotin Faktori delighted his owner at Kouvola’s raves. Lauri Hyvönen
Suomenhevosruuna Faktori gave his owner-trainer a memorable Christmas present by running to the first victory of his career in his 115th race.
Trotting enthusiast from Mikkeli Sweet Hotti was able to start celebrating Christmas in good time. On Thursday evening at Kouvola’s raves, Faktori, owned, trained and bred by him, galloped to victory Arto Laaksonen guided by.
The victory was not just any first place, but the first victory of the nine-year-old Faktor’s career. Before Thursday, Ruuna had a total of 114 races without a win in six seasons
– Such a great feeling that you can’t describe it in words, Hotti sums up his atmosphere.
When there had been no wins in his previous career, Faktor’s first place was naturally quite a surprise for the players. However, the gelding had shown that it was in good shape, because in its previous start it had run its record of 31.7, which it set aside when it won.
The factor’s problem has been gallop sensitivity. The canter percentage of its entire career is 50, which means that Faktori has galloped in every other race.
– Now it has trotted three times in a row. I don’t know how much they have helped, but small changes have been made to the footwear and all protection has been left off the feet. In the past, the horse was like a Christmas tree when it had all possible protections.
Surprise and no surprise
Hotti says that Thursday’s victory came partly as a surprise to him.
– Yes, there has been a belief that it will still win at some point, but when I went to the raves in Kouvola, I didn’t believe that the victory would come now, Hotti explains.
Hotti knows his horses inside out – after all, he is Faktori’s owner, trainer and breeder.
– The factor has been lazy by nature since his youth. I think it has been good for it now that it has a two-year-old foal as a foster friend. They have a big pasture where they play with each other, and it must have done Faktor some good.
Although Faktor’s first victory has been waiting for itself, giving up with the gelding has not been seriously in mind.
– If there have been longer bad trips, sometimes it crosses my mind that it should be sold as a horse, when it is a pretty and big horse. But they haven’t really been thought about. The factor is home-grown and a very nice guy. It doesn’t squirm, bite or kick.
A pensioner’s hobby
For Hoti, the victory on the trot was the sixth of his career. The now 76-year-old Konkari has practiced trotting for twenty years.
– This is a kind of pensioner’s hobby. I was working as a production manager in a bakery, and then it would not have been possible to do something like this. When I was about to retire, I thought about what I could do at home, and that’s when I got a horse.
The first horse was mainly intended as a pet, or a bun horse, but Hotti got excited to make a foal out of the mare he bought. After that, he bought another mare, whose offspring Faktori is.
– There are three horses in total, and it’s nice to play with them. I’m not even trying to play a professional, but this is such a nice hobby for a pensioner, Hotti describes.
The factor’s win has received well-deserved attention in trotting circles.
– It’s great that we’ve been remembered, Hotti muses.