Shackhills Twister is one of the most anticipated horses of the upcoming major racing season.
With Shackhills Twister, this season we are aiming for the toughest starts in Finland. Ida Laine/ Finnish Hippos
Winter is usually the time for top crabbers to build up their bottom condition. The biggest competitions in Finland are on the calendar from spring to autumn, so the best horses are usually sidelined from the racetracks in winter frosts.
One of the most interesting horses to follow in the coming racing season is the warmblood gelding Shackhills Twister. Häijälä coach Jari Kinnusen eye blade has been one of Finland’s top crabs since it was a foal, and now at six years old it is expected to take even more steps.
Last season, Shackhills Twister participated in the adult horse competitions for the first time. The highlights of Shackhills Twister’s season were winning the gold division final in Oulu, second place in the Grand Championship and fourth place in the international Seinäjoki Race.
– Last year was a good learning year for us, Kinnunen begins.
– There were good moments in the season, but there were also disappointments and setbacks. And you learn from adversity when you handle it the right way.
The Shackhills Twister competition season ended at the beginning of November. According to the coach-co-owner, the training season has gone well.
– Last winter, because of the weather, we had to think about which day we would be able to train, but now the weather has been great. Everything has gone extremely well and I have been able to train the horse exactly the way I wanted.
According to Kinnusen, Shackhills Twister is driven three times a week.
– The number of kilometers per month varies from 120 to 150 kilometers. We train versatile and efficiently, and try to keep the heart rate range very wide. Let’s build an even better aerobic base for the horse.
Jari Kinnusen together with his brother Jarmo Kinnusen owned with Shackhills Twister has run 38 races in its career, of which it has won 21. The horse’s winnings are a good 290,000 euros. Kinnunen believes that Shackhills Twister will still improve on its previous seasons.
– However, you have to remember that the margins are incredibly small. Shackhills Twister are absolute top horses, at least in Finland, and no wild leaps are taken at that level anymore. However, it can improve a little in many areas, and a lot of it is specifically related to the training season, which was left empty last year due to the weather.
Straight to Seinäjoki
Last year, Shackhills Twister started its season in April with a win in Vermo, after which the Seinäjoki Race was on the program.
– It would be hoped that the season could now start in the Seinäjoki Race, and the main goal of the year is the Suur-Hollola race, which was not participated in last year. Now I believe that we are mature enough for that competition, says Jari Kinnunen.
Seinäjoki Race and some of the other biggest races of the season are invitational races, where the organizers choose the participants themselves.
– Whether it’s the Finlandia race or the Seinäjoki Race, the horse has to claim his place in them himself. At least I personally think that the best horses should be included. I can promise that at least I won’t start shouting about places in the newspapers. Let’s leave it to others, Kinnunen laughs.
In any case, a well-run training season raises the mood and expectations for the upcoming season as well.
– The fingertips are already itchy, and hopefully we will be able to compete next year at the top level. Fortunately, the months pass so quickly that the matter is already in front of us.