Yle.fi - Tuokkolan Touho on vuoden ravisensaatio <- source & photos
Tuokkolan Touho 22,9a (Liising - M.A. Vipi - Vispok) the 7-year-old stallion from Juva has won 13 of his 16 races this year, with two second places and one 6th place. His owners are Seppo Suuronen and Jukka Rätinä, Seppo Suuronen also trains the horse himself professionally alongside, for example, the trotter king of 2010, A.T. Eko.
Tuokkolan Touho redeemed himself by winning his first open-class race against the best of finnhorses in Valkeala-ajo held in Kouvola in September.
- I couldn't count on winning this race, remembers Touho's groom, Anna Virtala.
Tuokkolan Touho came to Suuronen's stable two years ago. He and Jukka Rätinä own the stallion in half. Though Juva is much closer to southern tracks than Oulu, where Touho came from.
Easygoing Gentleman
Tuokkolan Touho wasn't a foal wonder. He has done amazing progress as 6- and 7-yearing.
- Last year I began to think that this is going to be a good race horse, though he has always seemed better than average. It's difficult to predict the future, but we hope he'll stay healthy, says Suuronen.
Stallion works fine at home, he's a peaceful gentleman. His best friend is the little black stable dog, Tiltu.
Patrik's heritage
Four-time trotter king, Patrik, has a stirm place as well in Finnish harness racing as in Seppo's and Juha Kortekallio's hearts -this stallion made them both valued professional horse trainers. Suuronen doesn't like to compare Tuokkolan Touho with his grandsire.
- It's difficult to compare horses who compete in a totally different era, but he's still far from Patrik. Patrik was a super horse. Much sharper, stronger and more powerful. Though he has a lot of his sire's and grandsire's character. Big, handsome and strong horses all three.
The Nordic Championship in Turku was a disappointment
Tuokkolan Touho has been convincing this year. After 13 wins a sixth place in Turku was disappointing.
- For some reason he just couldn't fight until the end. Maybe he ran too many races before. Maybe he should've stayed at home at least one weekend back then.
Stallion will return to the track in October. After Turku he was checked all over for injuries both in Turku and horse clinic at Jyväskylä, but there was nothing.
- No problems. We're planning to start a few more times before the winter break. The horse's fitness is the one that matters. We'll train through winter and see how he is at Spring. It's almost a year until the next finnhorse championships, so it's worthless to say anything about that.
Kommentit