Åby Stora Pris (literally "Åby Grand Prize") is an annual
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern race system introduce ...
harness event for trotters that is held at
Åby Racetrack
Åby Racetrack ( sv, Åbytravet) is a horse racing track located in Mölndal
Mölndal () is the seat and administrative centre of Mölndal Municipality, located just south of Gothenburg on the west-coast of Sweden. About 40,000 of the muni ...
in
Mölndal
Mölndal () is the seat and administrative centre of Mölndal Municipality, located just south of Gothenburg on the west-coast of Sweden. About 40,000 of the municipality's 60,000 inhabitants live in Mölndal proper.
Geography
Mölndal is loca ...
, 10 km south of
Gothenburg,
Sweden.
Åby Stora Pris has taken place since 1936, the same year Åby Racetrack was opened.
In 2008, the purse of the event was approximately US$359,000 (SEK2,400,000).
Åby Stora Pris is part of the
European Grand Circuit European Grand Circuit (french: Grand Circuit européen) was a harness racing series arranged by European Trotting Union. It was held from 1956 to 2011. The competition was replaced by UET Masters Series in 2012.
The circuit consisted of the maj ...
.
Racing conditions
Through the years, the conditions of the event have varied. Before 2005, the winner was decided through a single race. This one race had since 1978 been of 2,140 meters. As from 2005, when the setup was changed, the same eight horses have been racing each other in two 1,640 meter-heats. These heats are followed by a race-off of 1,640 meters, if necessary, i.e. if the two heats are won by different horses.
With the exception of 1981, a motorized starting gate has been used to launch the race since 1979.
In 1978, when the distance was decreased to 2,140 meters, another shift was made as well. Date wise, the event had been held in May or June until then. After the change in 1978, it has been held in September, apart from the years 1990-92 when the race was in August.
The event is invitational, meaning only invited horses can participate.
To come in contention for invitations, a horse must be of age four or above.
Past winners
Horses with most wins
* 2 -
Sebastian K. (2012, 2013)
* 2 -
Gidde Palema
Gidde Palema (born 9 April 1995) is a Swedish Standardbred breeding stallion and former racing trotter by Alf Palema out of Rosie Palema by Ideal du Gazeau.
His most prestigious victories include Oslo Grand Prix (2003, 2004), Copenhagen Cup ...
(2003, 2005)
* 2 -
Victory Tilly
Victory Tilly (born May 3, 1995) is a Swedish former racing trotter by Quick Pay out of Icora Tilly by Fakir du Vivier.
His most prestigious victories include the Swedish Trotting Derby (Swedish: ''Svenskt Travderby''), Elitloppet, Nat Ray T ...
(2000, 2002)
* 2 -
Zoogin (1995, 1996)
* 2 -
Idéal du Gazeau (1981, 1982)
* 2 -
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...
(1970, 1972)
* 2 -
Gelinotte (1956, 1957)
* 2 -
Iran Scott (1951, 1952)
Sires with at least two winning offsprings
* 3 -
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
(
Scotch Thistle,
Scotch Fez,
Locomotive)
* 3 -
Bulwark
Bulwark primarily refers to:
* Bulwark (nautical), a nautical term for the extension of a ship's side above the level of a weather deck
* Bastion, a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification
The Bulwark primarily refe ...
(
Frances Bulwark
Frances Bulwark (born 5 April 1945 ) was a Swedish Standardbred racing trotter and brood mare by Bulwark out of Frances Great by Kaffir Axworthy.
Her most prestigious victories include six Swedish Championships (1950–51, 1953–56), five ...
,
Optimist
Optimism is an attitude reflecting a belief or hope that the outcome of some specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and desirable. A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass filled wi ...
,
Justus
Justus (died on 10 November between 627 and 631) was the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury. He was sent from Italy to England by Pope Gregory the Great, on a mission to Christianize the Anglo-Saxons from their native paganism, probably arriv ...
)
* 2 -
Quick Pay (Victory Tilly,
The Onion
''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on August ...
)
* 2 -
Kairos
Kairos ( grc, καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning 'the right, critical, or opportune moment'. In modern Greek, ''kairos'' also means 'weather' or 'time'.
It is one of two words that the ancient Greeks had for 'time'; the other be ...
(Gelinotte,
Hairos II)
* 2 -
Hermes D. (
Pluvier III,
Orlof)
* 2 -
Hollyrood Harkaway (
Trumps,
Escape)
Mares with at least two winning offsprings
* 2 -
My Sister Lou (
Big Noon,
Exklusiv)
Drivers with most wins
* 6 -
Åke Svanstedt
Åke is a masculine Swedish given name, possibly derived from the medieval Germanic name ''Anicho'', derived from ''ano'' meaning "ancestor". In Sweden, May 8 is the Name day for Åke. There are variant spellings, including the Danish/ Norweg ...
* 5 -
Stig H. Johansson
* 4 -
Gösta Nordin
* 3 -
Sören Nordin
* 3 -
Ragnar Thorngren
* 3 -
Jorma Kontio
Other note
Frances Bulwark is the only
mare
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than f ...
that have won the event herself (in 1950) in addition to having bred a winner, the stallion
Frances Nibs, who won in 1964. Frances Nibs has also sired a winner, the champion of 1977,
Micko Tilly
''Micko'' is a documentary about Mick O'Dwyer.
It first aired on RTÉ One on 8 January 2018. Loosehorse were responsible for putting it together.
O'Dwyer described Eoin Liston as "a great man for the Mars bar
Mars, commonly known as M ...
. Thus this line represents winners in three generations.
All winners of Åby Stora Pris
See also
*
List of Scandinavian harness horse races
References
External links
Official website (Swedish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aby Stora Pris
Harness races in Sweden