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 races, Pattern race sys ...

harness event for trotters that is held at

Åby Racetrack Åby Racetrack () is a horse racing track located in Mölndal, 10 km south of Gothenburg, Sweden. Åby was opened in 1936 as a track for harness racing as well as thoroughbred racing. Since October 1976, the track has been dedicated to ha ...

Mölndal Mölndal () is the seat and administrative centre of Mölndal Municipality and a part of the Gothenburg urban area on the west coast of Sweden. About 40,000 of the municipality's 60,000 inhabitants live in Mölndal proper. Geography Mölndal is l ...

, 10 km south of

Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. 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.

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 (2003, 2005) * 2 - Victory Tilly (2000, 2002) * 2 - Zoogin (1995, 1996) * 2 - Idéal du Gazeau (1981, 1982) * 2 -

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

(1970, 1972) * 2 - Gelinotte (1956, 1957) * 2 - Iran Scott (1951, 1952)

Sires with at least two winning offsprings

* 3 -

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

( Scotch Thistle, Scotch Fez,

Locomotive A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...

) * 3 - Bulwark ( Frances Bulwark, Optimist,

Justus Justus (died on 10 November between 627 and 631) was the fourth archbishop of Canterbury. Pope Gregory the Great sent Justus from Italy to England on a mission to Christianise the Anglo-Saxons from their native paganism; he probably a ...

) * 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 currently based in Chicago, but originated as a weekly print publication ...

) * 2 -

Kairos ''Kairos'' () is an ancient Greek language, Greek word meaning 'the right or critical 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 being (). ...

(Gelinotte, Hairos II) * 2 - Hermes D. ( Pluvier III, Orlof) * 2 - Hollyrood Harkaway (

Trumps A trump is a playing card which is elevated above its usual rank in trick-taking games. Typically an entire suit is nominated as a ''trump suit''; these cards then outrank all cards of plain (non-trump) suits. In other contexts, the terms ''trump c ...

Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Escape'' (1928 film), a German silent drama film * ''Escape!'' (film), a 1930 British crime film starring Austin Trevor and Edna Best * ''Escape'' (1940 film), starring Robert Taylor and ...

)

Mares with at least two winning offsprings

* 2 - My Sister Lou ( Big Noon, Exklusiv)

Drivers with most wins

* 6 - Åke Svanstedt * 5 -

Stig H. Johansson Stig Henry Johansson (born 26 July 1945 in Forsa, Hälsingland, Forsa, Hälsingland, Sweden) is a Swedish trotting trainer and former driver. He started his career as a professional trainer in 1969, and has during a large part of the career been a ...

* 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 equidae, 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 th ...

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. Thus this line represents winners in three generations.

All winners of Åby Stora Pris

References

External links

Official website (Swedish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aby Stora Pris Harness races in Sweden