The Swedish Trotting Criterium (Swedish: Svenskt Travkriterium or only Kriteriet) is an annual national Group One

Group One

Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...

 harness event

Harness racing

Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...

 for trotters that is held at Solvalla

Solvalla

Solvalla is a horse racing track located in Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden. It was opened in 1927 and is the biggest harness racing venue in the Nordic countries. The last Sunday in May, Solvalla annually hosts Elitloppet, one of trotting's most prestigious international events.-Elitloppet:*...

 in Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. It is considered one of the classic trotting events in Sweden as well as the most prestigious Swedish event for 3-year-old trotters.
The purse in the 2008 final was ≈US$458,000 (SEK 3,200,000), of which the winner Maharajah won half.

Location

The Swedish Trotting Criterium has been exclusively held at Solvalla since 1966. The first five editions was raced at Jägersro

Jägersro

Jägersro is a neighbourhood of Malmö, situated in the Borough of Husie, Malmö Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden....

, before the hostesship was altered between Solvalla and Jägersro until 1954, when Åby

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 harness racing solely....

 was added to the mix. The three tracks took turns until 1966, just as with the Swedish Trotting Derby

Swedish Trotting Derby

The Swedish Trotting Derby is an annual national Group One harness event for trotters that is held at Jägersro Racetrack in Malmö, Sweden...

, another prestigious Swedish event. In 1966, Solvalla started to host the Criterium annually and Jägersro became permanent host track of the Derby.

• 1927 - 1931 Jägersro
• 1932 - 1954 Solvalla or Jägersro
• 1954 - 1965 Åby, Solvalla or Jägersro
• 1966 - Solvalla

Entering the event

To enter the Swedish Trotting Criterium, a horse owner is obliged to make four payments of totally ≈US$530 (SEK4,125) as of 2009. These payments are as well valid for the Swedish Trotting Oaks

Swedish Trotting Oaks

The Swedish Trotting Oaks is an annual national Group One harness event for trotters that is held at Solvalla in Stockholm, Sweden...

, which is held at the same day as the Criterium but are open only for fillies. In addition to these costs, a supplementary fee of ≈US$820 (SEK6,360) is paid to enter the elimination races before the final. If a filly owner decides to enter the Oaks instead of the Criterium, the supplementary fee is half as large, ≈US$410 (SEK3,180).

Distance

From the start in 1927 until 1977, the distance of the Criterium was 2,600 meters (1.62 miles). In 1978, an added 40 meters made up a distance of 2,640 meters (1.64 miles), which has been the distance of the race ever since.

Starting method

The first 33 Criterium finals was started by using volt start. In 1960, auto start was introduced. Since then, a motorized starting gate has been used every year, with exceptions for 1967, 1971 and 1979.

Drivers with most wins

• 8 - Gunnar Nordin
• 8 - Sören Nordin
  Sören Nordin
  Ernst Sören Nordin was a Swedish harness racing driver and trainer who later started a stable in America. Nordin won 3,221 races in 10 different countries as a driver, he won the Swedish Trotting Derby 11 times – still a record. In 1950, Nordin won the Prix d'Amérique, and in 1953 the Elitloppet...
  
  
• 5 - Stig H. Johansson
  Stig H. Johansson
  Stig Henry Johansson 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 dominating force in Swedish trotting. He is, arguably, the greatest in Swedish trotting history. Internationally, he is...
  
  
• 5 - Örjan Kihlström
• 4 - Gösta Nordin
• 3 - Håkan Wallner
• 3 - Robert Bergh

Trainers with most wins

• 8 - Gunnar Nordin
• 8 - Sören Nordin
• 5 - Stig H. Johansson
• 4 - Gösta Nordin
• 4 - Olle Goop
• 3 - Håkan Wallner
• 3 - Robert Bergh
• 3 - Stefan Hultman

Sires with at least two winning offsprings

• 3 - Quick Pay (Ex Hammering, Lass Quick, Lucky Po)
• 2 - Allen Hanover (Allen Victory, Ina Scot
  Ina Scot
  Ina Scot is a Swedish former racing trotter by Allen Hanover out of Lovina Grefgård by Mad Scot.Her most prestigious victories include the Swedish Trotting Criterium , the Swedish Trotting Derby , Grand Prix de l'U.E.T...
  
  )
• 2 - Bulwark (Sir Basil, J'accuse)
• 2 - Dreamer Boy (Ibrahim Pascha, Karina S.)
• 2 - Express Ride (Jaded, Sahara Dynamite)
• 2 - Jaguar (Sang, Coccinelle)
• 2 - Locomotive (Codex, Locomite)
• 2 - Pershing (Mack the Knife, Personia)
• 2 - Pluvier III (Oktan Sund, Pamir Brodde)
• 2 - Rollo (Julienne, Gay Gal)
• 2 - Sir Walter Scott (Walter Top, Löjtnant Scott)
• 2 - Zoot Suit (Zoogin
  Zoogin
  Zoogin was a Swedish racing trotter by Zoot Suit out of Ginjette by Lornjett.His most prestigious victories include the Swedish Trotting Criterium , Oslo Grand Prix , Finlandia-Ajo and Copenhagen Cup . At the end of his career, the stallion had earned US$2,989,271...
  
  , From Above)

Winning stallions that have also sired winners

• Active Bowler (1978), sire of Not So Bad (1989)

All winners of the Swedish Trotting Criterium

Year	Horse	Driver	Trainer	Odds of winner	Winning time (km rate)
2008	Maharajah	Örjan Kihlström	Stefan Hultman	1.50	1:14.0
2007	Sahara Dynamite	Örjan Kihlström	Timo Nurmos	1.64	1:15.0
2006	Marquis de Pommeau	Örjan Kihlström	Timo Nurmos	9.25	1:14.8
2005	Jaded	Örjan Kihlström	Stefan Hultman	5.45	1:16.6
2004	Conny Nobell	Björn Goop	Björn Goop	1.84	1:15.2
2003	Nolte	Olle Goop	Olle Goop	9.87	1:16.1
2002	Malabar Circle Ås	Torbjörn Jansson	Svante Båth	3.03	1:15.2
2001	From Above	Örjan Kihlström	Stefan Hultman	9.30	1:15.8
2000	Hilda Zonett	Robert Bergh	Robert Bergh	4.87	1:15.2
1999	Simb Zipper	Robert Bergh	Robert Bergh	3.11	1:15.2
1998	Lucky Po	Stefan Melander	Stefan Melander	22.35	1:16.9
1997	Sans Peur	Björn Goop	Olle Goop	12.78	1:16.8
1996	Remington Crown	Robert Bergh	Robert Bergh	14.33	1:16.3
1995	Drewgi	Åke Svanstedt	Tommy K. Jansson	5.96	1:16.6
1994	Mr. Lavec	Jimmy Takter	Jimmy Takter	1.48	1:17.0
1993	Zoogin Zoogin Zoogin was a Swedish racing trotter by Zoot Suit out of Ginjette by Lornjett.His most prestigious victories include the Swedish Trotting Criterium , Oslo Grand Prix , Finlandia-Ajo and Copenhagen Cup . At the end of his career, the stallion had earned US$2,989,271...	Åke Svanstedt	Åke Svanstedt	20.22	1:16.3
1992	Ina Scot Ina Scot Ina Scot is a Swedish former racing trotter by Allen Hanover out of Lovina Grefgård by Mad Scot.Her most prestigious victories include the Swedish Trotting Criterium , the Swedish Trotting Derby , Grand Prix de l'U.E.T...	Kjell P. Dahlström	Kjell P. Dahlström	1.60	1:16.4
1991	Pont Neuf	Stig H. Johansson Stig H. Johansson Stig Henry Johansson 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 dominating force in Swedish trotting. He is, arguably, the greatest in Swedish trotting history. Internationally, he is...	Stig H. Johansson	6.51	1:16.8
1990	Union Shark	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson	1.38	1:17.8
1989	Not So Bad	Lennart Forsgren	Olle Goop	13.06	1:18.8
1988	Allen Victory	Tommy Hanné	Tommy Hanné	28.39	1:18.0
1987	Carolo Min	Krister Söderholm	Ove Sjöström	10.04	1:16.8
1986	Piper Cub	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson	4.46	1:16.7
1985	Personia	Björn Linder	Björn Linder	35.12	1:16.9
1984	Mack the Knife	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson	5.32	1:17.9
1983	Lass Quick	Heikki Korpi	Heikki Korpi	2.28	1:16.3
1982	Ex Hammering	Ulf Nordin	Ulf Nordin	5.45	1:18.2
1981	Happy Feeling	Karl-Erik Nilsson	Ronny Gustafsson	14.22	1:20.6
1980	Micado C.	Ulf Nordin	Ulf Nordin	6.51	1:19.0
1979	Pamir Brodde	Karl-Erik Nilsson	Karl-Erik Nilsson	2.01	1:18.5
1978	Active Bowler	Sören Nordin Sören Nordin Ernst Sören Nordin was a Swedish harness racing driver and trainer who later started a stable in America. Nordin won 3,221 races in 10 different countries as a driver, he won the Swedish Trotting Derby 11 times – still a record. In 1950, Nordin won the Prix d'Amérique, and in 1953 the Elitloppet...	Sören Nordin	4.52	1:19.3
1977	Oktan Sund	Berndt Lindstedt	Berndt Lindstedt	3.07	1:23.9
1976	Lord Rappe	Olle Goop	Olle Goop	4.12	1:22.2
1975	Top Fläkt	Håkan Wallner	Håkan Wallner	36.67	1:20.5
1974	Thomas R. N.	Jan Ödquist	Jan Ödquist	2.97	1:22.6
1973	Grain	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson	1.97	1:19.9
1972	Desert Air	Sören Nordin	Sören Nordin	1.79	1:20.9
1971	Idé Sund	Gunnar Nordin	Gunnar Nordin	8.29	1:22.6
1970	G. A. Scotch	Sören Nordin	Sören Nordin	2.61	1:22.7
1969	Boett	Per Sundberg	Per Sundberg	3.87	1:21.5
1968	Zolomit	Sören Nordin	Sören Nordin	1.72	1:22.8
1967	Rikitikitavi	Gunnar Nordin	Gunnar Nordin	1.60	1:23.8
1966	Monolog	Håkan Wallner	Håkan Wallner	8.78	1:22.2
1965	Ibs	Håkan Wallner	Håkan Wallner	2.73	1:23.9
1964	Mignon	Gunnar Nordin	Gunnar Nordin	12.09	1:22.7
1963	Coccinelle	Nils Sundin	Nils Sundin	3.17	1:23.7
1962	Gay Gal	Berndt Lindstedt	Berndt Lindstedt	12.28	1:22.6
1961	Julienne	Sören Nordin	Sören Nordin	1.16	1:23.5
1960	Amit H.	Nils Sundin	Nils Sundin	1.44	1:23.4
1959	Clementz	Sören Nordin	Sören Nordin	1.37	1:25.5
1958	Locomite	Gunnar Nordin	Gunnar Nordin	6.19	1:24.2
1957	Kerrim	Bengt Andersson	Bengt Andersson	119.00	1:25.9
1956	Noon Bull	Gunnar Nordin	Gunnar Nordin	3.72	1:24.0
1955	Sang	Kurt Mattsson	Kurt Mattsson	3.66	1:27.7
1954	Lord Scotch	Sören Nordin	Sören Nordin	2.41	1:24.2
1953	Codex Codex (horse) Codex was an American thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1980 Preakness Stakes. He was foaled in Florida out of the Minnesota Mac mare, Roundup Rose, sired by the 1969 American Horse of the Year, Arts And Letters.-Triple Crown races:Trained by D...	Sören Nordin	Sören Nordin	1.52	1:26.8
1952	Gay Noon	Gunnar Nordin	Gunnar Nordin	6.86	1:24.7
1951	J'accuse	Gunnar Nordin	Gunnar Nordin	3.10	1:26.4
1950	Sir Basil	Gösta Nordin	Gösta Nordin	2.80	1:26.3
1949	Löjtnant Scott	Carl A. Schoug	Carl A. Schoug	6.17	1:25.3
1948	Toreador	Erik Larsson	Erik Larsson	2.92	1:26.2
1947	Ivan	Hugo Andersson	Hugo Andersson	8.69	1:30.5
1946	Jagilon	Gunnar Nordin	Gunnar Nordin	1.22	1:26.1
1945	Excellens Will	Owe Nilsson	Owe Nilsson	1.47	1:28.1
1944	Turf	Gösta Nordin	Gösta Nordin	1.60	1:27.5
1943	Bess Brodde	Hans Ringström	Hans Ringström	2.20	1:26.9
1942	Lime Abbey	Gösta Nordin	Gösta Nordin	1.42	1:26.0
1941	Walter Top	Ragnar Thorngren	Ragnar Thorngren	3.61	1:27.6
1940	Skottlandshus	Owe Nilsson	Owe Nilsson	5.13	1:28.8
1939	Mac the Great	Eric Carlsson	Eric Carlsson	3.55	1:27.0
1938	Queen Nedworthy	Antonius Adamski	Antonius Adamski	1.29	1:27.5
1937	Mary Louise	Gösta Nordin	Gösta Nordin	1.29	1:27.5
1936	Sete	Göte Nilsson	Göte Nilsson	2.36	1:31.2
1935	Kickan	Anton Fyhr	Anton Fyhr	1.88	1:30.1
1934	The Senator Indiana	Carl Holmström	Carl Holmström	1.32	1:31.8
1933	Etta June	Gotthard Ericsson	Gotthard Ericsson	1.77	1:31.9
1932	Lorry	Sixten Lundgren	Sixten Lundgren	1.66	1:34.6
1931	Blå Bird	Johan Jacobsson	Johan Jacobsson	2.35	1:36.5
1930	Peter Spjuver	Anton Fyhr	Anton Fyhr	1.47	1:41.9
1929	Ruter Dam	Anders Nilsson	Anders Nilsson	1.22	1:41.2
1928	Karina S.	Sophus Sörensen	Sophus Sörensen	1.77	1:35.9
1927	Ibrahim Pascha	Sophus Sörensen	Sophus Sörensen	1.59	1:34.6