Täby Galopp
Encyclopedia
Taby Racecourse, is a Thoroughbred
horse racing
venue located in Täby
, approximately 15 kilometres north of Stockholm
. Taby Racecourse is the premier track in the three Scandinavia
n countries where racing is run, Denmark
, Norway
and Sweden
.
, its facilities have constantly been up-graded and are now as good as most courses in Europe and unrivalled in Scandinavia.
The course usually stages about 50 days racing a year with the dirt track being used exclusively until May. Racing under floodlights was first staged in 1965 and the formula is now working with considerable success in England
at Wolverhampton
and other courses in Europe.
The left-handed track was also designed on a similar basis as courses in North America
with a dirt track which is about 8 furlong
s (one mile) in length on the outside of the turf
course. There is also the added attraction of a figure-eight hurdle and steeplechase
track on the inside plus stabling nearby.
following the granting of Group 3 status to the Stockholm Cup International
in 1994.
The 12 furlong race has regularly attracted good quality horses from the rest of Europe keen to take on the best Scandinavian middle-distance horses. In 1997 Harbour Dues took the prize for Lady Herries before heading down to Australia
to run a gallant fourth in the Melbourne Cup
. In 2003 Labirinto won the race for France
. In 2004, Collier Hill
took the prize back to England and came back again to win it in 2006.
In recognition of the quality of racing at the track, a second race, the Täby Open Sprint Championship
, was awarded Group 3 status in 1998.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
venue located in Täby
Täby
Täby is a trimunicipal locality and the seat of Täby Municipality in Stockholm County, Sweden, with 58,593 inhabitants in 2005. It is also partly located in Danderyd Municipality and Sollentuna Municipality...
, approximately 15 kilometres north of 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...
. Taby Racecourse is the premier track in the three Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n countries where racing is run, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and 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....
.
History
Opened in 1960 and based on the major racecourses in AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, its facilities have constantly been up-graded and are now as good as most courses in Europe and unrivalled in Scandinavia.
The racetrack
Racing takes place throughout the year, the variety available varying from dirt racing under lights during the winter and spring to the top flat and jump races in Scandinavia run during the summer and fall.The course usually stages about 50 days racing a year with the dirt track being used exclusively until May. Racing under floodlights was first staged in 1965 and the formula is now working with considerable success in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and other courses in Europe.
The left-handed track was also designed on a similar basis as courses in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
with a dirt track which is about 8 furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s (one mile) in length on the outside of the turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
course. There is also the added attraction of a figure-eight hurdle and steeplechase
Steeplechase (horse racing)
The steeplechase is a form of horse racing and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside...
track on the inside plus stabling nearby.
Recent developments
In recent years Täby Galopp has made a significant impression on the international scene, being the first course outside the five main European countries to stage a Pattern raceConditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
following the granting of Group 3 status to the Stockholm Cup International
Stockholm Cup International
The Stockholm Cup International is a Group 3 flat horse race in Sweden which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Täby over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
in 1994.
The 12 furlong race has regularly attracted good quality horses from the rest of Europe keen to take on the best Scandinavian middle-distance horses. In 1997 Harbour Dues took the prize for Lady Herries before heading down to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to run a gallant fourth in the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
. In 2003 Labirinto won the race for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In 2004, Collier Hill
Collier Hill
Collier Hill is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by the prominent American sportsman George W. Strawbridge, Jr. who was involved in both steeplechase and flat racing and who raced in Europe and the United States....
took the prize back to England and came back again to win it in 2006.
In recognition of the quality of racing at the track, a second race, the Täby Open Sprint Championship
Täby Open Sprint Championship
The Täby Open Sprint Championship is a Listed flat horse race in Sweden which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Täby over a distance of 1,150 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
, was awarded Group 3 status in 1998.