Åby Stora Pris is an annual 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 Åby Racetrack

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....

 in Mölndal

Mölndal

Mölndal is a part of the Gothenburg urban area on the west-coast of Sweden, and constitutes the administrative centre of Mölndal Municipality. About 40,000 of the municipality's 60,000 inhabitants live here.-Geography:...

, 10 km south of Gothenburg

Gothenburg

Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants 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....

. 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.

Horses with most wins

• 2 - Gidde Palema
  Gidde Palema
  Gidde Palema is a Swedish breeding stallion and former racing trotter by Alf Palema out of Rosie Palema by Ideal du Gazeau....
  
   (2003, 2005)
• 2 - Victory Tilly
  Victory Tilly
  Victory Tilly 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 , Elitloppet, Nat Ray Trot and Gran Premio della Lotteria. At the end of his career, the gelding had earned US$5,168,902...
  
   (2000, 2002)
• 2 - 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...
  
   (1995, 1996)
• 2 - Idéal du Gazeau (1981, 1982)
• 2 - Lyon (1970, 1972)
• 2 - Gelinotte (1956, 1957)
• 2 - Iran Scott (1951, 1952)

Sires with at least two winning offsprings

• 3 - Scotland (Scotch Thistle, Scotch Fez, Locomotive)
• 3 - Bulwark (Frances Bulwark
  Frances Bulwark
  Frances Bulwark was a Swedish standardbred racing trotter and brood mare by Bulwark out of Frances Great by Kaffir Axworthy....
  
  , Optimist, Justus)
• 2 - Quick Pay (Victory Tilly, The Onion)
• 2 - Kairos (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

• 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...
  
  
• 4 - Åke Svanstedt
• 4 - Gösta Nordin
• 3 - 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...
  
  
• 3 - Ragnar Thorngren

Other note

Frances Bulwark is the only mare

Mare

Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...

 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

Year	Horse	Driver	Country of owner	Odds of winner	Winning time	Distance in meters
2008	Garland Kronos	Lutfi Kolgjini		2.94	1:13.1	1,640
2007	Giant Superman	Fredrik B. Larsson		2.14	1:13.5	1,640
2006	Red Chili Pirat	Örjan Kihlström		7.01/5.82	1:11.3/1:11.6	1,640
2005	Gidde Palema Gidde Palema Gidde Palema is a Swedish breeding stallion and former racing trotter by Alf Palema out of Rosie Palema by Ideal du Gazeau....	Åke Svanstedt		1.41	1:13.3	1,640
2004	Steinlager	Per Oleg Midfjeld		7.14	1:13.5	2,140
2003	Gidde Palema	Åke Svanstedt		2.20	1:12.1	2,140
2002	Victory Tilly Victory Tilly Victory Tilly 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 , Elitloppet, Nat Ray Trot and Gran Premio della Lotteria. At the end of his career, the gelding had earned US$5,168,902...	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...		1.28	1:13.5	2,140
2001	Etain Royal	Jorma Kontio		10.16	1:13.1	2,140
2000	Victory Tilly	Stig H. Johansson		1.59	1:13.3	2,140
1999	Général du Pommeau	Jules Lepennetier		1.47	1:14.4	2,140
1998	Rite On Line	Atle Hamre		9.33	1:14.3	2,140
1997	Gentle Star	Gunleif Tollefsen		2.61	1:15.0	2,140
1996	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		2.01	1:14.3	2,140
1995	Zoogin	Åke Svanstedt		4.81	1:13.6	2,140
1994	Houston Laukko	Jorma Kontio		38.61	1:13.8	2,140
1993	Queen L. Queen L. Queen L. is a chestnut standardbred trotter by Crowntron out of Attila L. by Tibur.Her most prestigious victories include the Swedish Trotting Derby , Prix d'Amérique and Prix de France . At the end of her career, the mare had earned US$2,383,158....	Stig H. Johansson		3.33	1:13.2	2,140
1992	Sea Cove	Joseph Verbeeck		15.32	1:14.5	2,140
1991	Prince Mystic	Atle Hamre		10.54	1:14.0	2,140
1990	Reve d'Udon	Yves Dreux		2.57	1:14.0	2,140
1989	Quellou	Pierre Levesque		8.43	1:14.9	2,140
1988	Ourasi Ourasi Ourasi is a chestnut French Trotter by Greyhound F out of Fleurasie by Remember F .He won the "Prix d'Amérique" four times and $2,913,314 during his career...	Jean-René Gougeon		1.73	1:14.5	2,140
1987	Jet Ribb	Hans G. Eriksson		8.21	1:14.8	2,140
1986	Utah Bulwark	Stig H. Johansson		1.37	1:14.3	2,140
1985	Minou du Donjon	Olle Goop		1.37	1:15.4	2,140
1984	The Onion	Stig H. Johansson		3.80	1:14.8	2,140
1983	Legolas	Thomas Nilsson		13.21	1:14.6	2,140
1982	Idéal du Gazeau	Eugène Lefèvre		2.20	1:15.6	2,140
1981	Idéal du Gazeau	Eugène Lefèvre		1.61	1:18.4	2,140
1980	Express Gaxe	Gunnar Axelryd		2.96	1:15.0	2,140
1979	Hadol du Vivier	Jean-René Gougeon		2.22	1:15.5	2,140
1978	Charme Asserdal	Heikki Korpi		8.72	1:16.9	2,140
1977	Micko Tilly	Olle Lindqvist		9.04	1:16.3	2,640
1976	Dines P.	Michel Feuillet		11.74	1:18.9	2,620
1975	Race cancelled
1974	Knabe	Olle Goop		5.92	1:18.6	2,600
1973	Bill D.	André L. Dreux		2.68	1:17.8	2,620
1972	Lyon	Olle Elfstrand		1.86	1:21.3	2,600
1971	Harper Arrow	Lennart Stjernlöf		2.86	1:21.0	2,600
1970	Lyon	Olle Elfstrand		1.66	1.20,4	2,600
1969	Fairland	Uno Swed		9.66	1:21.2	2,600
1968	Pulemjot	Stig H. Nilsson		13.30	1:19.8	2,600
1967	Lill Mavil	Svenning Eriksson		6.84	1:24.0	2,600
1966	Orlof	Algot Scott		9.77	1:19.9	2,600
1965	Pluvier III	Gunnar Nordin		3.48	1:19.8	2,620
1964	Frances Nibs	Olle Andersson		7.36	1:21.3	2,620
1963	Oscar R.L.	Henri Levesque		2.07	1:20.4	2,620
1962	Aprilsnar	Kaj Hansen		48.63	1:23.0	2,600
1961	Kracovie	Raoul Vercruysse		1.75	1:19.0	2,620
1960	Hairos II	Willem H. Geersen		1.90	1:18.6	2,640
1959	Icare IV	Walter Baroncini		3.33	1:19.3	2,640
1958	Io d'Amour	Eddie Freundt		2.82	1:20.4	2,620
1957	Gelinotte	Charlie Mills Charlie Mills Charles F. Mills was a Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the New York Mutuals in 1871 and 1872, appearing in 38 games and hitting .226. He died on April 9, 1874 in Brooklyn, New York.-External links:...		1.41	1:20.2	2,640
1956	Gelinotte	Charlie Mills		-	1:20.0	2,640
1955	Ejadon	Johannes Frömming		7.00	1:18.9	2,640
1954	Mac Kinley	Willem H. Geersen		4.76	1:21.5	2,600
1953	Scotch Thistle	Vicenti Ossani		9.75	1:21.7	2,660
1952	Iran Scott	Carl A. Schoug		5.91	1:22.8	2,640
1951	Iran Scott	Carl A. Schoug		8.81	1:22.2	2,620
1950	Frances Bulwark Frances Bulwark Frances Bulwark was a Swedish standardbred racing trotter and brood mare by Bulwark out of Frances Great by Kaffir Axworthy....	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...		4.99	1:22.3	2,600
1949	Scotch Fez	Sören Nordin		2.29	1:22.4	2,620
1948	Locomotive	Gunnar Nordin		4.04	1:21.8	2,420
1947	Optimist	Gösta Nordin		2.96	1,23,7	2,380
1946	Justus	Sören Nordin		1.63	1:23.4	2,180
1945	Dieter Asa	Stig Karlsson		7.37	1:23.6	2,200
1944	Exklusiv	Gösta Nordin		3.57	1:23.8	2,180
1943	Volburn	Gösta Nordin		2.75	1:22.9	2,180
1942	Trumps	Ragnar Thorngren		4.71	1:23.3	2,180
1941	Big Noon	Gösta Nordin		1.75	1:21.9	2,180
1940	Craftsman	Oscar Persson		2.56	1:22.0	2,220
1939	Harper Hanover	Oscar Persson		1.79	1:21.0	2,240
1938	Escape	Ragnar Thorngren		1.59	1:21.9	2,200
1937	True Hanover	Ragnar Thorngren		2.81	1:25.1	2,200
1936	Guy Montgomery P.	Paul P. Nielsen		2.32	1:28.6	2,200

External links

• Official website (Swedish)