Sprintermästaren

Sprintermästaren
	Group One International race
	Nuncio and Stefan Melander after their victory in 2015.
Location	Halmstad Racetrack, Halmstad, ; Sweden
Inaugurated	1971
Race type	Harness race for standardbred trotters
Race information
Distance	1,609 meters (1 mile)
Track	Left-handed 1,000 meter track (0.62 mile)
Qualification	4-year-olds
Purse	≈US$288,000 (€200,000)

Last updated February 23, 2019

Sprintermästaren (literally: "The Sprint Champion") is an annual international Group One harness event for trotters. It is held at Halmstad Racetrack in Halmstad, Sweden, and is a stakes race for 4-year-olds.^[1] The purse in the 2011 final was ≈US$288,000 (€200,000), of which the winner Orecchietti won half.^[2]^[3] The event is sometimes referred to as "Sweden's Hambletonian".^[4]

Group One, Group 1Grade 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 introduced in 1971 and monitored by the European Pattern Committee. To attain or maintain a Group One status, the average rating for the first four finishers in the race must be 115 or higher over a three year period. The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities works to ensure consistent international standards. Group One races may only be restricted to age groups or a stipulated sex: they should not be restricted to horses bred in a certain country. Group One (G1) races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia, but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply.

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, occupied by a driver, although in Europe, jockeys riding directly on saddled trotters is also conducted.

Halmstad, also known as Strawtown, is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of the Nissan river, in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County. The city had a population of 92,797 in 2012, out of a municipal total of over 90,000. Halmstad is Sweden's 20th-largest city by population and located about midway between Gothenburg and Malmö. It is Europe's northernmost city with a lot of timber framing architecture.

Racing conditions

From the beginning, Sprintermästaren was open only for Swedish four-year-old trotters. In 2002, the conditions were changed and the event has since then been open for foreign four-year-olds as well.^[5] The distance, one mile, has been the same since the beginning of the event in 1971.^[6] The final of the event is preceded by a number of elimination races, taking place the same day. Since 1995, the number of elimination heats has been three per year.^[6]

Past winners

Drivers with most wins

5 - Stig H. Johansson
5 - Örjan Kihlström
2 - Erik Adielsson
2 - Stefan Melander
2 - Robert Bergh
2 - Johnny Takter^[6]

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 regarded as one of the sport's great. Among the horses he has trained are top trotters Victory Tilly, Queen L., Peace Corps, Napoletano, Digger Crown, The Onion and Utah Bulwark. Together with these and other horses, Johansson has won numerous major races, including Elitloppet, Gran Premio della Lotteria, Nat Ray Trot (once) and Prix d'Amérique (once).

Bertil Stefan Melander is a Swedish harness racing horse trainer and driver based at Åby-Farm in Enköping, Sweden.

Trainers with most wins

6 - Stig H. Johansson
4 - Stefan Melander
3 - Stefan Hultman
3 - Robert Bergh
2 - Sören Nordin ^[6]

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. 21 times, Nordin was the champion driver at Solvalla racetrack in Stockholm, Sweden's premier track.

Sires with at least two winning offsprings

3 - Andover Hall (Brad de Veluwe, Nuncio, Perfect Spirit)
2 - Count's Pride (Alex Pride, Gaston Pride)
2 - Speedy Somolli (Mr Lavec, Regent Broline)
2 - Super Arnie (Beijing Boy, Dust All Over)
2 - Super Bowl (Active Bowler, Ultimo H.)
2 - Tibur (Callit, Drottning Sund)^[6]

Nuncio is a dark racing trotter by Andover Hall out of Nicole Isabelle by Lindy Lane. Nuncio is owned and trained by Stefan Melander at Åby-Farm, Enköping, Sweden.

Winning stallions that have also sired winners

Mr Lavec (1995), sire of First Lavec (2001)^[6]

Winner with lowest odds

Winning odds: 1.24 - Charme Asserdal (1977)^[6]

Winner with highest odds

Winning odds: 42.55 - Beijing Boy (1999)^[6]

Fastest winner (finals only)

1:09.3 (km rate) - Uncle Lasse (2016)^[6]

All winners of Sprintermästaren

Year	Horse	Driver	Trainer	Odds of winner	Winning time (km rate)
2018	Perfect Spirit	Örjan Kihlström	Daniel Redén	2.45	1:10.2
2017	Diamanten	Christoffer Eriksson	Robert Bergh	2.91	1:10.0
2016	Uncle Lasse	Örjan Kihlström	Stefan Melander	3.10	1:09.3
2015	Nuncio	Stefan Melander	Stefan Melander	1.34	1:10.0
2014	Happy Days	Johnny Takter	Michael Lönborg	8.43	1:10.7
2013	Quid Pro Quo	Ulf Ohlsson	Svante Båth	3.47	1:11.0
2012	Brad de Veluwe	Tuomas Korvenoja	Tuomas Korvenoja	2.42	1:09.7
2011	Orecchietti	Örjan Kihlström	Stefan Hultman	4.46	1:10.7
2010	You Bet Hornline	Robert Bergh	Robert Bergh	8.78	1:11.1
2009	Lavec Kronos	Lutfi Kolgjini	Lutfi Kolgjini	7.75	1:10.7
2008	Dust All Over	Örjan Kihlström	Roger Walmann	3.90	1:11.4
2007	Naughty Nunu	Erik Adielsson	Stig H. Johansson	8.42	1:11.9
2006	Fantasy Broline	Robert Bergh	Robert Bergh	8.09	1:11.9
2005	Profit Ås	Erik Adielsson	Kari Lähdekorpi	14.06	1:11.3
2004	Gentleman	Örjan Kihlström	Stefan Hultman	2.55	1:11.8
2003	Calvin Capar	Hans-Owe Sundberg	Stefan Hultman	4.59	1:12.3
2002	Scarlet Knight	Stefan Melander	Stefan Melander	1.40	1:12.5
2001	First Lavec	Jim Frick	Jim Frick	4.26	1:13.2
2000	Rydens Sensation	Jorma Kontio	Stefan Melander	8.16	1:12.7
1999	Beijing Boy	Dan Widegren	Dan Widegren	42.55	1:13.2
1998	Jolly Rocket	Per Lennartsson	Per Lennartsson	1.83	1:13.0
1997	Kramer Boy	Johnny Takter	Johnny Takter	1.79	1:12.1
1996	Regent Broline	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson	4.83	1:15.3
1995	Mr Lavec	Jimmy W. Takter	Jimmy W. Takter	5.07	1:12.4
1994	Serena	Christer Nylander	Christer Nylander	3.27	1:13.9
1993	Top Royal	Lennart Forsgren	Lennart Forsgren	4.45	1:13.4
1992	Ciceron Örn	Lars-Ove Lunneryd	Lars-Ove Lunneryd	6.06	1:15.4
1991	First Sid	Björn Linder	Björn Linder	7.65	1:13.5
1990	Drottning Sund	Björn Larsson	Björn Larsson	2.97	1:16.7
1989	Peace On Earth	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson	1.54	1:14.6
1988	Gaston Pride	Per-Olof Pettersson	Per-Olof Pettersson	1.70	1:15.7
1987	Ewing Turf	Thomas Uhrberg	Anders Lindqvist	4.35	1:14.8
1986	Alex Pride	Mats Rånlund	Mats Rånlund	5.85	1:14.0
1985	Callit	Karl O. Johansson	Karl O. Johansson	3.19	1:16.4
1984	Anford Bones	Leif Edvinsson	Leif Edvinsson	4.72	1:14.6
1983	The Onion	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson	1.74	1:12.0
1982	Speedy Fly	Olle Goop	Arne Bernhardsson	1.87	1:14.1
1981	Ultimo H.	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson	9.06	1:15.0
1980	Lepin	Kjell Isgren	Kjell Isgren	2.16	1:16.4
1979	Active Bowler	Jan Nordin	Sören Nordin	4.90	1:16.2
1978	Safari Express	Sven-Erik Landin	Sven-Erik Landin	8.59	1:16.8
1977	Charme Asserdal	Heikki Korpi	Timo Eve	1.24	1:16.8
1976	Gay Frost	Bertil Rogell	Bertil Rogell	2.19	1:18.7
1975	Gotte Takstens	Olle Lindqvist	Olle Lindqvist	9.62	1:17.8
1974	Gallini	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson	1.49	1:17.7
1973	Pelle J:r	Karl-Gösta Fylking	Karl-Gösta Fylking	2.84	1:19.1
1972	Lime Rodney	Karl Gustaf Holgersson	Karl Gustaf Holgersson	6.64	1:17.6
1971	Cirro	Sören Nordin	Sören Nordin	2.08	1:19.2

^[6]

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References

↑ "Grupplöpningar 2009" (PDF). travsport.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-06.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
↑ "Svensk Travsport - SprinterMästaren Final". travsport.se (in Swedish). STC. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
↑ In the conversion to USD, the rates of 2011-07-07, the date of the 2011 final, have been used.
↑ Bonsdorf, Karsten (2008-07-04). "Dust All Over wins Sweden's Hambletonian". ustrotting.com. United States Trotting Association. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
↑ Johansson, Robin. "Junior räds inte svenskar". guiden.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-07.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Sprintermästaren final". qhurth.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-07.

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[Grupplöpningar_2009-1] "Grupplöpningar 2009" (PDF). travsport.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-06.^{[ permanent dead link ]}

[Results_-_Sprintermästaren_2011-2] "Svensk Travsport - SprinterMästaren Final". travsport.se (in Swedish). STC. Retrieved 2011-08-22.

[3] In the conversion to USD, the rates of 2011-07-07, the date of the 2011 final, have been used.

[4] Bonsdorf, Karsten (2008-07-04). "Dust All Over wins Sweden's Hambletonian". ustrotting.com. United States Trotting Association. Retrieved 2009-04-07.

[5] Johansson, Robin. "Junior räds inte svenskar". guiden.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-07.

[Results_through_the_years_-_qhurth-6] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Sprintermästaren final". qhurth.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-07.