The Violence son Bullet Bling gave enormous promise for his future when he made his debut on Wednesday afternoon with a superior four-length victory ahead of the favourite Papa Joe in Skånelandlöpning at Jägersro.
Just a week after his exhibition in SM Classic over 2,100 metres on turf, Madeleine Smith’s nine-year-old Espen Hill impressively went on to win the year’s last Listed Race, Songline Classic, over 2,000 metres on dirt at Bro Park. It was the second Songline Classic triumph for the Helsinki son.
Wednesday’s debut for Benny Andersson’s two-year-old Iyan at Jägersro had been much looked forward to. The Bated Breath son is a half-brother to last season’s Swedish Derby winner Ayani. In Oliver Wilson’s safe hands the bay gelding won by half a length ahead of Stine Schäfing’s Outback Diva.
The married couple Rebecca Stålhandske and Oscar Berneklint were Wednesday’s big-race winners at Jägersro, when the two-year-old Nocutsnobuts landed Manoustielöpning by a short head ahead of Karma Bling and My Model.
For the second time in a row the Søren Jensen-trained Taifuu and Oliver Wilson came out on top in an open big race at Bro Park. This time the Japan daughter won Mr Ascot Vinterfavoriternas Pris with 225,000 Swedish kronor in first prize for the partnership of Michael Jakobsen and Peter B. Rasmussen.
Mr Ascot Vinterfavoriternas Pris was clearly the main event at Bro Park on Sunday, but five other big races were also run in Stockholm – including three editions of the championships for Swedish-bred horses.
Stall Sigfridsson got another big win as a breeder at Bro Park, when the five-year-old Ninasimone and Carlos Lopez beat the Bloomers’ Vase (L) winner Una Matina by a short head in Appel Au Maitre Stockholm Fillies & Mares Stakes.
Annike Bye Hansen and Elione Chaves took care of the 2025 edition of Mischa Kahns Minneslöpning, when the Kameko son Hawaii Five O beat Niels Petersen’s duo Sign O’The Times and Be Curious.
The day after Vinterfavoritternes Ærespræmie at Klampenborg, the Swedish counterpart is run at Bro Park. Unlike the Danish version, Mr Ascot Vinterfavoriternas Pris is an open two-year-old race for imports – but two of the highest-rated runners are nevertheless bred in Denmark: Niels Petersen’s Bruce Almighty and Søren Jensen’s Taifuu.
Red Cactus got his first winner at a very well-chosen moment on Sunday, when the Lea Olsen-trained Red Mantel made all in Jockeyklubbens Auktionslöpning at Jägersro. The two-year-old filly secured the first prize of 302,750 Swedish kronor by a little over a length for her owner and breeder Oluf I. Jensens Gaard.
Niels Petersen’s Danish-owned Lord Mountbatten finally got the better of Roy Arne Kvisla’s Twirling Ghost in Sunday’s Peas And Carrots Mile (L). After second places in Pramms Memorial (L), Valley Chapel Memorial (L) and most recently in Nickes Minneslöpning (L), Lord Mountbatten was clearly the best over the 1,600 metres at Jägersro.
It was the nine-year-old Espen Hill who, with his trainer Madeleine Smith on his back, came out on top in Sunday’s Skånska Fältrittklubbens Jubileumslöpning (L) at Jägersro. The Helsinki son benefited from a strong pace and swept past all of his rivals in the closing stages of the race.
After most recently taking third place over 2,400 metres in Svenskt Oaks, the Lennart J:r Reuterskiöld-trained Abby was back over half that distance in Sunday’s Baker Tilly Rosengårdlöpning at Jägersro. And here she cemented her status as the sprint queen of her generation.
The Svenskt St. Leger is the longest of the Swedish classics, and the roll of honour goes back to 1927, when Färjestaden
There was a Danish victory in Wednesday’s main event at Jägersro, Stig Holms Pokal over 1,600 metres for two-year-old fillies. The race, which was won last year by Queen Azteca, this time went to Lulu Tøpholm’s smart Sweet Sunshine.
Last Sunday the former Danish St. Leger winner New York Strip opened Stockholm Cup day at Bro Park with a superior triumph in H.M. Drottningens Pris over 3,800 metres. It was a fourth win in a row over jumps for the Appel Au Maitre son, who beat Archie Watson’s English visitor Clearisthewater by 19 lengths.
The Søren Jensen-trained Taifuu, who came there from a second place behind her stablemate Cosmopolitan in the Danish Criterium, was the only representative of Scandinavian breeding in the big two-year-old contest on Stockholm Cup day, Appel Au Maitre Svealandlöpning. And the Japan daughter did the job in style.
Fredrik Reuterskiöld, who currently has just eight horses in training at Jägersro, was moved to tears after Sunday’s triumph in Bro Park Sprint Championship (L), where the four-year-old Lamborghini BF became the first to beat Aphelios on turf in Scandinavia.
For the second year running there was a German triumph in Stockholm Cup International (Gr.3) at Bro Park. This time in the shape of Anna Schleusner-Fruhriep’s six-year-old mare Nastaria, who beat the English Claymore by almost three lengths. Then came the two former Cup winners Espen Hill and Hard One To Please.
After most recently finishing second behind Thunder Sea in the Norwegian equivalent on Derby day at Øvrevoll, Silja Støren’s Norwegian 1000 Guineas winner managed on Sunday to get the better of the best older mile fillies and mares in Scandinavia. Capitana Bling beat Tina Mortensen’s Blueridge Silver by almost four lengths in Lanwades Stud Stakes (L) at Bro Park.
For the second year running the Roy Arne Kvisla-trained Twirling Ghost landed the Listed contest Tattersalls Nickes Minneslöpning over 1,600 metres at Bro Park. Twirling Ghost took the lead into the straight, and even though he came home on tired legs, he managed to keep Lord Mountbatten at bay by a length.
When Bro Park stages this year’s Stockholm Cup International on Sunday, it will be with a marked international flavour. From England, profiles such as Sir Mark Prescott, Jane Chapple-Hyam, Archie Watson, Kevin Ryan and Tom Clover are sending strong cards to Sweden – all tempted by the big prize money.
The autumn ‘Champions Day’ at Bro Park takes place on Sunday, and Svensk Galopp can be pleased to have attracted international participation in Stockholm Cup (Gr.3), Bro Park Sprint Championship (L), Lanwades Stud Stakes (L) for fillies and mares and the two-year-olds’ Appel Au Maitre Svealandlöpning alike.
He has only 10 horses on his training list, but once again in 2025 Francisco Castro has one of the most promising two-year-old imports in the whole of Scandinavia. On Wednesday the Kodi Bear son Papa Joe took his second win in as many starts.