Inaugurated 1971 Qualification 4-year-olds | Distance 1,609 meters (1 mile) | |
Track Left-handed 1,000 meter track (0.62 mile) | ||
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. The purse in the 2011 final was ≈US$288,000 (€200,000), of which the winner Orecchietti won half. The event is sometimes referred to as "Sweden's Hambletonian".
Contents
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. The distance, one mile, has been the same since the beginning of the event in 1971. 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.