All roads lead to Stockholm as quality card attracts strong international entry

Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Claymore flies the flag for the UK in the featured Group 3 Stockholm Cup International and has taken rather an unconventional route to Bro Park, having travelled via Hungary where he made all to take the Centenary running of the Group 1 Kincsem Dij by two lengths at the Kincsem Park fixture on Sunday, 7 September under former Champion Jockey Silvestre De Sousa.

His Newmarket trainer said, “From Budapest it was either 20 hours west back to Newmarket or 20 hours north to Stockholm. As I now own him I didn’t have to ask anyone’s permission, so we decided to go for it.

“I like to travel my horses where I can and he’s a horse who seems to enjoy it. He ran really well to finish second in a Listed race at Deauville at the back end of 2023 and my second travelling head lad, Kash Hassan, says he’s like a different horse when he’s away.”

The marathon trip has, however, necessitated a changeover of staff. “Kash travelled him to Budapest and then on to Sweden but he had some commitments back in the UK, so once Claymore was installed at Bro Park my assistant Abi Harrison took over the reins.

“He’s settled in really well and has been happy enough out on the track on his own. The other international runners arrive on Thursday so he’ll have some company from then.

“It’s a good race with plenty of decent local competition and a couple of German entries too. We’ve got a good draw in stall three and I’m happy with that. Sylvester is arriving on Sunday to ride him again which is another positive.”

Chapple-Hyam who has yet to have a winner at Bro Park is also positive about the Swedish track. She added, “I have had runners there before, a second, a third and one unplaced so I’m hoping we’ll go one better this time. It’s a nice place to go racing the prize money is good and they do a lot to look after international visitors so I’m happy to support them.”

Svensk Galopp’s Director of Racing Dennis Madsen said, “We have some very strong fields for Stockholm Cup Day, particularly in the four black type races, with a terrific mix of international runners lining up alongside some of the best horses in training in Scandinavia.

“Since Bro Park opened in 2016 we have made a big effort to attract and welcome international participants and visitors. I am delighted to see runners coming from Germany and the UK and we will also be welcoming racing fans travelling with the international hospitality company Racing Breaks.”

Non-domestic competition in the Stockholm Cup, this year worth SEK 1,000,000 (€91,300), comes from two of the five German entries at the meeting. Nastari sent out by this year’s German Derby winning trainer Anna Schleusner-Fruhriep who arrives off the back of Listed race success in Hannover, and Yasmin Almenrader’s Lion’s Head, runner up at the same level two starts ago in Hamburg.

German sprinter War Bride is a strong contender in the Listed Bro Park Open Sprint Championship after being second in the Group 2 Goldene Peitsche behind the english raider Striking Viking in her last start.

Sir Mark Prescott sends Overture ridden by Luke Morris to the Listed Lanwades Stud Stakes. The four-year-old filly who carries the colours of the Elite Racing Club was last seen when runner-up in a Listed contest at Hoppegarten, Germany and has Tom Clover’s Rajindri making only her second start this season among her 12 rivals.

Luke Morris also partners two of Archie Watson’s three runners at the meeting, recent Newmarket winner Sioux Perfect in a seven furlongs conditions race for two-year-olds and German Listed winner Kylian in the concluding mile and a quarter handicap for three-year-olds and over. Brodie Hampson takes the ride on Clearisthewater is the opener.

Morris and Watson teamed up to win the 2019 running of the Bro Park Sprint in which American Style carries the hopes of Kevin Ryan and Hambleton Racing who won the race in 2023 with Washington Heights.

Read more about the Stockholm Cup International Day on our Swedish website