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A CRUCIAL MOMENT FOR SWEDISH FLAT RACING
By Xander Brett
Swedish flat racing is at a crossroads. After nearly 120 years, Jägersro, the trotting and flat racing center in Malmö’ s suburbs, is about to close. Trotting racing will move to a“ new Jägersro” a few meters north, but the future for flat racing seems less clear.
At Jägersro, flat racing depends on Svensk Travsport, the Swedish trotting racing authority, and is one of the three main racecourses dedicated to thoroughbreds in Sweden. The others are a turf-only track on the outskirts of Gothenburg as well as Bro Park, about 40 kilometers northwest of Stockholm. Both are under the operational control of Svensk Galopp, the Swedish authority for thoroughbred and Purebred Arabian racing. Sweden also hosts racing at Strömsholm once a year for the Swedish Grand National, and on a temporary track in Gärdet Park, central Stockholm, where the national holiday is celebrated every June 6 th.
Some trainers use their own countryside facilities, but many are based at racecourses, with about fifteen at Bro Park and nearly ten at Jägersro. The idea of sharing the“ new Jägersro” with trotters seems to have been abandoned and resources have been directed toward planning a new flat-only racecourse near the village of Bara and The National, a golf complex about ten kilometers from Jägersro. Preparatory work has been assigned to Fastighet AB Bara Galopp, a subsidiary of YCAP AB and Heiberg-Brodén Holding ApS, represented respectively by Lotta Strömgren Jönsson and Kathrine Heiberg.“ The sport must be of a high standard and we want to offer a complete and rewarding experience,” Kathrine Heiberg explained during a dinner at The National. The tree-lined avenue already gives the impression of a racecourse entrance and Malmö’ s“ Turning Torso” skyscraper is visible above the hills. It is a panorama Kathrine Heiberg hopes to use as a backdrop for a 60-hectare complex that would also open to other equestrian disciplines.“ Swedish flat racing receives funding from the betting company ATG,” she adds.“ I think, because they always receive this money, that Swedish racecourses are not as developed as they could be in terms of leisure. We can change that. Even if we cannot charge high entrance fees, we can still offer an experience.” Kathrine
Heiberg says the new venue could welcome around 5,000 spectators, with a rooftop terrace on the grandstand and space for food stalls. The project, however, comes with a caveat. Flat racing must leave Jägersro before December 31, 2027 and financing is not yet secured.“ There is always capital looking for investments,” she insists. A brochure for potential investors estimates the cost at € 33 million, or nearly 368 million Swedish kronor. According to the brochure, investors would take ownership of the company to complete the project, after which flat racing authorities would lease the venue. A 25- year contract would involve an indexed annual rent of“ about two million euros.” Jessica Long, who trains both at Jägersro and at a private countryside center, confirms she was included in discussions but acknowledges that some colleagues feel somewhat excluded. Lennart Reuterskiöld Jr, a multiple Swedish champion trainer, is one of them. He lives near the proposed site, but his horses are stabled at Jägersro. While he admits the location is ideal, he worries about declining horse numbers. If the approach changes, and if trotters agrees to accommodate its thoroughbred counterparts, challenges may arise at the“ new Jägersro” whose construction is already underway. A thoroughbred track would likely need to be built inside the trotting oval, cre-
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