by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Senior Newsroom Correspondent

Swedish trainer Robert Bergh qualified three out of four trotters trained by him to the final in Sprintermästaren Thursday night (July 6) at the Halmstad track and they finished first, second and fourth.

Sprintermästaren, which is nicknamed the Swedish Hambletonian but is for 4-year-old trotters, was raced with three eliminations and a final on the same day.

Bergh won an elimination easily with Diamanten in a new track record for 4-year-old trotters of 1.53.4f, while the two other eliminations was won by Rajesh Face driven by Lutfi Kolgjini in 1.54.1f and by Makethemark driven by Ulf Ohlsson in 1.53.4f – equaling the track record, which Diamanten had trotted 20 minutes before.

Kanal 75 photo

Robert Bergh, Diamantenand Christoffer Eriksson after his victory on Thursday.

Bergh also qualified Muscle Hustle, behind Makethemark, to the final with a third place finish.

Muscle Hustle is a North American-bred trotter sired by Muscle Mass and out of Crown Laurel, who Bergh bought for $60,000 as a yearling.

Muscle Hustle was campaigned last year by Per Henriksen in Canada winning seven races from 15 starts and earnings of $191,628. He took a mark of 1.52.2f.

The third Bergh trotter to qualify for the final, was Mindyourvalue W F driven by Johnny Takter.

As Bergh is part-owner in Muscle Hustle he had to drive him in the final while Christoffer Eriksson took the reins behind Diamanten. That had happened once before and Diamanten and Eriksson won the Kings Trophy at Aby – another of the big races for 4-year-old trotters in Sweden.

For the final Bergh had put a closed collar on Muscle Hustle and from post position seven, the horse flew to the front and opened in :27.3. With five-eighths of a mile to go Diamanten came up outside Muscle Hustle and from there it was only a question, who of them would prove to be the strongest.

Diamanten, a son of Adrian Chip Bergh finished second with in the 2007 Hambletonian 2007, proved to be the strongest and won by a head over Muscle Hustle and lowered his track record to 1.52.3f. Electric Light driven by Peter Untersteiner finished third and Bergh-trained Mindyourvaue WF driven by Johnny Takter finished fourth.

The purse for the winner was $115,000 and out of the total purse of $230,000 in the final, Bergh-trained horses earned $185,300.

Diamanten was bought by Robert Bergh as yearling for $11,500 on behalf of his big owner, Peter “Foppa” Forsberg, a renowed hockey-player who also owned Adrian Chip.

Diamanten was the 13th foal out of the mare Iata Käll, who foaled him when she was 25-years-old and he has been the best of her offspring by far.

Unfortunately, Diamanten is not entered in the Swedish Trotting Derby.