by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

It was a dream come true as the 4-year-old mare Galactica, driven by Lars Ake Soderholm, won the prestigious Stochampionat at Axevalla in Sweden on Sunday afternoon (July 24).

Kanal 75 photo

Malin Bergström and Lars Ake Soderholm with Galactica after the win.

The purse for the winner was 1 million Swedish Krona or $115,000.

Galactica is owned, bred and trained by 39-year-old amateur trainer Malin Bergström, who has never had a top trotter in her barn. Bergström — a mother a three — trains Galactica with her father at a farm near Eskilstuna. They own Humla Laday (she by Buzzin Brian), the dam of Galactica, together and split the foals every other year between them.

The father got the first foal, a filly sired by Mythical Lindy, who now is a 6-year-old and has a mark of 2:00.2f and earnings of $5,200. The next foal was Galactica, sired by Super Photo Kosmos, who is a real top trotter.

She won the elimination for the Stochampionat and has a mark of 1:57f and earnings of $180,000. Galactica has seven wins from 17 races.

For the driver, Lars Ake Soderholm, it was also his biggest win ever. He runs a professional stable at Eskilstuna with 20 trotters in the barn.