Thirty-four-year-old Daniel Wäjersten is the new big name in Swedish harness racing.
It has taken Daniel Wäjersten seven years to establish himself as one of the leading harness trainers in Sweden, and experts compare him to the legendary Stig H. Johansson.
On Saturday afternoon (Oct. 13), Wäjersten won this year’s two biggest Swedish races for 3-year-old trotters, the Kriterium and the Oaks, experiencing his greatest triumph to date.
The Svenskt Travkriterium over 1-5/8 miles was won with Bullet the Bluesky (sired by Readly Express), who took the lead early and won comfortably in 1:57.1f – the purse for the winner was $385,000.
In The Oaks, raced over 1-5/16 miles, Wäjersten drove Vivilion (sired by Propulsion) and the pair won comfortably in 1:55.2f (mile rate) – the purse for the winner was $145,000.
Wäjersten started as a professional trainer in 2017 and has now established himself as one of the country’s leaders – both as a trainer and a driver.
His training stable is only surpassed in earnings by Daniel Redén’s – Redén’s stable has earned $3.8 million – Wäjersten’s $3.7 million.
As a driver, Daniel Wäjersten has won 180 races this year in 666 starts.
This year, Daniel Wäjersten has also had success with the 6-year-old Borups Victory (sired by Googoo Gaagaa), who was second in the Elitloppet and later won the Åbergs Memorial.