by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

The 4-year-old Swedish mare Tamla Celeber, driven by Ôrjan Kihlström, took her 16th victory from 19 races on Sunday afternoon (July 24) as she won the biggest trotting event for Swedish mares, Stochampionatet at Axevalla.

Kanal 75 photo

Tamla Celeber was driven to victory by Ôrjan Kihlström.

In an exciting finish with three horses battling it out side by side down the stretch, Tamla Celeber showed her class and just before the finish line she managed to put her head in front to win, followed by Canaka B.F., driven by Veijo Heiskanen, and long leading Nettan Palema, driven by Ake Svanstedt.

A fortnight ago Nettan Palema managed to end Tamla Celeber’s winning streak of 12 races in the elimination. That meant that Tamla Celeber was assigned to post position 12 and thus had to race from the second tier in Sunday’s race.

During the race she was placed fifth over and as the speed was very slow, it would be a tough task to reach the leaders. Around the last bend Kihlström made his move and Tamla Celeber had to go four wide just before they entered the stretch.

At that time the race looked like a duel between Nettan Palema and a very brave Canaka B.F., who was full of trot despite being placed outside Nettan Palema for most of the trip.

With 125 meters to go, Tamla Celeber came up on the outside and was ready to go with the inside pair. Tamla Celeber proved to be the best and at the end the 4-5 favorite would take the winner’s purse of $160,000.

This was the second $160,000 event (that’s 1 million Swedish kroner) that Tamla Celeber won, as last year she captured the Swedish Trotting Oaks.

Tamla Celeber is sired by Cantab Hall and out of a Swedish mare, Amanda Celeber (she by Express Ride), who hails from a Swedish maternal line, which was started in 1935 from a German mare.

While it was the sixth win in the Stochampionat for driver Ôrjan Kihlström, it was the third time that trainer Roger Walmann won the race. Tamla Celeber is owned by the Courant Stable, which has invested millions in harness racing within the last five years in Sweden as well as in France.