Mellby Narrow wins dramatic Swedish Trotting Derby

by Thomas Hedlund

After a perfect trip, Magnus A. Djuse guided Daniel Wäjersten trainee Mellby Narrow to victory in Sunday’s (Sept. 6) $600,000 Swedish Trotting Derby at Jägersro.

The 2026 Derby delivered drama twice over — and the first incident nearly ended in disaster after just 200 meters.

Several horses broke shortly after the start, including Carros First King, creating heavy traffic behind him. Nightlife In and Ejnar Face became tangled, and Adrian Kolgjini was thrown from his sulky. Somehow, Kolgjini managed to keep hold of Ejnar Face and keep the horse on the track.

The race was recalled. Carl Johan Jepson, driving Nightlife In, described the incident:

“Two horses broke in front of me and I had nowhere to go. I got caught in Adrian’s wheel, and it was fortunate that he managed to sort the situation out.”

Kolgjini said instinct took over.

“It was pure instinct that made me hold on to the horse,” he said. “I haven’t seen the replay, but my horse tends to move outward when he breaks, and Jepson came up behind us. Our sulkies got tangled.”

The recall naturally hurt several horses who had already expended considerable energy. Special Ale was probably affected most after blasting from post 8 and reaching the lead in the aborted start.

Stablemate Wise Guy, however, remained relatively composed before the restart and became a major factor in the actual race.

Golden Kronos (Muscle Hill), who had broken in the first start, held off both Special Ale and Wise Guy in the early battle and secured the lead. Mellby Narrow (Maharajah) settled comfortably in the pocket.

Mellby Narrow himself had been involved in the fight for the lead with Special Ale in the recalled start, but handled the delay remarkably well.

Special Ale had had enough with 1,500 meters remaining and Daniel Redén pulled him out of the race. Around the same time, Nightlife In and Jepson found third-over cover.

Örjan Kihlström moved Wise Guy (Face Time Bourbon) first-over against Golden Kronos, and approaching the final turn it appeared the Derby would be decided between those two.

But Djuse was waiting behind them with Mellby Narrow.

When stablemate Zarex was unable to completely close the gap in the outer flow, Djuse slipped Mellby Narrow into the clear. Wise Guy finally put Golden Kronos away and appeared ready to take control. Then Mellby Narrow accelerated.

Wise Guy was under serious pressure when he broke stride, leaving Mellby Narrow to cross the wire as the 2026 Swedish Trotting Derby winner.

The winning time was a 1:55.2 mile rate for 2,640 meters, a new Jägersro track record.

Golden Kronos held second, completing a 1-2 finish for Wäjersten, while Carros First King (Nuncio) recovered from his early problems to close well for third.

“The horses were so incredibly good in the eliminations, so of course you wanted to win,” Wäjersten said. “Mellby Narrow is such an easy horse to work with. On a scale of what you want a horse to be, he’s a nine out of 10.

“It’s mixed emotions right now. I drove one horse myself and failed, but another horse from the stable won. Obviously, this is huge.”

Wäjersten had dominated the Derby eliminations, winning four of the six heats.

For Djuse, the victory was his first in the Swedish Trotting Derby.

“I’m incredibly grateful to have been given this opportunity,” he said. “I’ve dreamed about winning a race this big. The horse was in top form and we got a perfect trip. The trainer doesn’t need much explanation — he’s simply great, and his entire team is great. Crossing the wire was pure euphoria.”

ANOTHER DERBY FOR MAHARAJAH

For the second consecutive year, a son of Maharajah captured the Swedish Trotting Derby. Mellby Narrow became Maharajah’s third Derby winner, following Who’s Who and Dream Mine. Mellby Narrow is out of the U.S.-bred Heaven’s Door (Muscle Hill—Girlie Tough), who began her career in North America with Åke Svanstedt. Her biggest American victory came in the $100,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final for 3-year-old fillies. After moving to Sweden, Heaven’s Door later won the Sprinterstoet final for trainer Reijo Liljendahl.

As a broodmare, she produced seven foals. Her first, Mellby Jinx (Ready Cash), is the richest of them with more than SEK 12.3 million in earnings and major victories including the Finlandia-Ajo, St. Michel Race, and C.Th. Ericssons Memorial, along with an Elitlopp elimination win.

Mellby Jinx also finished second in the Swedish 2-Year-Old Championship and third in the Swedish Trotting Kriterium.

MEDITATE GIVES PETTERSSON LONG-AWAITED CLASSIC WIN

Stefan P. Pettersson had been waiting for a truly major victory. Kitty Hawk had won the Stosprintern a few years earlier, but a classic such as the Derbystoet was still missing from his résumé.

On Sunday, that changed.

Pettersson watched Meditate (Greenshoe), owned and bred by Stall Courant, sweep around the field to capture the $300,000 Derbystoet after a second-over trip. The beginning of the race was filled with breaks. Bonsse Garde, Hankypanky Leonie, Peggy Boko, and Global Good News all made early mistakes, removing several of the most highly regarded contenders almost immediately.

That allowed Nyharajah (Maharajah) to protect the lead from the rail.

Around the final turn, Mats E. Djuse tipped Meditate out and began advancing. She carried strong momentum throughout the turn and reached Nyharajah’s outside entering the stretch. Princessofthedawn never really found a chance to get involved, while Nyharajah fought bravely along the inside. But Meditate proved strongest over the final strides, taking the Derbystoet in a 1:55.3 mile rate for 2,140 meters.

Nyharajah finished second, with Jiovanha Falkone (Don Fanucci Zet) closing strongly for third.

Behind them, both Bonsse Garde and Hankypanky Leonie produced excellent recoveries after their early breaks, although neither could get close enough to challenge for the top placings.

Meditate became the first Group 1 winner in Europe for Greenshoe. Anders “Courant” Ström both owns and bred the filly, who is out of the unraced Amity Kronos (Muscle Hill). All four of Amity Kronos’ first foals have reached the races.

DALI PRAV TAKES CAMPIONATO EUROPEO IN RACE-OFF

Italian harness racing continues to revolve around Alessandro Gocciadoro, and Saturday (Sept. 5) brought another major victory for his stable.

Dali Prav captured the 92nd edition of the $180,000 Campionato Europeo at Cesena after defeating stablemate Dany Capar in a race-off.

Dali Prav (Donato Hanover—Latina Prav) took the lead around the opening turn in the deciding heat, and Federico Esposito slowed the pace as much as possible.

Before the final turn, Antonio Di Nardo moved Dany Capar to the outside and the stablemates battled throughout the stretch. Dali Prav refused to give way and held on by a half-length in a 1:56.1 mile rate.

The race-off became necessary after the two Gocciadoro trainees split the preliminary heats.

In the first heat, Dali Prav and Esposito were sent aggressively to the front midway around the final turn and held safely over Dolce Viky (Adrian Chip) and Global Agreement (Love You).

In the second heat, Di Nardo worked out a perfect pocket trip with Dany Capar (Exploit Caf—Sueia’ Della Luna). When the field entered the stretch, Di Nardo used Cesena’s open stretch and Dany Capar accelerated past the leader in only a few strides to score over Edgar Saba (Exploit Caf) and Dolce Viky.

That set up the head-to-head showdown, where Dali Prav ultimately settled the matter.