Propulsion (5m Muscle Hill-Danae-Andover Hall) held gamely for Orjan Kihlstrom, harness racing trainer Daniel Reden and Stall Zet to win the Gr. I UET Masters Series Norbottens Stora Prix at Boden.
The 2140 meter autostart test drew ten starters for the €190,629 purse.
The winner was US-bred by F.V. Caldwell of Lexington and Bluestone Farm.
Propulsion left from post ten and followed in the outer while Ed You, Nimbus CD, Global Money and Rocky Winner were near the front early. At the halfway point Kihlstrom made a strong three-deep rush and made the front with ease. Down the backside the last time Johnny Takter took a three-wide challenge to Propulsion with veteran On Track Piraten (8g Kool du Caux-Monrovia-Rite On Line) and got alongside quickly as then the challengers fanned out in the lane. Propulsion held gamely for the 1.11.7kr score ahead of fast closing Sauveur (6m Echo-Operah Bob-Easy Lover) and Ake Lindblom with 9.8/1 On Track Piraten a tough third. Numbus CD (6g Mythical Lindy-Jiss Of Life-Tenor de Baune) and Anna Mix (6f Ludo de Castelle-Ires-Tenor de Baune), both at 6.2/1, finished fourth and fifth.
Veteran Nahar went off-stride early.
Propulsion now has a career slate of 15-2-4 in 30 starts for earnings of 3,404,296SEK.
Earlier on the card the US-bred Fire To The Rain (5g Yankee Glide-Adelaide Hall-Conway Hall) took the V75 Silver Division for 125,000SEK to the winner. Off at 8.7/1 the winner was driven by Orjan Kihlstrom for trainer Reljo Liljendahl. Second was 3.1/1 Coldtown (7g Cantab Hall-Brylin Starlet-Balanced Image) with driver Erik Adielsson up for Timo Nurmos. Third went to 28/1 Liberty Face (8g Viking Kronos-Armbro Deity-Self Possessed) with trainer Per Linderoth up.
Thomas H. Hicks