‘We don’t even know if there’ll be jump racing in the country next season. We’re circling the drain’
Xander Brett on the existential threat facing Swedish jump racing
Rarely can a major raceday have been run against such a troubling backdrop.
On June 15, the Saturday before Royal Ascot, the biggest day in Swedish jump racing took place at Stromsholm, around 80 miles west of Stockholm. For winning connections in the Swedish Grand National and Champion Hurdle it should have been a cause for great celebration. Instead, they were fearful for the future of the sport.
On February 1, a few months before the start of the season, the gambling company ATG, which until 2019 had a monopoly on equine sports betting in Sweden, announced that it would no longer take bets on Swedish jump races.
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