V75® (Wednesday): Törnqvist’s winning streak could continue in Solvalla’s rich race
The Åby trainer’s success is well-known.
On Wednesday, Maria Törnqvist has the chance to win the rich race, Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg’s Trophy, with the red-hot Bicc's Tobee.
"If we win this, it will of course be the biggest thing I’ve ever experienced in harness racing," says the successful trainer ahead of the summer highlight at Solvalla with V75®.
Ever since last fall, the Åby trainer has had Solvalla’s jubilee evening in sight.
Back then, Bicc’s Tobee narrowly finished second in the Breeders Crown final in Eskilstuna, and Maria Törnqvist clenched her fist in her pocket. At least, that’s how it sounded.
"I started thinking about this race when Bicc’s crossed the finish line. Of course, we wanted to be part of this race for five-year-olds. Now we’ve made it here, and that’s a big step," says Törnqvist.
She had her big breakthrough last year with SEK 9.5 million earned for the stable. Bicc’s Tobee was crowned Horse of the Year at her home track, and Maria was named Trainer of the Year at Åby.
In 2025, the stable has already surpassed SEK 8 million in earnings, with a brilliant win percentage of 26.
On Wednesday, Åby will send out two horses in the V75® at Solvalla. In the Margareta Wallenius-Kleberg’s Trophy (V75-6), Bicc’s Tobee will compete for a first prize of SEK 1.5 million.
Her partner, Dwight Pieters, is the horse’s regular driver and will set the tactics from the inside post according to the trainer.
"I’m super happy with the draw! I leave the tactics up to the driver, but of course, it was the absolute best post we could get," she says.
"Optimists no matter what"
Solvalla’s five-year-old race holds high quality, and it’s difficult to predict which horse will be the betting favorite.
Adrian Kolgjini also got lucky in the draw with the speedy Savastano from post 2, and he will be heavily used on the V75 tickets.
Maria Törnqvist:
"Bicc’s Tobee is fast from the start, so I do think we can take the lead. That’s how it feels. Whether we stay there the whole race, I can’t say. If he doesn’t get the lead, it could still work out with an inside trip. We’re optimists no matter what, even if there are top-class horses all around. We’re not changing anything with his equipment, and I’m happy with his preparation. He won at Axevalla before this and felt fantastic," she says.
A little dip in Norway
In the Copenhagen Cup this spring, Dwight Pieters started from the second tier with the five-year-old, which immediately made things difficult against Europe’s elite. Bicc’s Tobee finished fifth.
The team around the horse then wanted to take part in Norway’s biggest race, the Oslo Grand Prix. For various reasons, he instead started in a race for four- and five-year-olds at Bjerke on the same day.
"In hindsight, it was lucky he wasn't in the big race. Bicc’s Tobee was sick in Norway. He had a little dip there (fourth place), and that was actually the first and only time he’s been off. Afterwards, he wasn’t feeling well either, but that’s sorted out now. He’s as lively as ever. That’s the thing—you’re working with animals, and it’s hard with these top-level horses, who usually perform at such a high standard, to tell when they’re having a little dip in form," she says.
How do you rank Bicc’s Tobee among all the stars in your stable?
"We have several really good horses… and he’s one of them. The owners (Höökboet KB, Länghem) are new to the sport, and Bicc’s is their first trotter, which makes it extra fun. We’re grateful that they’re investing and continue to believe in us. He keeps surprising us, and we’re so proud that we’ve made it to Margareta’s Trophy with this fine horse. Everything else is just a bonus, of course, even though we’d love to win on Wednesday."