The very popular Swedish trotter Maharajah returned to action Thursday night (Nov. 15) at Gävle and won very easily in a 1-5/16th mile open trot event with a purse for the winner of close to $6,000.

Kanal 75 photo

Maharajah and Orjan Kihlström won in 1:59.3 (mile rate).

It was his first race since he finished fourth in the Prix d’Amerique back in January.

Maharajah won in a hand drive from Orjan Kihlström in 1:59.3 (mile rate).

"I’m very satisfied with Maharajah; I believe he’s about 75–80 percent of his ability," his trainer Stefan Hultmann said afterwards. "The main target is the Prix d’Amerique and I believe that I’ll have him spot at that time."

Maharajah will have an easy task again in a fortnight at Eskilstuna, Sweden.

In France the countdown for the Prix d’Amerique takes off Saturday afternoon with the Prix de Bretagne, the first of the four B-races leading up to the Prix d’Amerique.

Last year Ready Cash won the race and he went on to win the Prix d’Amerique for a second consecutive year. He’s an absentee this year and instead the race could be a match between last year’s second, Roxanne Griff, and the Swedish entry, Quarcio du Chene.