Gigant Neo
{{Short description|Swedish Standardbred racehorse}}
{{Infobox named horse
|horsename= Gigant Neo
|image=
|caption=
|breed= Standardbred
|sire= Super Arnie
|grandsire= Super Bowl
|dam= Clorita Lobell
|damsire= Speedy Crown
|sex= Stallion
|foaled= 17 May 1998
|died= 20 October 2021
|country= Sweden
|colour= Bay
|breeder= Nils-Erik Ohlsson, C & M Olsson
|owner= Stall T.Z. & Lövis
|trainer= Stefan Melander
|racerecord= 63: 32-8-3
|raceearnings= US$2,596,145
|racewins=Konung Gustaf V:s Pokal (2002)
Prix d'Amérique (2006)
|awards= Three-year-old of the Year Award (Sweden) (2001)
|honours=
|updated=2009-03-18}}
Gigant Neo (17 May 1998 – 20 October 2021) was a Swedish breeding stallion and racing trotter by Super Arnie out of Clorita Lobell by Speedy Crown.{{cite web|url=http://www.travsport.se/shestinfo?kommando=visaHerstamning&hestId=421895|title=Travsport.se - Gigant Neo - Härstamning|work=travsport.se|publisher=STC| language=Swedish |accessdate=2009-03-18}}
His most prestigious victories included the Konung Gustaf V:s Pokal (2001), Grand Criterium de Vitesse (2003) and Prix d'Amérique (2006).{{cite web |url=http://www.gigantneo.nu/ |title=Gigant Neo |work=gigantneo.nu |language=Swedish |accessdate=2009-03-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213172411/http://www.gigantneo.nu/ |archivedate=2009-02-13 }} At the end of his career, the stallion had earned US$2,596,145.{{cite web|url=http://www.blodbanken.nu/servlet/GetBBData?lang=eng&breed=warm&trotter=Gigant+Neo#|title=The Blood Bank - Pedigree - Gigant Neo|work=Blodbanken.nu|accessdate=2009-03-18}}Gigant Neo won 20,254,374 Swedish Kronor (SEK). In the conversion to USD, the rates of 2006-02-12, the date of Gigant Neo's last race, have been used. Gigant Neo was trained by Swedish trotting trainer Stefan Melander, and driven by Jorma Kontio, Jean-Michel Bazire, Dominiek Locqueneux, Joseph Verbeeck and trainer Melander himself.{{cite web|url=http://www.qhurth.com/trav/horsers/gigant.htm|title=Gigant Neo|work=qhurth.com|language=Swedish| accessdate=2009-03-18}} Gigant Neo won the 3-year-old of the Year Award in Sweden in 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.shk.nu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=27|title=Svenska Hästsportjournalisters Klubb - Tidigare vinnare - Årets treåring|work=shk.nu|publisher=Svenska Hästsportjournalisters Klubb|language=Swedish|accessdate=2009-03-18}}
Victory in Prix d'Amérique
In 2006, Gigant Neo raced his fourth Prix d'Amérique, arguably the most prestigious trotting event in Europe.{{cite web|url=http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=30239&z=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114211351/http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=30239&z=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-01-14 |title=New names in the picture for Prix d'Amerique |last=Bonsdorf |first=Karsten |date=2009-01-12 |work=ustrotting.com |publisher=United States Trotting Association |accessdate=2009-03-19 }} He had made attempts to claim the title the three previous years, without success. He came fairly close in 2005, when he finished second behind French Jag de Bellouet.{{cite web|url=http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=21299|title=Powerful trotting performance|last=Corban|first=Anthony|date=2005-02-01| work=harnesslink.com | accessdate=2009-03-19}}
In the 2006 Prix d'Amérique, the field was recalled three times, and one horse lost his driver and went loose on the track. Gigant Neo took the lead in the fourth starting attempt. Soon, reigning champion and favourite Jag de Bellouet went up front while second favourite Kazire de Guez was parked outside. In the stretch, Kazire du Guez broke stride, and Jag de Bellouet won by two lengths before Gigant Neo.{{cite web|url=http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=13796&print=yes |title=Repeat Prix d'Amerique win for Jag de Bellouet |last=Bonsdorf |first=Karsten |date=2006-01-29 |work=ustrotting.com |publisher=United States Trotting Association |accessdate=2009-03-19 }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
A little more than a month after the race, it was announced that Jag de Bellouet had been disqualified due to a failed doping test. Traces of tolfenamic acid, an anti-inflammatory substance, had been discovered. As a result, Gigant Neo become the new winner of the title and US$600,000, which was the winner's share of the purse in 2006's edition of the richest trotting race in Europe.{{cite web|url=http://www.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=14332&print=yes |title=Prix d'Amerique winner taken down |last=Bonsdorf |first=Karsten |date=2006-03-09 |work=ustrotting.com |publisher=United States Trotting Association |accessdate=2009-03-19 }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Upon getting the news, Gigant Neo's trainer Melander was shocked and reacted by sitting down on a hay bale, staring straight forward.{{cite web|url=http://trav.ifokus.se/Articles/Read.aspx?ArticleId=b166659b-ac57-45b4-8829-8cb2c06340b2|title=Jag de Bellouet diskad i Prix d'Amerique|last=Andersson|first=Pär|date=2006-03-09|work=trav.ifokus.se|language=Swedish|accessdate=2009-03-19}}
Pedigree
{{Pedigree
|name = Gigant Neo {{flagicon|SWE}}
|f = Super Arnie
|m = Clorita Lobell
|ff = Super Bowl {{flagicon|USA}}
|fm = Arnies Likeness {{flagicon|USA}}
|mf = Speedy Crown {{flagicon|USA}}
|mm = Countess Advocate {{flagicon|USA}}
|fff = Star's Pride {{flagicon|USA}}
|ffm = Pillow Talk {{flagicon|USA}}
|fmf = Arnie Almahurst {{flagicon|USA}}
|fmm = Picture Dart {{flagicon|USA}}
|mff = Speedy Scot {{flagicon|USA}}
|mfm = Missile Toe {{flagicon|USA}}
|mmf = Speedy Count {{flagicon|USA}}
|mmm = Lovie Hanover {{flagicon|USA}}
|ffff = Worthy Boy {{flagicon|USA}}
|fffm = Star Drift {{flagicon|USA}}
|ffmf = Rodney {{flagicon|USA}}
|ffmm = Bewitch {{flagicon|USA}}
|fmff = Speedy Scot {{flagicon|USA}}
|fmfm = Ambitious Blaze {{flagicon|USA}}
|fmmf = Dartmouth {{flagicon|USA}}
|fmmm = Picturesque {{flagicon|USA}}
|mfff = Speedster {{flagicon|USA}}
|mffm = Scotch Love {{flagicon|USA}}
|mfmf = Florican {{flagicon|USA}}
|mfmm = Worth A Plenty {{flagicon|USA}}
|mmff = Speedster {{flagicon|USA}}
|mmfm = Countess Song {{flagicon|USA}}
|mmmf = Star's Pride
|mmmm = Lovely Hanover