by Thomas Hedlund

Sunday’s (May 4) big event in Naples, the $715,000 Gran Premio della Lotteria, became a sunshine story for trainer Alessandro Gocciadoro.

Gocciadoro regularly claims the biggest trophies in Europe and the day before he was in Sweden, at Åby racetrack, and dominated the $200,000 King’s Trophy behind Free Time Jepson. In the Lotteria, he had a total of seven contenders in three elimination heats, and when the final field was set, Gocciadoro was satisfied with at least two winners from the three heats. Executiv Ek (Face Time Bourbon), paired with Andrea Guzzinati won his elimination heat in 1:52.4 while the older brother Always Ek (Filipp Roc) easily claimed the third and last heat with Magnus A. Djuse in the bike. Santo Mollo trained Dubhe Prav was a big upset in the first heat and the race’s first choice, Gocciadoro’s Dany Capar, finished third and qualified for the final later on the card. Executive Ek impressed in Naples and he and his little brother Always Ek shared the position of favorite in the Gran Premio della Lotteria 2025.

As the story of the Lotteria unfolded, the two Gocciadoro trained brothers battled side-by-side since Executiv Ek was pushed to the lead with a kilometer to go, which left Always Ek first over.

Always Ek showed bravery and strong moral when he disarmed Executiv Ek shortly before the wire and Djuse grabbed another big win with Gocciadoro’s trotter. Last year the duo claimed the $230,000 Gran Premio della Nazione and $160,000 Gran Premio Gaetano Turilli and it wouldn’t be a big surprise if Always Ek soon received an invitation to Elitloppet.

Always Ek won the Lotteria in 1:53.4, Executiv Ek was second and Bleff Dipa third.

MELLBY STABLE WITH TWO SHOTS IN ELITLOPPET

Hard core harness racing investor Mellby Stable in Sweden recently secured its spot in Elitloppet when Timo Nurmos’ Mellby Knekt was invited to the race by Solvalla.

And when the $200,000 Finlandia-ajo was held in Helsinki on Sunday (May 4), another horse owned by Mellby Stable proved best in the hunt for a pink ticket to Elitloppet.

But it looked tough for the race’s favorite when the field turned into the last turn. Daniel Wäjersten started from post 10, behind horses in the 1,620 meter race, so it was quite normal that his Mellby Jinx (Ready Cash) was positioned as one of the last horses in the field before Wäjersten left for a three-wide cover trip throughout the final turn.

But it was many lengths to make up as the leader, Combat Fighter, despite a tough pace, held strongly with Double Deceiver on his outside.

Lozano di Quattro, trained by Per K. Eriksson, made a fast move in the last turn, landed outside Combat Fighter and seemed to get the advantage before the field turned for home, but Lozano di Quattro played his ace too early and Combat Fighter got back on the inside. Betting Pacer found racing room in the home stretch, but Björn Goop’s mare couldn’t defend herself when Mellby Jinx attacked on the far outside in the last 200 meters.

Wäjersten and Mellby Jinx claimed the Finlandia-ajo in 1:52.2, which means that Wäjersten now has two cards in the Elitloppet deck; Borups Victory, winner of the $300,000 Paralympiatravet the day before, was an early invitation on Solvalla’s part.

Betting Pacer finished second and Decision Maker was third after a late quick finish.

NO SAN MOTEUR IN ELITLOPPET

Björn Goop announced Wednesday (May 7) that his San Moteur will not race Elitloppet at Solvalla on May 25. The horse’s owner has decided to aim for other big events during the summer in Europe. A big name will be absent in one of the world’s greatest races for trotters, but the line-up is still strong and on Wednesday night at Solvalla, Don Fanucci Zet (Hard Livin) claimed his spot in the prestigious mile race on the last Sunday of this month. The $20,000 Meadow Roads Race over 1,640 meters attracted seven horses and the big favorite, Don Fanucci Zet, just danced away to a safe win on the lead, in 1:52,1, meaning he has a number in Elitloppet for the fifth time in his career.

Don Fanucci Zet won Elitloppet as a 5-year-old in 2021 and has hardly looked better than he did in Wednesday’s triumph at Solvalla.