by Thomas Hedlund

Hohneck (Royal Dream) will get a chance to repeat what he did at Solvalla in 2023, when he won Elitloppet paired with Gabriele Gelormini. Philippe Allaire’s 8-year-old trotter has still not made any convincing performances in 2025, but he has raced with shoes and it’s proven that Hohneck likes Solvalla’s track, especially in late May.

Hohneck got his invitation to Elitloppet on Wednesday (May 14) night and trainer Allaire promised that the water he now drinks, will turn to Champagne at Solvalla.

Allaire also trains one of the most exciting horses in Europe at this moment. His 3-year-old, Ginostrabbliggi (Muscle Hill), is undefeated after eight starts and claimed win number eight in the $160,000 Gran Premio Tito Giovanardi in Modena, Italy.

Gelormini is the entrusted driver behind Ginostrabbliggi and the duo took a safe wire-to-wire-win in a mile rate of 1:58.4 over 1.3 miles.

Hohneck is ready for Elitloppet and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Ginostrabbliggi joins his stablemate on the journey north next week. What an exciting sight for Elitloppet public if this will be true.

GOCCIADORO AND DJUSE A WINNING COMBINATION

Alessandro Gocciadoro sent his Diva Ek (Trixton) to the $125,000 Copenhagen Cup in Denmark on Sunday (May 11) afternoon and the combination of Gocciadoro-Djuse seems to be unstoppable in European high stakes races. But this time it was Mats E. Djuse, and not Magnus A. (who won the Lotteria in Italy with Diva Ek’s older brother Always Ek), who steered the winning horse for the Italian top trainer.

Diva Ek was pushed to the lead at the first backstretch and the race’s only mare bested the boys when she reached the front position. She is known for her willingness to win (20 out of 38), but her Sunday victory in Copenhagen was a small upset since she faced more merited trotters than usual. Diva Ek’s mile rate was 1:53.1 over 1.3 miles and her family had some great weeks recently. Always Ek won the Lotteria in Naples, younger brother Executive Ek was runner up in the same race, and now it was time for sister Diva Ek to win a stakes race in Europe.

LAST CHANCE IN GÄVLE

A few spots remain before Elitloppet field is complete and one horse can be ready by winning Saturday’s (May 17) $80,000 Prins Daniels race in Gävle, Sweden.

Ten horses, one spot, not so complicated, and by tradition, the Prins Daniels race has a tendency to become a spectacular show.

$80,000 PRINS DANIELS RACE 2025

One mile

Horse — Driver

1. Double Deceiver — Örjan Kihlström

2. Global Etalon — Björn Goop

3. Lozano di Quattro — Carl Johan Jepson

4. Kentucky River — Rikard N. Skoglund

5. Castor The Star — Jörgen Westholm

6. Decision Maker — Magnus A. Djuse

7. Bedazzled Sox — Claes Sjöström

8. Thereisnolimit — Ulf Ohlsson

9. Crepe Match — Olli Koivonen

10. Mellby Joker — Daniel Wäjersten