A look at the 16-horse field for Sweden’s biggest race to be contested Sunday at Solvalla.

by Thomas Hedlund

Solvalla will be the focus of the trotting world on Saturday (May 24) and Sunday (May 25) as the famous and prestigious Elitloppet will be contested in the Swedish capital, hopefully with sun-drenched conditions.

No other race in Europe, besides the Prix d’Amérique in Paris every winter, gets as much attention as Elitloppet and the tradition of coming to Solvalla this particular weekend is strong, from both the competitors and the audience. It’s a big happening for Stockholm and for harness racing.

HRU reported last week about some new horses invited to the race and changes were made soon thereafter. Cobra Killer Gar, who would represent Italy, will not come to Solvalla, and French trotter Hooker Berry, took the Italian’s place.

Global Etalon, who won the Prins Daniels race in Gävle, got suspended from racing for 10 days after his win, due to veterinary notes about Global Etalon’s mouth care. Small drops of blood were seen and harness racing in Sweden has lately experienced too many cases where veterinarians have scratched horses in the time between the warm-up and the race.

Hopefully this matter won’t be something that spoils the party at Solvalla this weekend, but the trainers ought to be cautious. One meager drop of blood from the horse’s mouth and the scratch is near.

Norway’s Charron (Code Bon), trained by Geir Vegard Gundersen, got a late invitation, just like Finland’s Massimo Hoist, trained by Jukka Hakkarainen.

On Sunday (May 18) night, the draw for the two elimination heats were made and Daniel Redén had the best luck of all trainers, when favorite Francesco Zet got post 2, while Don Fanucci Zet will start from post 3 in the second heat.

Notable is the fact that the winners from 2021, 2022 and 2023 — Don Fanucci Zet, Etonnant, Hohneck — are all behind the gate this year. Last year’s winner Horsy Dream has probably made his last start due to an injury and there are maybe two other big names from Europe missing in Elitloppet. San Moteur and Idao de Tillard would both have painted the 2025 edition in even more appealing colors, but with that said, the field of 16 horses is great.

The entire weekend is full of great races and the program for the two racing days is massive.

For example, the $200,000 Harper Hanovers race over 3,140 meters on Saturday’s card. The French armada includes It’s A Dollarmaker, Inmarosa and Ibiki de Houelle. Opponents like Kentucky River, High On Pepper and Oscar L.A., make the Harper Hanovers race spectacular just by their inclusion.

Saturday’s card starts with three elimination heats for the $120,000 Sweden Cup over 1,640 meters.

It’s teeming with high profile trotters in the three heats, with some horses that may even have been possibilities in the biggest race on Sunday’s card. Click Bait, Mister Hercules, Diamond Truppo, Devilish Hill, Double Deceiver, Dancer Brodde, Y.Not Diamant and Schampus are just some of all nice horses in Sweden Cup.

Finals in all categories are included in the V75 and on top of that it’s easy to understand that it probably tickles a little bit extra in every interested harness racing person right now.

Well, if the Saturday looks good in advance, what can be said about the Sunday? For years horses showed up, put on a show and were all remembered for their respective performances. Sunday might be overwhelming for the fans, because there are super trotters pretty much in all the races on the card, with two finals of the $200,000 Breeders Course for 3-year-olds, the $100,000 4-year-old Elite for mares, $100,000 4-year-old Elite open division, two $50,000 Elitloppet eliminations, and $1,000,000 Elitloppet final.

Among the 3-year-olds, Philippe Allaire trained Ginostrabliggi, who enters the track of Solvalla undefeated after eight starts, will be especially interesting to follow. The same must be said about Redén’s 4-year-old mare Allegiant, who impressed a lot in her debut on European soil last week. We can continue to namedrop horses, but the best advice is to look in Solvalla’s programs for Saturday and Sunday. Let’s hope that this will be a sunny party where the sport is at its best.

Saturday’s race program is here.

Sunday’s race program is here.

ELITLOPPET, ELIMINATION 1

1,609 meters

Horse — Sire — Driver — Trainer

1. Etonnant — Timoko — Anthony Barrier — Richard Westerink

2. Francesco Zet — Father Patrick — Örjan Kihlström — Daniel Redén

3. Go On Boy — Password — Romain Derieux

4. Mellby Jinx — Ready Cash — Mats E Djuse — Daniel Wäjersten

5. Logan Park — Archangel — Doug McNair — Robert Fellows

6. A Fair Day — Maharajah — Oscar Ginman — Elisabeth Almheden

7. Charron — Code Bon — Magnus Teien Gundersen — Geir Vegard Gundersen

8. Always Ek — Filipp Roc — Alessandro Gocciadoro

ELITLOPPET, ELIMINATION 2

1,609 meters

Horse — Sire — Driver — Trainer

1. Hohneck — Royal Dream — Gabriele Gelormini — Philippe Allaire

2. Hooker Berry — Booster Winner — Nicolas Bazire — Franck Leblanc

3. Don Fanucci Zet — Hard Livin — Paul-Philippe Ploquin

4. Mellby Knekt — Mellby Viking — Magnus A. Djuse — Timo Nurmos

5. Hussard du Landret — Bird Parker — Benoit Robin

6. Borups Victory — Googoo Gaagaa — Daniel Wäjersten

7. The Locomotive — Muscle Mass — Brad Hewitt

8. Massimo Hoist — Muscle Hill — Hannu Torvinen — Jukka Hakkarainen

ELITLOPPET FIELD

Horse, age, country

ETONNANT, 11, FRANCE

French tanks that probably would have started from another post than 1. Three races this year and he was surprisingly strong as runner-up in the Criterium de Vitesse in March. Some chance at reaching the final.

FRANCESCO ZET, 7, SWEDEN

Became the first choice in last year’s final, where he finished fourth. Will be the favorite to win even this year and with all his merits, he is entitled to possess that position. Most merited Elitloppet driver in Örjan Kihlström on top of that.

GO ON BOY, 9, FRANCE

Go On Boy has been there fighting, but not seriously for the win in Elitloppet. With his speed the last quarter, his chances of reaching the final are great.

MELLBY JINX, 7, SWEDEN

Daniel Wäjersten’s trotter has never looked better and stronger than in his prior starts to this one. Claimed the Finlandia-ajo in nice style in early May and he might very well reach the final.

LOGAN PARK, 7, CANADA

Strong merits from North America, but very hard to compare to his opponents on Sunday. This gelding can go fast, that’s proven, and driver Doug McNair got familiar with the tracks of Sweden as he represented Canada in the World Driver’s Championship in 2019. A dark horse.

A FAIR DAY, 6, SWEDEN

Tries Elitloppet for the second year in a row and this 6-year-old gelding is still the “horse for the people,” with a female amateur training. Possesses wild skills when the car accelerates, but post 6 can be an obstacle for the given tactics.

CHARRON, 5, NORWAY

Charron is untested in these contexts, even if he has dominated among crop-brothers in Norway, he would have needed an inside post in his hunt for the final.

ALWAYS EK, 9, ITALY

Alessandro Gocciadoro’s weapon this year. Always Ek has performed well in Italy lately, but post 8 looks to be too tough for him this time. An upset if he reaches the final.

HOHNECK, 8, FRANCE

He’s 8-years-old now and it’s clear that Vincennes no longer is his favorite place on earth. Solvalla, that’s a track he likes a lot and when Philippe Allaire’s winner from 2023 drew post 1, Hohneck’s chances increased.

HOOKER BERRY, 8, FRANCE

A top trotter for sure, but the form is diffuse and he was intended to race in the Sweden Cup before Cobra Killer Gar disappeared from Elitloppet. Will do his best trying to get to the final, but it seems tough.

DON FANUCCI ZET, 9, SWEDEN

The winner of Elitloppet 2021 makes his fifth consecutive start in the race and he looks to be in greater shape than ever. A French driver is entrusted behind him this year, which makes his participation a little more exotic. Can reach the final.

MELLBY KNEKT, 6, SWEDEN

The real underdog in Elitloppet 2025. With zero merits among elite trotters, and no big stakes wins, but with eight consecutive wins in a row, he enters the lion’s nest and driver Magnus A. Djuse says that we will be surprised on Sunday. His ability to leave behind the gate might make him a finalist.

HUSSARD DU LANDRET, 8, FRANCE

If Hussard du Landret would have raced in Saturday’s Harper Hanovers race over 3,140 meters, he probably would have been the favorite. Now, over the mile and from post 5, he needs to do all the hard work, probably three wide in two turns, and that can be too much to handle for this top horse.

BORUPS VICTORY, 7, SWEDEN

Runner-up in Elitloppet 2024 and the winner in 2025? Well, the story might turn into something like that. Borups Victory has all the ingredients required for winning Elitloppet and trainer Daniel Wäjersten has probably aimed for that one big objective this year.

THE LOCOMOTIVE, 6, AUSTRALIA

“No One Knows” by Queens Of The Stone Age, would be a fitting song to add to this contribution from Australia. Europeans know hardly anything about The Locomotive’s skills on a five-eighths-mile track when he’s surrounded
by some of the best trotters in the world. Such a bad luck in the draw. Post 7 means that the most exotic contribution to the race needs much luck and let’s hope that he gets lucky after traveling around the world for this task.

MASSIMO HOIST, 6, FINLAND

This 6-year-old colt is one of the best older trotters in Finland at the moment, but that will probably not save him from chasing as the last horse in the field, which is proven difficult if the final is the target. Post 8 destroyed all chances for Finland’s hope in Elitloppet 2025.