Allegiant smashes track record in Hugo Åbergs Memorial

by Thomas Hedlund

A huge crowd turned out at Jägersro on Tuesday (July 28) to see Elitlopp champion Allegiant, and the superstar mare rewarded them with one of the most dominant sprint performances ever witnessed on a Swedish racetrack.
The 5-year-old daughter of Tactical Landing left no doubt about her superiority in the $320,000 Hugo Åbergs Memorial.
As in the Elitlopp, driver Örjan Kihlström pulled the filly’s hood before the start, and Allegiant exploded off the gate to seize command immediately.
Unlike her blistering Elitlopp opening, the early fractions were just a little bit more measured this time, allowing Kihlström to rate the pace through a 1:20.1 over the opening 1,200 meters. From there, Allegiant simply drew farther and farther away from the field.

She crossed the wire in a sensational 1:49.2, establishing a new track record at Jägersro.

“You should be thanking Allegiant,” Kihlström said. “She’s the one doing all of this. It’s almost unreal. She’s taken trotting to another level. After the Elitlopp we wondered if she had gone too fast, but today we knew she could handle a demanding pace. I’m pretty sure I’ve never driven a better sprinter. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to sit behind horses like her. Once we reached the lead, I felt completely comfortable, and I thought it was safest to pull the hood before the start.”

Trainer Daniel Redén struggled to find the right words.

“What an incredible individual,” Redén said. “What an incredible horse. I honestly don’t know what to say. I’m just happy so many people came out to see her.”

Daim Brodda (Readly Express) finished a distant second, while Mellby Jinx (Ready Cash) completed the trifecta.

INTESA EK WEARS DOWN THE FAVORITE IN BREEDERS COURSE FILLY FINAL

The $100,000 Breeders Course final for 3-year-old fillies appeared headed for favorite Ifigenia of Brown, but Intesa Ek had other ideas.
Driven by Magnus A. Djuse for trainer Alessandro Gocciadoro, the daughter of Face Time Bourbon ground away first-over after Robin Bakker had comfortably established Ifigenia of Brown (Walner) on the lead through modest fractions.
After reaching the 1,200-meter mark in a leisurely 1:29.2 kilometer rate, the favorite looked poised for victory.
Instead, Intesa Ek steadily increased the pressure around the final turn, surged to the front early in the stretch, and held safely despite Ifigenia of Brown fighting back along the inside. The winning time was a 1:56.4 mile rate.

ILIAS D’ARC SPOILS SWEDISH CELEBRATION

It looked as though Sweden would complete a clean sweep of the evening’s feature events.
All Dimensions, driven by Johan Untersteiner, controlled the pace in the $100,000 Breeders Course final for 3-year-old colts and geldings and opened clear entering the stretch.
Then came the late charge from Italy.
After enjoying a perfect pocket trip, Ilias d’Arc (Victor Gio) found room in mid-stretch. Driver Pietro Gubellini quickly built momentum, and the Harri Rantanen trainee surged past the leader in the final strides to win in a 1:54.4 mile rate, denying All Dimensions a memorable home victory.