Despite the absence of an American horse, this year’s Elitloppet field appears to be one of the ages.
by Thomas Hedlund
Elitloppet 2024 might very well be something special. The preparations before the big mile race at Solvalla on Sunday (May 26) have gone smoothly and Solvalla’s sports general Anders Malmrot has done a strong job finding the best horses in Europe at this moment, since American horses will be absent. There have been problems attracting trotters from continents other than Europe the past few years and in Elitloppet 2024, there is not even an American-bred horse in the two eight-trotter fields.
But we can look forward to a battle between the best French, Italian and Swedish horses. Solvalla managed to get a positive response when Prix d’Amérique winner Idao de Tillard received the first invitation to Elitloppet and when the second name was Francesco Zet, fans began to understand that this year’s Elitloppet already had the ingredients for a very special dish.
France is a dominating country in Elitloppet history and the tricolor team would have been strong even without Idao de Tillard as its captain. Title defender Hohneck will definitely be a factor and last year’s runner up Go On Boy possesses abilities that very well can end up with victory for Romain Derieux, again. Derieux upset with Dijon in 2019 and Go On Boy is a horse with maybe higher status than his previous winner.
Then there is Horsy Dream, the French tank that missed Elitloppet in 2023. What can he do on a five-eighths mile track? Probably win. Pierre Belloche’s trotter, paired with Eric Raffin in the bike, is strong, fast and hard headed. The last invited horse from France was Gaspar de Brion, trained and driven by Matthieu Abrivard. Gaspar de Brion is a gelding and he is therefore not allowed to race in the biggest Grand Prix races in his home country, but he belongs with the top of trotters and his presence at Solvalla is welcomed.
From Italy, there is Alessandro Gocciadoro, of course. The dominating trainer will have two weapons behind the gate on Sunday. Bengurion Jet won the Sweden Cup this weekend last year and seems now to be ready to fight the very best horses. Gocciadoro will drive Bengurion Jet while Björn Goop is entrusted behind Denver Gio in the second elimination.
Capital Mail, trained by Gennaro Cassillo won the final of the Lotteria in Naples on May 1 and the 6-year-old is a dark horse among more merited trotters.
ELITLOPPET, ELIMINATION 1
1,609 meters
Horse — Sire — Driver — Trainer
1. Denver Gio — Southwind Frank — Björn Goop — Alessandro Gocciadoro
2. Don Fanucci Zet – Hard Livin — Magnus A Djuse — Daniel Redén
3. Go On Boy — Password — Romain Derieux
4. Joviality — Chapter Seven — Erik Adielsson — Sabine Kagebrant
5. Capital Mail — Nad Al Sheba — Antonio Di Nardo — Gennaro Cassillo
6. Önas Prince — Chocolatier — Per Nordström
7. A Fair Day — Maharajah — Oscar Ginman — Elisabeth Almheden
8. Idao de Tillard — Severino — Clement Duvaldestin — Thierry Duvaldestin
ELITLOPPET, ELIMINATION 2
1,609 meters
Horse — Sire — Driver — Trainer
1. Hustle Rain — Raja Mirchi — Mats E Djuse — Mattias Djuse
2. Hohneck — Royal Dream — Gabriele Gelormini — Philippe Allaire
3. Gaspar de Brion — Singalo — Matthieu Abrivard
4. Horsy Dream — Scipion du Goutier — Eric Raffin — Pierre Belloche
5. Francesco Zet — Father Patrick — Örjan Kihlström — Daniel Redén
6. Decision Maker — Nuncio — Carl Johan Jepson — Stefan Melander
7. Borups Victory — Googoo Gaagaa — Daniel Wäjersten
8. Bengurion Jet — Maharajah — Alessandro Gocciadoro
FRENCH SUPER TROTTER IN HARPER HANOVERS
Saturday’s (May 25) race card at Solvalla is, as usual, a nice starter ahead of the Sunday’s big event. The $112,000 Sweden Cup, with three elimination heats and a final later on the card, kicks off the weekend event at Solvalla, but the most prestigious race of the day is probably the $195,000 Harper Hanovers lopp over 3,140 meters. French top horse Izoard Vedaquais, trained by Philippe Allaire and driven by Benjamin Rochard, will be the bettor’s first choice but there are some really strong opponents that he will face. Fun fact about the race is that American bred S.I.P., a world record holder as a 3-year-old on a half mile track (Delaware during the Little Brown Jug meeting in 2022), will try the strongest horses over three laps. A very positive debut over the actual distance was made in Örebro earlier this month and S.I.P. proved that longer distances suit him well.
Finals in the different categories of the V75 fill out the card and it’s all through a very nice race day to look forward to.
Sunday’s race card contains, beside the two Elitloppet eliminations and the $950,000 final, two finals in the Breeders Course for 3-year-olds. There is $195,000 at stake in the two races where Alessandro Gocciadoro, Paul Hagoort and Jerry Riordan are the dominating trainers.
Saturday’s race program is here.
Sunday’s race program is here.
ELITLOPPET FIELD
Horse, age, country
Denver Gio, 5, Italy
The 5-year-old Southwind Frank son knows how to win (14 out of 33) and has a great chance of getting a nice trip from the inside post.
Don Fanucci Zet, 8, Sweden
The winner of Elitloppet 2021 will get a new driver behind him this year. Magnus A. Djuse is dominating in Sweden and Don Fanucci Zet solved his preparation races in great style.
Go On Boy, 8, France
Trainer and driver Romain Derieux won Elitloppet 2019 with Dijon and in Go On Boy he has a horse that can move his legs very fast, at least in the race’s ending parts. Runner up last year.
Joviality, 5, Sweden
Joviality came to Europe after an incredible career in the U.S. and bested the boys in the Derby over 2,640 meters last fall. A very well merited girl who proved to be strong even in the highest level of races as she finished third in the Prix d’Amérique in January.
Capital Mail, 6, Italy
Enters Elitloppet after an upset win the in the $650,000 Lotteria in Naples and has some routine from French races in his early career. It’s hard to estimate his chances in Elitloppet, but he is definitely a nice contribution to the race.
Önas Prince, ٧, Sweden
Per Nordström’s charming trotter impressed a lot in his $350,000 Paralympiatravet win at Åby on May 4 and Nordström has aimed for this objective since last fall, when it was discovered that the horse had to go through an operation. His ability to leave quickly can be decisive.
A Fair Day, 5, Sweden
Winner of the Breeders Crown for 4-year-olds in November, this amateur trained horse has become “The Horse for the People” in his home country. A very quick starter who needs to find an inside position in the hunt for a spot in the final.
Idao de Tillard, 6, France
This year’s winner of the Prix d’Amérique had no luck in the draw. Post 8 is bad, but great horses usually solve the situation and it will be thrilling to see France’s best trotter on a five-eighths mile track over the mile. The star of the show, at least before the race.
Hustle Rain, 5, Sweden
Mattias Djuse’s first appearance as a trainer in Elitloppet and after Hustle Rain’s Sprintermästaren win in July last year, the dream might have started about Elitloppet. Two starts this year, two times a runner up, but showed great condition when second to Barack Face in Copenhagen Cup recently.
Hohneck, 7, France
Title defender Hohneck loves Solvalla. After his triumph in Elitloppet last year, he returned and claimed the Masters final in October. But Philippe Allaire’s trotter hasn’t won a single race since then. A good post, the right weather and all energies in place. That’s what it takes to defend the title, maybe.
Gaspar de Brion, 8, France
Gaspar de Brion finished second to Izoard Vedaquais in the Prix des Ducs de Normandie in his start prior to this one and behind him he had horses like Hohneck and Idao de Tillard. The mile is nothing this French horse is used to, but historically we know that French trotters that enter the track of Solvalla are doing well.
Horsy Dream, 7, France
After missing most of the prestigious races during Paris’ winter meeting, Horsy Dream has made a strong comeback. When Eric Raffin was back in the bike in the last start, Horsy Dream played with some of the best horses in France and this could very well be the winner in the final.
Francesco Zet, 6, Sweden
He has 18 consecutive wins ahead of Elitloppet and there are some really heavy trophies captured along the way. The Father Patrick son has been the dominant trotter in his crop and he tried older elite trotters in Boden last year. Carefully matched by trainer Daniel Redén, but still the favorite to win Elitloppet. The most exciting contender and the second star of the show.
Decision Maker, 5, Sweden
A pure Stefan Melander product. Nuncio is the father, Scarlet Knight the dam’s father, and Decision Maker is the only horse with a sire that won Elitloppet (Nuncio in 2016). The progression in this mare is remarkable and an interesting event awaits her.
Borups Victory, 6, Sweden
Daniel Wäjersten’s first horse in Elitloppet and Borups Victory has impressed in his preparation races this spring. Co-owned by NHL-star Mats Sundin (Toronto Maple Leafs) makes the horse more interesting in the public’s eyes.
Bengurion Jet, 7, Italy
Alessandro Gocciadoro has plenty of horses that are good enough to enter Elitloppet, but the most obvious horse this year must be Bengurion Jet. A Sweden Cup win, a runner up performance in Åby Stora Pris and a third place in the Yonkers International Trot, among others, made his 2023 season lucrative.