Nuncio (5m Andover Hall-Nicole Isabelle-Lindy Lane) rallied off stablemate Volstead’s death seat cover to easily win the 2016 Solvalla Gr. I Jubileumspokalen for a total purse of €188,475. Harness racing driver Orjan Kihlstrom reined the winner owned and trained by Stefan Melander.
He recorded his seventh 2016 victory in nine starts to go along with two seconds, raising his seasonal earnings to 5,798,650SEK and career earnings of 23,931,376SEK. The career slate is 33-14-2 in 49 starts.
Off at 3/10 the winner bested 23/1 Explosive De Vie (5g Explosive Matter-Ava-Pine Chip) for Kevin Oscarsson with third to 9/1 Fire To The Rain (5g Yankee Glide-Adelaide Hall-Conway Hall) with Ulf Ohlsson up. Scellino Luis, another son of Andover Hall, ended fourth. Time was 1.10.7kr off even fractions (1.09.5kr at the first 500 meters; 1.10.2kr at the 1000 and 1.10.3kr after 1500) in the 2140 meter autostart course.
Nuncio was four wide in the first turn, settled on the outer and then was covered by Volstead that ended fifth.
Earlier in the card The Queen L for aged mares (purse €21,702) went to 1.14.1kr (2640 meters autostart) timed Bostonz Credit (6f Credit Winner-Pleasecometoboston-Cumin) with Kihlstrom up for trainer Daniel Reden and Stall Zet. The Kelley Racing Stable US product won for second time in 2016 in six starts. Off at 9/2 the winner defeated 1.2/1 Jetset (7f Juliano Star-Superlet-Super Arnie) with trainer Peter Untersteiner up. Third was 30/1 Coco De Vie (5f Chocolatier-Bliss-Angus Hall) for Ulf Ohlsson and trainer Melander.
The Solvalla program also included the Breeders Course for two year-olds raced over 1640 meters autostart. The easy gate to wire victory went to 1.1/1 favorite Current Affair (2f Love You-Global Future-Lindy’s Crown) with Bjorn Goop up for trainer Tomas Malmqvist. Kiss Me Tooma (2f Dream Vacation-Jument D’or-Super Arnie) was next for Jennifer Tillman. Timed was 1.15.9kr for the winner that earned 50,000SEK for her second win in as many starts.
Thomas H. Hicks