The French stallion Orlando Vici, a winner of nine Group races and now a leading sire in France and Sweden, has the joint highest entry with three harness racing runners in this year’s Elitloppet, to be contested at Solvalla, Sweden on Sunday night (May 31).
Orlando Vici’s three contestants in the ‘Sprint World Championship of Trotting’ are Chief Orlando, a seven-year-old Norwegian bred gelding, the brilliant Norwegian bred, Danish owned seven-year-old gelding Looking Superb, and the fast Swedish seven-year-old entire Racing Mange.
Chief Orlando (barrier 5) and Looking Superb (7) will contest the first heat, while Racing Mange will start from the No. 6 gate in the second elimination.
The three are all expected to be well in line for a Grand Final berth.
Looking Superb captured the Prix Tenor de Baune in 2018 and the Prix de L’Atlantique in 2019 and finished runner-up to Belina Josselyn in the 2019 Grand Prix d’Amerique; Racing Mange has won Group races in Sweden, Denmark and Finland and is the fastest trotter in Sweden this year, while Chief Orlando has won at Group level in Finland and was narrowly beaten in last year’s Sweden Cup.
Racing Mange is the fastest trotter in Sweden this year
Besides his successes at the stud in Europe, Orlando Vici has made a spectacular start as a sire in Australia. In his first season he left 11 foals – now four-year-olds – and all 11 have raced, and 10 are winners.
They include the NSW Trotters Derby winner Xebec (Tr 1:58), Beau Garcon, winner of the Breeders Crown 2YO Silver), Deneuve Star (Tr 1:56.6), Just Believe Tr 1:59 (Vicbred 3YO Silver), Belltopperboy (Tr 1:59.2), the Melton winners Montpellier (Tr 1:59.8) and Brandlo Prince, and Orlando Storm (Maryborough Oaks).
Orlando Vici’s frozen semen is available to breeders in Australia and New Zealand from Haras Des Trotteurs, where Love You, Quaker Jet and Volstead head a select sire list.
By Peter Wharton