Before a huge crowd the sun shone brightly on trainer Jerry Riordan, driver Wim Paal and their classy son of Classic Photo, Ringostarr Treb.
The Italian bred eight year old stallion is from the Supergill mare Farsalo Egral and the pair of wins today gives him a career total of 30 in 85 starts, now for 12,943,301SEK earned. Ringostarr, owned in Italy by E.V.A.M. Racing Trotter SRLS, off at 2.4/1 odds, began the finale (worth 3SEK million to the winner) from post one and left alertly but yielded to Pastore Bob early in turn one.
The 4/5 favorite Propulsion left from post three and dropped over to fifth in the early going as stablemate Lionel settled third. The first 500 meters was in a swift 1.07.7kr and it was 1.09.9kr at the 1000. There driver Paal eased Ringostarr off the pegs and along the leader as action began from the back. Off the last turn Ringostarr opened a two length advantage and Propulsion finally emerged late and fell short a length. Nada Broline was third at 9/1 and Dreammoko took the fourth check at 14/1.
Race time was 1.09kr or 1:51.02 for the mile distance (1609 meters) with the first 250 meters in 1.03.2kr.
The earlier eliminations (each worth 250,000SEK to the winner of the 1609 meter autostart sprints) first went to 12/1 Lionel (8m Look de Star-Aurora Sign-Smok’n Lantern) with owner Goran Antonsen driving the Daniel Reden trainee, timed in 1.09.kr.
The 8.5/1 Dreammoko (5m Timoko-Uranie d’Atout-Kaisy Dream) was second for Bjorn Goop and trainer Richard Westerink after perhaps causing a first recall. Veteran former Prix d’Amerique winner, Up And Quick (10m Buvetier d’Aunou-Fichtre-Quiton du Coral) at 25/1 hugged the pegs, for Jorma Kontio, throughout to be third and 26/1 Takethem (8m From Above-D’Cherie-New Quick) was fourth for Steen Juul.
The 1.7/1 favorite Bold Eagle went off-stride entering the first turn off the gate when three wide. The Eagle appeared very agitated before the race began and the first recall made it worse as he left on the lead and went about 500 meters before pulling up along with two others that apparently thought the race was underway.
The second elim went to Ringostarr Treb (8m Classic Photo-Farsalo Egral-Supergill) timed in a rated 1.10.8kr by driver Wim Paal. This pair left from post one, yielded to Pastore Bob, and then retook the top and the race was essentially over for the 1.8/1 favorite.
Propulsion (7m Muscle Hill-Danae-Andover Hall) moved first up approaching the half for Orjan Kihlstrom and waited patiently in striking positon as Paal rated the leader (1.07.7kr at the first 500; then 1.12.2kr at the 1000). Entering the lane the top two went to a modest drive and Ringostarr held advantage to half-length at the line. Nadal Broline (8g Yankee Glide-Aimee’s Promise-American Winner) was third for Ulf Ohlsson and trainer Reijo Liljendahl with fourth to Pastore Bob (5f From Above-Estrada OR-Supergill) driven by Johan Untersteiner.
This pair covered the first 250 meters in 1.03.4kr.
The winner’s pedigree is not of high commercial value but sire Classic Photo was a solid colt (SJ’s Photo-Classic Winner-American Winner-Classic Somolli) that at two won the Valley Victory and at three was second in the Hambletonian and won the American-National, Canadian Trotting Classic, Review and the Stanley Dancer. He’s been a good sire in the USA and then Italy. The dam is a career winner of €73,035 with a 1.12.6kr record. That family goes back to some good trotting blood.
by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink
Harnesslink founder, John Curtin, along with renowned equine photographer Karolien Van Hauwermeiren, the daughter of Belgium owner, breeder, trainer, driver Filip Van Hauwermeiren, are both at Solvalla Racetrack in Sweden.
They will be providing readers with photographs and video throughout the Elitloppet Weekend in Sweden. This page will be updated with photos Saturday and Sunday and with stories to come.
You can check out all the Elitloppet Weekend racing via photos and video on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
IT'S RINGOSTAR TREB winning final of the ELITLOPPET!
Time of the final heat was 1.09.0
Driver Wilhelm Paal
Trainer Jerry Riordan
Owner E.V.A.M. racing trotter SRLS
8yr stallion out of Classic Photo and Farsalo Egral (Supergill)
Going wire to wire in the second heat was Ringostar Treb (Classic Photo) 1.10.8 with driver Wilhelm Paal for trainer Jerry Riordan. Propulsion and Nadal Broline take second and third place.
NO BOLD EAGLE IN ELITLOPPET FINAL!!!!!
After two false starts the son of Ready Cash could not control his nerves and made a brake after the start.
Lionel (look de Star) wins the first heat in 1.09.7
Runner up Dreammoko and Up and Quick are set for the final
Solvalla Elitloppet Undercard Sets Records
By Thomas H Hicks, for Harnesslink
Early in the Sunday sunny Elitloppet 2018 program was the Gr. II Monte Elite by Hertz-Cloetta(total purse €57,228, 1640 meters autostart, 10 starters). French invader Be Mine de Houelle (5f Scipion du Goutier-Olita de Kefrauso-Full Account) showed her heels to this field with an open lengths 1.09.8kr timed win, a world record.
She was off at 6.9/1 and led all the way, at some ppoints by 10+ lengths, for jockey Marie Bacsich, trainer Franck Leblanc and co-owners Pauline Corty and Leblanc. She had not been on the board in six previous starts in 2018 and only there once in 2017 from 19 outings. She last won May 29, 2016 in this Solvalla race. Today’s victory was her seventh in 75 career appearances. Olympic Kronos (10g Viking Kronos-Ebony Kronos-Pine Chip) was second for Jennifer Persson and third was Star Advisor Joi (9g Look de Star) for Stina Swartling.
Three year old fillies contested the Rene Stolts (200,000SEK to the winner, 1640 meters autostart, seven entrants) with victory to 1.4/1 Zabriskie OK (3f Conway Hall-Georgia Pines-Pine Chip-Dasooner Dabettor). Trainer Alessandro Gocciadoro reined this one that defeated 20/1 Follow Me Sisu (3s Even Better Odds) for Ulf Ohlsson and 35/1 Felicity Sisu (3f Yankee Glide) with trainer Mattias Djuse up. Race time was 1.12.4kr. Gocciadoro has done well on Elitloppet weekend.
The Gr. II Grabber-Delicious (total purse €57,228, 1640 meters autostart, 10 entrants) went to Italy’s Virginia Grif (4f Varenne-Francy Capar-Supergill) at 1.1/1 with a very capable Alessandro Gocciadoro the trainer/driver. This mare is undefeated from four starts in 2018 and now has 13 wins in only 23 career appearances. Race time was 1.10.5kr and finishing second was 19/1 Waffle Cone (4f Muscle Hill-Sugar Cone-Andover Hall) driven by Erik Adielsson for trainer Frode Hamre. 12/1 Valentina Wind (4f Muscle Hill-Norah Wind-Supergill) was third for Kim Eriksson, ahead of 6.7/1 Leet Hanover (5f Cantab Hall-Lives Like A Queen-Muscles Yankee.
The Gr. II International Tommy Hannes (total purse €92,870, 1640 meters autostart, 10 starters) saw 1.8/1 Giveitgasandgo (4m Yankee Glide-Mazda Hanover-Andover Hall) score in 1.09.5kr (race time 1:53.92) for trainer Frode Hamre and driver Erik Adielsson. 42/1 King On The Hill (4m Muscle Hill-Lantern Kronos-Viking Kronos) earned second money for trainer/driver Hans G. Eriksson. Third went to 25/1 Lexus Dream (4g Lexus Font-Lovely Dream-Coktail Jet) for Ari Moilanen ahead of Ethien du Vivier (4m Sancho Turgot) handled by Christoffer Eriksson.
Three year old colts contested the Hakan Wallner Memorial (total purse €75,903, 1640 meters, 10 starters). Global Withdrawl (3g SJs Caviar-Umbrella Broline-Nordin Hanover) scored, timed in 1.12.2kr, with Erik Adielsson up for trainer Svante Bath. Norway’s Catherine’s Chevy (3m Catherines Cavalli-Bullyoung-Buckaroo K) was second for Erik Hoitomt. Third was Italy’s Zenio (3m Adrian Chip-Damia-Malabar Man) for trainer/driver Alessandro Gocciadoro.
SWEDEN CUP GOES TO ITALY ON SATURDAY!
(From the USTA) Italian trainer/driver Alessandro Gocciadoro stole the show at Solvalla Saturday afternoon (May 26) as he won the Sweden Cup as well as a V75 final and was beaten in second place in a photo finish.
In the Sweden Cup, Gocciadoro raced the 11-year-old gelding Arazi Boko, who has found his second youth since he joined the Gocciadoro stable late last year.
Arazi Boko, sired by Varenne, won his elimination as well as the final. The elimination was won in 1:53.2f, while he was timed in the final in 1:53f. The win was worth $70,000.
In the final, Swedish driver Ôrjan Kihlström tried to take the lead with Love Matters, who had finished second to Arazi Boko in the elimination, but just as Love Matter hit the front, he went off stride and was disqualified. Then the race was an easy task for Swedish-bred Arazi Boko.
Later on the day Gocciadoro won an impressive victory with the 4-year-old Volnik du Graz, he too sired by Varenne, who got a very tough trip, but still managed to win the 1-5/16th mile event by a head in 1:54.2f (mile rate).
Gocciadoro was also in the spotlight driving the mare Peace of Mind, but USA-bred Double Exposure (she by Donato Hanover), driven by Ôrjan Kihlström, just managed to get by at the finish line to win in a new record of 1:52f.
Within the last couple of years Gocciadoro has stamped himself as the leading trainer and driver in Italy. In Italy he has won 100 races so far in 2018 and has a win percentage of 41.6.
The richest race of the day, The Harper Hanover raced over two miles, was won by Platon Face (sired by Raja Mirchi), driven by trainer and breeder Lutfi Kolgjini.
Platon Face went off stride around the first bend, but managed to come back to win the race in 1:57.3f (mile rate). The purse for the winner was $105,000.
Harnesslink Media