The fields are now set for the 2016 Elitlopp, slated for next Sunday at Solvalla Racecourse in Sweden and featuring a handful of horses very familiar to North American harness racing.
The lone horse heading into the event currently based in North America is Resolve. Last year's O'Brien Award winner as Older Trotting Horse of the Year, Resolve has Canadian ties through his breeder, Ted Wilson of Seagrave, Ont. Winless in two starts this year, the five-year-old stallion was invited to the Elitlopp after his disqualified from winning performance in the Mack Lobell Elitlopp Playoff at The Meadowlands on May 8. Sitting just shy of the million-dollar mark in lifetime earnings, Resolve (Muscle Hill - Anikawiesahalee) is trained and driven by Swedish expat Ake Svanstedt and drew Post 2 in the first heat.
Another five-year-old horse expected to be a major force is Nuncio. The ultra-consistent son of Andover Hall - Nicole Isabelle has never been worse than third in his 44-start career. Since his third-place finish in the 2015 Elitlopp -- racing three-wide the entire mile and finishing just three-parts of a length off the winner -- he's raced 13 times, won 12 and finished second in the other. He has post 2 in the second heat for trainer Stefan Melander with Örjan Kihlström named to drive.
Kihlström won last year's Elitlopp with Magic Tonight. Another with roots in Canada by virtue of breeders Marvin Katz of Toronto and Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont., Magic Tonight (Andover Hall – Miss Possessed) had a less than stellar return to North America after his Elitlopp win but trainer Roger Walmann feels his form is on the upswing heading into this year's Elitlopp.
Heat One
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Oasis Bi - Johnny Takter - Stefan Pettersson
2. Resolve - Åke Svanstedt - Åke Svanstedt
3. Propulsion - Örjan Kihlström - Daniel Redén
4. Timoko - Björn Goop - Richard Westerink
5. Mosaique Face - Lutfi Kolgjini - Lutfi Kolgjini
6. Volstead - Stefan Melander - Stefan Melander
7. Your Highness - Franck Nivard - Fabrice Souloy
8. Voltigeur de Myrt - Gabriele Gelormini - Roberto Donati
Heat Two
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Royal Fighter - Jennifer Tillman - Per Eriksson
2. Nuncio - Örjan Kihlström - Stefan Melander
3. On Track Piraten - Johnny Takter - Hans Strömberg
4. Un Mec d'Heripre - Jos Verbeeck - Fabrice Souloy
5. Call Me Keeper - Franck Nivard - Daniel Redén
6. B.B.S. Sugarlight - Peter Untersteiner - Fredrik Solberg
7. Magic Tonight - Erik Adielsson - Roger Walmann
8. Billie de Montfort - David Thomain - Sebastien Guarato