Elitloppet


Elitloppet or Solvallas Internationella Elitlopp is an annual, invitational Group One harness event that has taken place at Solvalla Racetrack in Stockholm, Sweden since 1952. The competition is regarded as one of the most prestigious international events in trotting. The winner is decided through two qualifying rounds and a subsequent final later the same day. Both the eliminations and the final are raced over the mile. The overall purse for the 2012 event was SEK6,400,000, equalling approximately US$892,000. In 2002 the Italian champion ,, took it in a world record time of 1:10.4 in the elimination and then bested that mark by winning the final in 1:10.2 – the fastest mile ever trotted around three turns. The fastest winning time in a final is 1:09.0, run by the French Timoko in 2017. Elitloppet was part of the European Grand Circuit and is part of that circuit's successor, the UET Masters Series.

History

The beginning

The first Elitloppet was run in 1952 under the name of Solvallas Jubileumslopp. Winner the opening year was the German horse Permit. The following year, the event changed name to Elitloppet.

The doping affair in 2006

In Elitloppet 2006, French star trotter Jag de Bellouet won in a record time of 1:09,4, with Italian Lets Go in second place. At a press conference a few weeks after the Elitloppet Day, it was announced that both horses had been disqualified due to positive doping tests. Jag de Bellouet and Lets Go tested positive for diclofenac and etacrynic acid, respectively. After the disqualifications, Swedish Conny Nobell was announced the official winner of the 2006 event. The general secretary in the Swedish Trotting Association, Ulf Hörnberg, expressed that the double disqualifications was a "tragedy" for the event.

Racing conditions

The races

In 1952-1958 and in 1973, Elitloppet was decided through two heats followed by a race-off if not one and the same horse won both heats. In 1959-1961, when a longer distance was trotted, only a single race was run. Since 1962, a concept of two eliminations and one final has been used. The number of horses in the eliminations has varied from seven to twelve during these years, but there have always been eight trotters in the final.

Distance

The distance has, with the exception of the years 1959-1961, been in the interval of 1,580-1,640 meters. In 1959, the horses ran 3,200 meters, and the two following years, the distance was approximately 2,700 meters.

Starting method

During the first ten years, 1952-1961, volt start was used in Elitloppet. From 1962 and on, a motorized starting gate has been used, changing the starting method from volt start to auto start.

The Elitloppet weekend

Elitloppet is traditionally raced on the last Sunday of May. Solvalla stages races both Saturday and Sunday which makes up a meet, known in Sweden as "The Elitloppet weekend". The two days are generally well-visited and is considered one of Sweden's biggest sports events. In 2008, a total of over 53,000 people attended the events at Solvalla.

Past winners

Horses with most wins

Short distance (1,600-1,609 m), auto start (1962-)

YearHorseDriverCountry1Odds of winnerWinning time
1952PermitWalter Heitman2.161:17.3
1953Frances BulwarkSören Nordin2.251:20.6
1954CarnéOlle Persson8.651:18.7
1955Gutemberg A.Alain Deheeger9.851:18.9
1956GelinotteCharlie Mills1.241:16.7
1957GelinotteCharlie Mills1.671:16.8
1958Io d'AmourGerhard Krüger1.251:18.4o
1959JaminJean Riaud1.211:21.1
1960Honoré IIRaoul Simonard21.041:19.1
1961KracovieRoger Vercruysse3.341:20.3
1962EidelstedterJohannes Frömming4.651:17.4
1963OzoRoger Massue1.311:16.5
1964Pack HanoverSergio Brighenti4.391:15.4
1965ElmaJohannes Frömming1.421:16.5
1966RoquepineHenri Levesque3.241:15.3
1967RoquepineHenri Levesque1.381:15.1
1968Eileen EdenJohannes Frömming1.301:15.8
1969Fresh YankeeJoe O'Brien2.671:15.8
1970Eileen EdenJohannes Frömming21.121:15.5
1971Tidalium PeloJean Mary1.801:14.7
1972Dart HanoverBerndt Lindstedt1.271:15.3
1973Ego BoyIngemar Olofsson2.031:23.8
1974Timothy T.Giancarlo Baldi2.701:15.7
1975Timothy T.Giancarlo Baldi2.811:17.2
1976DimitriaLeopold Verroken2.471:15.8
1977EleazarLeopold Verroken3.551:16.0
1978Hadol du VivierJean Rene Gougeon2.561:14.0
1979PershingBerndt Lindstedt1.711:13.7
1980Ideal du GazeauEugène Lefèvre3.051:13.8
1981JorkyLeopold Verroken3.651:13.2
1982Ideal du GazeauEugène Lefèvre2.061:13.2
1983IanthinPaul Delanoe4.151:13.2
1984The OnionStig H. Johansson2.341:12.2
1985Meadow RoadTorbjörn Jansson5.721:11.6
1986Rex RodneyKjell Håkonsen1.511:13.4
1987Utah BulwarkStig H. Johansson6.311:12.1
1988Mack LobellJohn D. Campbell1.521:11.3
1989NapoletanoStig H. Johansson1.571:12.8
1990Mack LobellThomas Nilsson1.591:11.0
1991Peace CorpsStig H. Johansson1.411:12.2
1992BillyjojimbobMurray Brethour2.401:11.8
1993Sea CoveJoseph Verbeeck2.511:11.9
1994CopiadErik Berglöf2.381:11.8
1995CopiadErik Berglöf1.391:11.3
1996Coktail JetJean-Etienne Dubois4.331:11.4
1997Gum BallStig H. Johansson4.951:12.3
1998Moni MakerWally Hennessey2.201:10.6
1999Remington CrownJoseph Verbeeck4.101:12.6
2000Victory TillyStig H. Johansson3.101:10.5
2001VarenneGiampaolo Minnucci1.471:10.7
2002VarenneGiampaolo Minnucci1.321:10.2
2003From AboveÖrjan Kihlström9.441:10.1
2004Gidde PalemaÅke Svanstedt1.341:10.0
2005SteinlagerPer Oleg Midfjeld1.861:10.0
2006Conny NobellBjörn Goop4.181:09.9
2007L'Amiral MauzunJean-Michel Bazire5.291:10.0
2008Exploit CafJean-Michel Bazire1.781:09.8
2009Torvald PalemaÅke Svanstedt4.861:10.4
2010IcelandJohnny Takter8.921:10.5
2011BrioniJoakim Lövgren27.061:10.5
2012Commander CroweChristophe Martens3.011:10.4
2013NaharRobert Bergh5.481:10.1
2014TimokoBjörn Goop2.941:09.5
2015Magic TonightÖrjan Kihlström4.351:10.1
2016NuncioÖrjan Kihlström3.101:09.2
2017TimokoBjörn Goop30.891:09.0
2018Ringostarr TrebWilhelm Paal3.471:09.0
2019DijonRomain Derieux27.781:10.3

1 Nationality of the winning horse's owner