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 2022 event was SEK11,350,000, equalling approximately US$1,073,000. In 2002 the Italian champion Varenne,, 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 1:08.0, run by the French Horsy Dream in 2024. 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.

The Propulsion scandal

Propulsion is a stallion that was imported from the United States 2015 to race in Sweden for trainer Daniel Redén. The USTA sent an export certificate to Svensk Travsport. Prior to being imported Propulsion had been nerved and according to Swedish regulations no nerved horse is allowed to race or participate in breeding. It was indicated in the export certificate that the horse was nerved but this was never spotted by Svensk Travsport. The horse was allowed to race and won over 30 million SEK in prize money. In 2020 the horse had never won Elitloppet and participated for the fifth time. In the elimination heat he finished third. Due to his trip in the race his performance was considered very impressive. In the final, Propulsion crossed the finish line first. Two days after Propulsion's victory the Norwegian magazine Trav-og Galopp-nytt published an article claiming to have evidence that Propulsion was nerved and Svensk Travsport opened an investigation into the matter. On 29 October 2020 Svensk Travsport announced that Propulsion was racing in violation of the rules and he was thus stripped of all his results in Sweden. No decision has been made concerning Propulsion's results in other European countries. The matter has now been handed over to STAD to determine if any sanctions should be handed out. The lawyer of Svensk Travsport, Göran Wahlman said that Daniel Redén did not intentionally violate the rules but, as the trainer, he is strictly liable.

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

2 - Timoko
2 - Varenne
2 - Copiad
2 - Mack Lobell
2 - Ideal du Gazeau
2 - Timothy T.
2 - Eileen Eden
2 - Roquepine
2 - Gelinotte

Sires with at least two winning offspring

2 - Quick Pay
2 - Andover Hall
2 - Alf Palema
2 - Bulwark
2 - Epilog
2 - Hoot Mon
2 - Kerjacques
2 - Speedy Crown

Sires who won and sired a winner

Timoko

Drivers with most wins

Countries, number of wins

27 –
25 –
10 –
5 – combined with West Germany
3 –
2 –
2 –

Fastest winners

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

1:08.0 - Horsy Dream

Short distance (1,580-1,640 m), volt start (1952-1958)

1:16.7 - Gelinotte

Long distance (2,700-3,200 m), volt start (1959-1961)

1:19.1 - Honoré II

All winners of Elitloppet

Year	Horse	Driver	Country¹	Odds of winner	Winning time
1952	Permit	Walter Heitman		2.16	1:17.3
1953	Frances Bulwark	Sören Nordin		2.25	1:20.6
1954	Carné	Olle Persson		8.65	1:18.7
1955	Gutemberg A.	Alain Deheeger		9.85	1:18.9
1956	Gelinotte	Charlie Mills		1.24	1:16.7
1957	Gelinotte	Charlie Mills		1.67	1:16.8
1958	Io d'Amour	Gerhard Krüger		1.25	1:18.4o
1959	Jamin	Jean Riaud		1.21	1:21.1
1960	Honoré II	Raoul Simonard		21.04	1:19.1
1961	Kracovie	Roger Vercruysse		3.34	1:20.3
1962	Eidelstedter	Johannes Frömming		4.65	1:17.4
1963	Ozo	Roger Massue		1.31	1:16.5
1964	Pack Hanover	Sergio Brighenti		4.39	1:15.4
1965	Elma	Johannes Frömming		1.42	1:16.5
1966	Roquepine	Henri Levesque		3.24	1:15.3
1967	Roquepine	Henri Levesque		1.38	1:15.1
1968	Eileen Eden	Johannes Frömming		1.30	1:15.8
1969	Fresh Yankee	Joe O'Brien		2.67	1:15.8
1970	Eileen Eden	Johannes Frömming		21.12	1:15.5
1971	Tidalium Pelo	Jean Mary		1.80	1:14.7
1972	Dart Hanover	Berndt Lindstedt		1.27	1:15.3
1973	Ego Boy	Ingemar Olofsson		2.03	1:23.8
1974	Timothy T.	Giancarlo Baldi		2.70	1:15.7
1975	Timothy T.	Giancarlo Baldi		2.81	1:17.2
1976	Dimitria	Leopold Verroken		2.47	1:15.8
1977	Eleazar	Leopold Verroken		3.55	1:16.0
1978	Hadol du Vivier	Jean Rene Gougeon		2.56	1:14.0
1979	Pershing	Berndt Lindstedt		1.71	1:13.7
1980	Ideal du Gazeau	Eugène Lefèvre		3.05	1:13.8
1981	Jorky	Leopold Verroken		3.65	1:13.2
1982	Ideal du Gazeau	Eugène Lefèvre		2.06	1:13.2
1983	Ianthin	Paul Delanoe		4.15	1:13.2
1984	The Onion	Stig H. Johansson		2.34	1:12.2
1985	Meadow Road	Torbjörn Jansson		5.72	1:11.6
1986	Rex Rodney	Kjell Håkonsen		1.51	1:13.4
1987	Utah Bulwark	Stig H. Johansson		6.31	1:12.1
1988	Mack Lobell	John D. Campbell		1.52	1:11.3
1989	Napoletano	Stig H. Johansson		1.57	1:12.8
1990	Mack Lobell	Thomas Nilsson		1.59	1:11.0
1991	Peace Corps	Stig H. Johansson		1.41	1:12.2
1992	Billyjojimbob	Murray Brethour		2.40	1:11.8
1993	Sea Cove	Joseph Verbeeck		2.51	1:11.9
1994	Copiad	Erik Berglöf		2.38	1:11.8
1995	Copiad	Erik Berglöf		1.39	1:11.3
1996	Coktail Jet	Jean-Etienne Dubois		4.33	1:11.4
1997	Gum Ball	Stig H. Johansson		4.95	1:12.3
1998	Moni Maker	Wally Hennessey		2.20	1:10.6
1999	Remington Crown	Joseph Verbeeck		4.10	1:12.6
2000	Victory Tilly	Stig H. Johansson		3.10	1:10.5
2001	Varenne	Giampaolo Minnucci		1.47	1:10.7
2002	Varenne	Giampaolo Minnucci		1.32	1:10.2
2003	From Above	Örjan Kihlström		9.44	1:10.1
2004	Gidde Palema	Åke Svanstedt		1.34	1:10.0
2005	Steinlager	Per Oleg Midfjeld		1.86	1:10.0
2006	Conny Nobell	Björn Goop		4.18	1:09.9
2007	L'Amiral Mauzun	Jean-Michel Bazire		5.29	1:10.0
2008	Exploit Caf	Jean-Michel Bazire		1.78	1:09.8
2009	Torvald Palema	Åke Svanstedt		4.86	1:10.4
2010	Iceland	Johnny Takter		8.92	1:10.5
2011	Brioni	Joakim Lövgren		27.06	1:10.5
2012	Commander Crowe	Christophe Martens		3.01	1:10.4
2013	Nahar	Robert Bergh		5.48	1:10.1
2014	Timoko	Björn Goop		2.94	1:09.5
2015	Magic Tonight	Örjan Kihlström		4.35	1:10.1
2016	Nuncio	Örjan Kihlström		3.10	1:09.2
2017	Timoko	Björn Goop		30.89	1:09.0
2018	Ringostarr Treb	Wilhelm Paal		3.47	1:09.0
2019	Dijon	Romain Derieux		27.78	1:10.3
2020	Cokstile	Christoffer Eriksson		4.38	1:10.4
2021	Don Fanucci Zet	Örjan Kihlström		3.79	1:08.9
2022	Etonnant	Anthony Barrier		10.18	1:09.3
2023	Hohneck	Gabriele Gelormini		7.69	1:08.9
2024	Horsy Dream	Eric Raffin		3.81	1:08.0
2025	Go On Boy	Romain Derieux		3.35	1:08.4

¹ Nationality of the winning horse's owner