Stoletheshow will not start in the Elitloppet. Photo: Christoffer Andersen / NTB
Of NTB | 06.05.2024 17:14:08
Sport: Nine-year-old Stoletheshow, who is trained by the trotting profile Frode Hamre, has been an adventure in recent years with victory in a long series of major races. 13.4 million the horse has so far jumped in.
On Sunday, it surprised many with a new and extremely strong victory in the Finnish big race Finlandia Ajo. In the sulky sat Swedish Magnus A. Djuse. The reward for the victory was, among other things, a place in the Elitloppet last weekend in May.
On Monday, however, the circle around Stoletheshow informs that the Norwegian phenomenon will still not be seen at the Solvallabanen in Stockholm.
“In consultation with everyone around the horse, we have decided that there will be no Elite race at Stoletheshow this year. This is out of respect for the horse, but also for the Elitloppet. He has turned 9 and is still full of racing joy, but we don’t think it’s fair to throw him out to the wolves in this year’s Elitlopp”, writes Stall Hamre at X.
The Oslo Grand Prix at Bjerkebanen in mid-June will instead be the next really big goal.
16 horses are invited each year to the Elitloppet. The horses are divided into two trial heats, and the best four in each heat go to the final later that day.
Stoletheshow participated in the Elitloppet last year and made it to the final. There it was a strong fourth place. The winner receives five million Swedish kroner.
Sunday’s victory in Finlandia Ajo triggered a victory check of NOK 1.25 million.
(© NTB)