Racing history was made at Solvalla on Sunday.
The mare Allegiant smashed her opponents and all standing world records when she won the Elitloppet in 1.07,1a/1.609 meters.
That was half a second better than the gelding Homicide Hunter's 1:07.6 on the mile track in Lexington. The achievement was almost unreal.
- I hope that everyone here today will remember this Elitloppet as something unique," said Örjan Kihlström in the winner's circle.
Allegiant, trained by Daniel Redén, made it to the final as fourth and had a seventh place. Örjan Kihlström sent her off from the start and Allegiant immediately pulled away from her competitors. The first 500 was passed after 1.04,7 and the first lap after 1.06,0.
- I broke my TV in the office when I thought the chance was gone. It went completely black. But then I heard cheering down in the stables and wondered what they were shouting about. This was not possible," said Daniel Redén.
Allegiant is the first mare to win the Elitloppet since 1998 (Moni Maker) and she erased the absolute world record by half a second. Manchego previously held the record for mares which was unceremoniously erased by a full second.
- It feels like time stands still. This weather, this crowd. When Don Fanucci Zet won in 2021, it was a pandemic year and no audience. How I have longed for this," said Daniel Reden.
The Jörgen Westholm-trained Dream Mine was second to Mats Djuse and last year's winner Go On Boy finished third. The French streak ended at four consecutive victories, this year ”Du Gamla Du Fria” was played over Solvalla's many-headed audience.
For the French favorites Idao de Tillard and Inexess Bleu, Elitloppet ended with a gallop. But few at Solvalla thought they could threaten Allegiant. Behind the owner pseudonym Eagles Rising AB is Tobias Persson, who bought Allegiant at auction in the USA for a staggering $ 925,000 with just Elitloppet in sight.
- I have previously watched for the entrance, chased a place in the E-stand and had Elitloppet as the big thing. I'm mute, I can barely get words out, Tobias said after the victory worth five million SEK.
