Two of them have been there before - while Finnish Vixus makes his first start in the race. The seven-year-old stallion will also ensure that the trainer has a very special Elitlopp weekend at Solvalla.
- Vixus is on his way into the top elite and his participation means that Katja Melkko will have a horse in both Elitloppet and Elitkampen," says Solvalla's sports manager Anders Malmrot.
The Finnish-bred horse started for the first time in Sweden in 2019 and won the Steggbest Minne in Skellefteå with SEK 150,000 in first prize. Vixus has completed his annual debut where he finished fifth in Vårbjörken at Umåker behind already invited Lome Brage and he will for the first time be one of the participants in the Elitkampen during the Elitlopp weekend at Solvalla. Trainer Katja Melkko will thus have a horse in the biggest race for both hot and cold blooded horses as she already has Elian Web as one of the invited in Elitloppet.
The other two invited coldbloods to Elitkampen 2020 are Norwegian Odd Herakles and Swedish Pydin - a duo who have both been there before.
Odd Herakles was already competing as a five-year-old and has so far finished fourth. His participation in 2020 will be the fifth time in Elitkampen and the now ten-year-old Odd Herakles has started the year in the best way with three straight victories.
In recent years, Pydin has shown that he belongs to the best Swedish cold-blooded horses and made his debut in the Elitkampen in 2018 where he finished fifth despite a gallop along the way. 2020 has begun with victory in one of the four starts of the year and now it will be the second time in the big race at Solvalla for the eight-year-old stallion.
- Pydin is a Torstemo horse through and through and a very worthy Swedish participant. Odd Herakles is of the highest level and is an incredible trotter," says Solvalla's sports manager Anders Malmrot.
Invited horses Elitkampen:
Facts about Odd Heracles
Age: 10 years
Sex: Stallion
Father: Moe Odin
Mother: Gaupen Stjerna
Earned: SEK 6 929 597
Starts/Result: 111 (41-14-15)
Owner: Odd Paulsen & Linda C Kvernenes
Coach: Lars O. Romtveit
Breeder: Odd Team AS
Facts about Pydin
Age: 8 years
Sex: Stallion
Father: Moe Odin
Mother: Pyraksa
Earned: SEK 2 337 094
Starts/Result: 68 (18-14-6)
Owner: Bo Torstemo
Coach: Niclas Torstemo
Breeder: Bo Torstemo
Facts about Vixus
Age: 7 years
Sex: Stallion
Father: Viesker
Mother: Xena
Earned: SEK 2 582 235
Starts/Results: 32 (14-6-4)
Owner: Tuomo Korhonen
Trainer: Katja Melkko
Breeder: A-K Tenhunen & J-M Smolander
Facts about Lome Brage
Age: 13 years
Sex: Stallion
Father: H.G.Balder
Mother: Lomestjerna
Earned: SEK 4 703 545
Starts/Result: 102 (43-15-11)
Owner: Bengt Erik Persson
Coach: Anders Lundström Wolden
Breeder: Erling Hasle
Facts about Tangen Haap
Age: 11 years
Sex: Stallion
Father: Lome Elden
Mother: Tangen Mai
Earned: SEK 3 292 632
Starts/Result: 94 (39-11-14)
Owner: Stall Sedin HB
Coach: Björn Karlsson
Breeder: Signe Kvaale Nilsen & Jørn G. Nilsen
Facts about Välähdys
Age: 11 years
Sex: Stallion
Father: Viesker
Mother: Kuusys
Earned: EUR 475 720
Start/Result: 92 (49-16-4)
Owner: Samuli & Ville Korjus & Teija Majander
Coach: Ville Korjus
Breeder: Arto Nieminen
About Elitkamp
The Elitkampen coldblood race will be held on May 31 at Solvalla. Elitkampen is part of the Elitlopp weekend which this year will be organized without an audience. The spread of the new coronavirus has resulted in laws, regulations and directives that have led to Solvalla and other Swedish racecourses completely closing down their spectator facilities since March 12. In addition to this, a number of restrictions have been introduced around the stables. The racecourses are today a strict workplace where only people who perform a job have access.
