Elitloppet: Gareth Boko took the Elitlopp ticket

Welcome to this year's biggest trot fest: Gareth Boko.
Jerry Riordan's eight year old sprinted home to win H.R.H. Prince Daniel's race in the hands of Magnus A Djuse.
"It's our duty to race in Elitloppet" the trainer said after the victory in 1:09.6 - fastest in the country this year.

The last chance to qualify for Elitloppet became the speed fest promised by the pre-conditions.
The favorite Disco Volante had no problems holding up the lead from the inside, but he had to pay a high price as he trotted the first 500 meters in 1:07.4 speed and the first kilometer in 1:10.4. It was too much for the eight year old who equaled his lifetime mark 1:09.9, but he did as beaten as he finished fifth. The best horse of the day was a horse from the same crop - Gareth Boko - who bombed around the field the last 500 meters from third over and he did it without looking very tired as he crossed the finish line.
That might be the career's best effort for the horse who won Svensk Uppfödningslöpning as a two year old and six years later trotted himself into the biggest trot race in Sweden.
"The race set up perfectly for him. He never had to use him until the stretch. He's a fabulous horse. I was talking to his former trainer Per Lennartsson and he says from day one this was a star" says trainer Jerry Riordan who got the horse in training in February and by pulling all the shoes he has done the same transformation as he did with the Italian Ringostarr Treb in 2018.
That carried all the way to an Elitlopp victory and Gareth Boko will now get the chance to repeat that achievement.
"Our sport exists because people follow it and bet on it and are passionate about it. And if there's one event that is a symbol of our sport and what everybody shoots for, it's the Elitlopp. So if you get an invitation it's your duty for the sport to do it (race there)". says the Halmstad based American trainer.

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