French celebration in Elitloppet – Hohneck impossible to catch
Catch me if you can was what Gabriele Gelormini thought when he sent Hohneck to the front.
Nobody could.
The French horse was impossible to catch from the lead in Elitloppet after a lightning fast finish.
Last year, the Solvalla crowd witnessed a fabulous winner in Etonnant.
This year again, the Marsellaise was played at the award ceremony following Elitloppet. A new French emperor was crowned when Hohneck dethroned his opponents from the lead in the final, in front of the 19,039 people at Solvalla.
The six-year-old from the Phillipe Allaire stable, who has been one of the best in his crop throughout his career, played in a league of his own when it was decision time.
The winning driver Gabriele Gelormini who experienced one of his biggest moments ever on a racetrack, threw his whip up in the air, and screamed out of joy after crossing the finish line.
"This is an emotional moment. The horse was fantastic, I'm at a loss for words now...he did it so easily and wasn't even tired" said Gelormini shortly after the race.
Equaled the Elitloppet stakes record
In the elimination, Hohneck got nipped at the wire by San Moteur, who won after a magnificent finish. The same two horses would also be the main characters in the final.
Hohneck started from the inside post but could not hold Önas Prince out of the gate. Gabi Gelormini pulled the right line immediately and had taken the lead before they came up the 500-meter mark. And the French horse would stay there. San Moteur got a tougher trip as he was the one who had to go first up. It proved to be an impossible task. The leader put the pedal to the metal in the last turn and could enjoy the crowd cheering down the stretch, all by himself. After trotting the last 500 meters at 1:06.4 speed, the tele-timer stopped at 1:08.9/1,609 meters which equaled the stakes record for Elitloppet.
"Phillipe told me: don't pull up. Just go, you will have fun" said Gelormini in the winner circle, and continued:
"I felt confident the entire mile, and when I pulled the pull-down bridle down, I knew we would win easily. My horse felt better in the final than in the elimination, he was perfect and relaxed".
The great French trainer Phillipe Allaire can now add another big title to his CV.
The first prize in Elitloppet is SEK 5 million.
"He did a great job, Gabi. We took a chance in the elimination and raced with shoes on, but it turned out perfectly and he didn't have to go all out there. Then we changed to a pull-down bridle and barefoot in the final. We are very proud" said Allaire.
San Moteur second: "So proud of my horse"
San Moteur, who was the favorite for many people going into the race and also made the betting favorite in the final, didn't quite get there. But Goop's horse came up with a top effort and finished second in a dead heat with the French horse Go On Boy.
"He was fantastic, but it's tough sitting parked on the outside in a race like this. From second over, we might have won instead, that's how tight it is. But I am might proud of my horse" said owner Håkan Arvidsson and Björn Goop added:
"San Moteur raced super, he was just as good in the final as in the elimination. They won in 1:08.9 and it's impossible to go any faster than that".
Don Fanucci made a break in the elimination
The French success in Elitloppet did not stop with Hohneck.
Go On Boy, trained and driven by Romain Derieux, who was the upset winner in 2019 with Dijon, closed brilliantly to a finish second in a dead heat with San Moteur. For the reigning champion Etonnant, who won his elimination, things did not quite work out in the final. He made a short break in the stretch and had to settle for fifth place behind Önas Prince who held on to finish fourth after a perfect pocket trip.
Daniel Redén had one of the favorites Don Fanucci Zet, but a break behind the gate in the elimination put a stop to the chances for the 2021 Elitlopp winner. His stablemate Hail Mary, driven by Åke Svansted, made it to the final, where he finished last.