Dexter Dunn got to experience competing in the Elitloppet in 2023, which makes his return trip to the prestigious invitational trot this weekend at Solvalla Racetrack in Sweden all the more meaningful.

Dunn will drive in multiple races on Saturday and Sunday (May 30 and May 31) at Solvalla. The featured event during his visit, the Elitloppet for older trotters, is Sunday, when Dunn will get in the sulky behind Gio Cash in the second of two eight-horse eliminations. The top-four finishers from each elim advance to the same-day final.

“I’m really excited to get back over there,” said Dunn, who in 2023 reached the Elitloppet final with Stoletheshow. “It was such a great experience the last time I was there, just a great weekend to be a part of. The fans there are so enthusiastic for the racing and the atmosphere when you’re on the track is just electric.

“It’s a real honour to be asked to go over there. As a horse driver, to be involved in it is what dreams are made of.”

Gio Cash, a seven-year-old stallion, is a four-time Group 1 winner in Europe. He has 16 victories overall in 33 starts and more than $938,000 in earnings. His name might be familiar to North American harness racing fans as he competed in last year’s MGM Yonkers International Trot, where he was the 2-1 favourite. He got a pocket trip behind eventual winner Lexus Kody but lacked room in the stretch and finished fourth with trainer/driver Daniel Wäjersten.

On Sunday at Solvalla, Gio Cash will start from post one. As of Thursday (May 28) afternoon, the Swedish wagering site ATG had Gio Cash as the second choice in his elim, trailing Allegiant and ahead of third choice Go On Boy, the Elitloppet's defending champion. Allegiant, the 2024 Dan Patch Award winner for best three-year-old female trotter, will start from post one with Ôrjan Kihlström driving for trainer Daniel Redén. Go On Boy will leave from post five with trainer/driver Romain Derieux.

“I raced against (Gio Cash) last year in the International Trot, and I’ve watched some of his replays,” Dunn said. “He looks like a lovely horse. They’re pretty happy with him, by the sounds of it, going into it. The experts there say he’s got a chance to win his elimination, so that’s good news. It might be tough, but we’re going to give it a shot.”

Dunn, who has been the Dan Patch Award Driver of the Year five times since arriving in the U.S. following a standout career in his native New Zealand, expects his previous experience at Solvalla to be beneficial. In addition to having four drives (or five depending on the Elitloppet) on Sunday, Dunn will have six on Saturday. Among other assignments, Dunn will drive Crown in the Sweden Cup on Saturday.

“I picked up a good number of drives, which is great,” Dunn said. “Having been over there before is definitely helpful, just knowing how it all works, the rundown of it all. The gate goes a bit slower than it does over here, stuff like that. It’s a great track to race on at Solvalla. The horses get around there really good.

“The style of racing is actually much more similar to the New Zealand way of racing than over here (in North America),” he added. “I’ve obviously had plenty of experience with that kind (of racing) as well.”

As for looking ahead to the Elitloppet , Dunn said he was “taking it one step at a time.”

“They say you’ve got to be in it to win it,” he said, “so at least we’ve got that part done.”

Don Fanucci Zet was the favourite in the first Elitloppet elimination as of Thursday afternoon. Other highly regarded contenders included 2025 International Trot runner-up Diva Ek, Dream Mine, Luke The Spook (a former stakes winner in the U.S.) and Idao de Tillard.

The first Elitloppet elim is scheduled for 9:35 a.m. (EDT), with the second to follow at 10:02 a.m. The final will be contested at 11:45 a.m. A video stream from Solvalla is available here, with races shown on a 15-minute delay.

The starting lists for the two Elitloppet eliminations, from which the top four from each advance to the final, are as follows:

Trial 1
Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer
1. Luke The Spook (Sweden) - Adrian Kolgjini - Adrian Kolgjini
2. Diva EK (Italy) - Alessandro Gocciadoro - Alessandro Gocciadoro
3. Charron (Norway) - Magnus Teien Gundersen - Geir Vegard Gundersen 
4. Don Fanucci Zet (Sweden) - Paul Philippe Ploquin - Daniel Redén 
5. Idao De Tillard (France) - Clemente Duvaldestin - Thierry Duvaldestin
6. Dream Mine (Sweden) - Mats E. Djuse - Jörgen Westholm
7. Keep Going (France) - Mathieu Mottier - Mathieu Mottier
8. Borups Victory (Sweden) - Daniel Wäjersten - Daniel Wäjersten

Trial 2
Post - Horse (Country) - Driver - Trainer
1. Gio Cash (France) - Dexter Dunn - Daniel Wäjersten
2. Allegiant (Sweden) - Örjan Kihlström - Danel Redén
3. Jabalpur (Italy) - Gabriele Gelormini - Alain Chavatte
4. Fine Manners (Finland) - Magnus A. Djuse - Mattias Djuse
5. Go On Boy (France) - Romain Derieux - Romain Derieux
6. A Fair Day (Sweden) - Oscar Ginman - Elisabeth Almheden
7. Inexess Bleu (France) - Alexandre Abrivard - Laurent Claude Abrivard
8. Jobspost (Sweden) - Björn Goop - Jörgen Westholm

(USTA)