With a major purse boost for the 2022 edition of the Elitlopp, Sweden's top trot will become the world's richest harness racing event for trotters.
Solvalla Race Course, together with Svensk Travsport (ST), is behind the upgrade of the 2022 Elitlopp, where a total of SEK 11,350,000 will be awarded in trials and finals (approximately $1.6 million CAD). Thus, the Elitlopp purse surpasses the Prix d'Amérique and the Hambletonian.
"The Elitlopp has been sportingly and publicly one of the world's largest trotting events, now we get a first prize that will continue to have an international impact," said Solvalla's sports director Anders Malmrot in a translated press release. "The first prize in 2022 lands at SEK 5 million [approximately $700,000 CAD], close to a doubling of the previous first prize, which has been at the same level for 14 years.
"It feels just right in time! We will continue to have an international event with interest from all over the world, it obviously feels extra fun to be able to do it in 2022 as we can also welcome the audience back to the Elitlopp."
Solvalla is the organizer of the Elitlopp, but it is a joint venture together with ST that enables the race to take a leap into the future.
"The Elitlopp is the whole [Swedish trotting industry's] concern and a brand of great importance. A lift for the Elitlopp is simply a lift for Swedish trotting," said Robert Karlsson, sports director at ST.
As before, there will be an opportunity for international horses to compete in the Elitlopp.
"The increased prize money, for example, does not affect the plan to fly horses from France to the Elitlopp," said Malmrot.
An even greater adjustment in percentage is given to the cold-blooded Elitkampen. In 2022, 1 million SEK will be awarded to the winner of the race, which, just like the Elitlopp, will be run the last weekend in May at Solvalla.
"Fantastic fun and exciting to be able to [host] the world's best cold bloods over sprint distance. One million in first prize for the Elitkampen will attract the very best from Sweden, Norway and Finland to Solvalla," said Malmrot.
The Elitlopp is the main attraction during Sweden's elite racing weekend, which is scheduled at Solvalla in Stockholm for May 27-29, 2022. The Elitlopp is an invitation race where 16 horses compete in two different trials with eight horses in each. The top four in each elimination meet in a final where the winner receives 5 million SEK.
(With files from Solvalla)