The Locomotive full steam ahead to Elitlopp

Star Aussie trotter The Locomotive’s (Muscle Mass) New Zealand harness racing raid just got even more interesting.

The reigning Inter Dominion winner will springboard from the $650,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge on April 4 to take on the world’s best trotters in Sweden.

Like Just Believe two years ago, The Locomotive will tackle the iconic Elitlopp at Stockholm’s Solvalla track on May 25.

The Locomotive will be the fourth Aussie-trained trotter to contest the Elitlopp, following Just Believe, Maori Time (2018) and Sundons Gift (2009).

Including Kiwi trotters, only the great mare Pride Of Petite has been able to qualify for the Elitlopp final, run on the same day as the heats. She ran fourth in a heat and sixth in the 1997 final.

Solvalla officials broke the news of The Locomotive’s trip overnight.

His very excited trainer-driver Brad Hewitt said: “We’re confident he’s the right sort of horse with the class and speed for a race like the Elitlopp.

“As long as he travels well, settles in and has some luck with barrier draws, he can make and be very competitive in the final.

“It will be good to get over almost six weeks before the race to have plenty of time to settle in.”

Hewitt explained how spending time with Swedish superstar Bjorn Goop at last month’s Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Challenge in Brisbane played an integral role in him and owner Glenn Holland chasing an Elitlopp berth.

“We’d been thinking about the Elitlopp, but we really warmed to the idea after having a long talk with Bjorn Goop when he was in Brisbane last month,” he said. “We’ve kept in touch since and his positivity has been a big factor in taking on the challenge.

“Like everyone here, we watched with great interest when Just Believe went over a couple of years ago and was so competitive in a couple of big races.

“Glenn (Holland, owner) and I are hugely thankful for the faith and support Solvalla have shown in us and The Locomotive and we hope to become the first Australian-trained trotter to make an Elitlopp final. We’re sure he won’t be just making up the numbers.”

After his latest win at Menangle last night (Saturday), The Locomotive will be on a flight from Sydney to Auckland with Don Hugo and Leap To Fame next Sunday. The Locomotive posted a scorching 1min52.1sec mile when he cruised to a 12.9m victory.

The Elitlopp bid means The Locomotive won’t defend his Inter Dominion title at Albion Park in July.

“It’s not possible to do both, so we’ll leave him in Sweden for a couple months and a few other major races after the Elitlopp to make the most of the trip,” Holland said.

“I said to Brad when the invite came from Solvalla, we simply have to do it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Im Ready Jet and Arcee Phoenix also continued the fairytale night for Cambridge officials when they won last night. Any doubts of Andy Gath’s mare Im Ready Jet making the trip to Cambridge were quashed when she toyed with her rivals in the Group 1 Sumthingaboutmaori Mares’ Trotting free-for-all.

It was her second win from as many starts this campaign.

It was Im Ready Jet’s third win in the Group 1 race in the past four years and took her career earnings past $750,000.

Arcee Phoenix looked back to his best when he worked to the front, dictated terms and dashed away to easily win the Scotch Notch Memorial at Melton.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing New Zealand