France claimed its fourth straight win in the Elitlopp on Sunday afternoon at Solvalla Racecourse in Stockholm, with Go On Boy rallying to give trainer/driver Romain Derieux his second victory in the event. The time in the final was 1'08"4, a mile rate of 1:50 flat.
The stage for the final was set by two eliminations that were won by Swedish horses Mellby Jinx (Mats E. Djuse, 1:50 4/5) and 2021 champion Don Fanucci Zet (Paul-Philippe Ploquin, 1:52 4/5). Rounding out the finalists were Go On Boy, A Fair Day (Oscar Ginman), Francesco Zet (Orjan Kihlström), Borups Victory (Daniel Wajersten), 2023 champion Hohneck (Gabriele Gelormini) and Massimo Hoist (Hannu Torvinen). Daniel Wajersten had two of the finalists in Mellby Jinx and Borups Victory, as did Daniel Reden with Don Fanucci Zet and Francesco Zet.
In the final, Mellby Jinx and Don Fanucci Zet both left hard from posts one and two, respectively, but Mellby Jinx was able to get the front after a battle through most of the first turn. Hohneck would tip first-over out of third as they raced through the homestretch for the first time, giving cover to Borups Victory, Go On Boy and Francesco Zet, but Borups Victory and Francesco Zet then went three-wide on the second turn, putting Go On Boy in a bit of a blindswitch.
Hohneck forged his way by Mellby Jinx as the field entered the final bend, leaving Borups Victory first-over, but when Francesco Zet faded at that same time, that gave Derieux the path he needed to get out three-wide with Go On Boy. Hohneck continued on the front-end into the lane, but Go On Boy went by him in mid-stretch and pulled clear to a handy victory. Don Fanucci Zet, who was shuffled behind Mellby Jinx, managed to get out behind Borups Victory on the last turn and came on to get second over Hohneck.
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"I don't have the words. I won this race with Dijon six years ago, and it was a great moment, but today it's incredible. It's fantastic," Derieux said after the victory. "Go On Boy, he's a champion, and I really wanted him to win this race. He's not happy all the time, but today he was fantastic. Last year he was disqualified in the last turn (broke stride after winning his elimination), but he was not perfect at that moment. The winner was fantastic last year, but today, it's magnificent.
"I had a little bit of speed in my hands, but Hohneck was great (on the far turn). When I took him (wide), he made a fantastic (sprint). It's a lot of emotion today. My son is here and my wife, so I'm really happy."
Go On Boy, a 9-year-old Password stallion bred by Jean-Pierre Mary and owned by Ecurie Nixonn, won the Prix de France during the winter meet at Vincennes this year and was third in the Prix d'Amerique. He has a summary of 19-18-5 from 67 career starts and has earned 28,890,768 SEK (just over $3 million US).
On the undercard, Dan Patch Award winner Allegiant improved to two-for-two in Sweden with a dazzling rally in the Group 2 Delicious race for 4-year-old trotting mares. She was positioned fifth-over in the backstretch, but Kihlstrom sent her three-wide, she moved into contention on the final bend and overwhelmed her foes in the lane to post a facile victory in 1'09"4 (mile rate of 1:51 3/5). Reden trains the daughter of Tactical Landing for owner Eagles Rising AB.