2026 Elitloppet

May 31, 2026 - Trotting, 1,609 meters, Solvalla, Sweden

Preview from February 15, 2026

French horses have won the so-called ‘Sprint World Championship of Trotting’ for the last four years. So the French will be the favourites again this year, but a German stallion also has justified hopes in the 2026 Elitloppet.

Go On Boy won last year's Elitloppet final in commanding fashion and is unlikely to be easily beaten this year either. At the end of January, he was one of the top favourites in the Prix d'Amérique, but broke into gallop on the home straight. However, he celebrated his greatest successes over sprint distances anyway, winning the final of the UET Elite Circuit (2,100 m), the Prix de France (2,100 m) and finished second in his attempt to defend the Prix de France on February 8. This will be the fourth Elitloppet appearance for the ten-year-old son of Password. Two years ago, he won the 1st heat but was disqualified in the final, and in 2023 he finished third in the final. As in the past three years, he will use the Grand Critérium de Vitesse (March 8) and the Prix de l'Atlantique (April 18) to prepare for the Elitloppet.

Inexess Bleu is currently one of the best trotting horses in the world. Still he was not allowed to compete in the Prix d'Amérique as he is a gelding. So he wants to show his class in the 2026 Elitloppet at Solvalla, where he defeated the world's best trotters in the final of the UET Elite Circuit in October. Last year, he won eight of his ten starts, was disqualified once and was only narrowly defeated at the Gran Premio delle Nazioni in Milan on 1 November. Since then, the eight-year-old protégé of Laurent-Claude Abrivard has taken a break. He is scheduled to start the season on March 21 in the Prix du Bois de Vincennes and will also run in the Prix Kerjacques on April 4 ahead of the Elitloppet.

Inexess Bleu wins the final of the UET Elite Circuit in Solvalla

Gio Cash is expected to be the first German starter in the Elitloppet since Orlando Jet in 2018 and is even likely to be among the closest favourites in Solvalla. The seven-year-old son of Victor Gio, bred by Berlin-based Pierre Sagitz, has been racing for the Dutch Carpe Diem Stable since 2024 and is trained by Daniel Wäjersten in Sweden. Last summer, he won the Norrbottens Stora Pris and shortly afterwards the Årjängs Stora Sprinterlopp with a new German record (1:08.5). After narrowly missing out on victory in the Jämtlands Stora Pris, he was invited to the million-dollar Yonkers International Trot in the USA, where, as the favourite, he was unable to show his sprinting skills after being boxed in on the inside. Gio Cash, third place in the 2023 German Traber-Derby, not only holds the absolute German record, but also the records for two-, four- and five-year-olds over the sprint distance.

Gio Cash beats Don Fanucci Zet in the Årjängs Stora Sprinterlopp

Double Deceiver is one of Sweden's big hopes in this year's Elitloppet. The seven-year-old gelding won last year's Sweden Cup, proving that he has no problem running two races in one day. He then won the Jämtlands Stora Pris ahead of Gio Cash and, like Gio Cash, was invited to the International Trot, where he finished fifth behind Gio Cash. The two horses had already met as four-year-olds, with Double Deceiver relegating Gio Cash to second place in the Elithingsten Maharajah. Trained by Daniel Redén, Double Deceiver was used sparingly last year and, like Gio Cash, has not raced since his trip to America.

Allegiant began her career in the USA, where she won the Breeders Crown as a three-year-old and finished third in the Hambletonian Oaks final a year later. In December 2024, she was sold to Sweden for almost a million US dollars and is now trained there by Daniel Redén. Last year, she raced three times in her new home, remaining undefeated and winning the Group II Delicious Lopp (1,640 m) in Solvalla. The now five-year-old Tactical Landing daughter has not raced since June, but is still one of the favourites to win the 2026 Elitloppet.

Borups Victory is a training partner of Gio Cash, he is also trained by Daniel Wäjersten in Solum, Sweden. He was actually supposed to run in the Prix d'Amérique this winter, having performed well in the qualifying races there, but did not compete in Paris due to a lack of form and freshness and is now being prepared for the Eliloppet. Two years ago, the fast-starting son of Googoo Gaagaa finished second in the Elitloppet final and was subsequently voted Sweden's Trotting Horse of the Year 2024. Last year, he finished fifth in the final. He is expected to compete in the Paralympiatravet in Åby on May 9, which he won with track and race record last year.

Borups Victory wins the 2025 Paralympiatravet with track and race record

Don Fanucci Zet is something like the Mister Elitloppet. He is competing in this race for the sixth time and has experienced all ups and downs of the Elitloppet. He won the 2021 Elitloppet at the age of five on his first attempt. In the three years that followed, he failed to qualify for the final, but he finished second in the final. The now ten-year-old Hard Livin offspring won the Hugo Åbergs Memorial over a mile in July, but has not competed in a race since October. He is the last Swedish horse to win the Elitloppet.

Francesco Zet started in the Elitloppet the last two years and was among the top favourites each time, but failed to live up to expectations, finishing fourth in the final in 2024 and being disqualified last year. This winter, trainer Daniel Redén sent his son of Father Patrick to the Winter Meeting in Paris, where he finished eighth in the Prix d'Amérique and third in the Prix de France behind Go On Boy. He is also scheduled to run in the Prix de Paris on February 22. Whether he will then also compete in the 2026 Elitloppet remains to be seen.

Idao De Tillard won the 2024 and 2025 Prix d'Amérique and would certainly have been the favourite this year too, but was unable to compete due to colic. The seven-year-old son of Sévérino is now back in training and is expected to compete in his first races at the beginning of March. Whether he will also take part in the 2026 Elitloppet is uncertain. He would undoubtedly be one of the biggest attractions at Solvalla. Idao De Tillard had already competed in the Elitloppet in 2024, but failed in the first heat at that time.


The Elitloppet is Scandinavia's most important horse race. It has been held since 1952 with two preliminary rounds and the final on the same day in Solvalla near Stockholm.
Since 2026, there have been new rules governing who is allowed to participate in the Eliloppet. Thirteen starters are still invited by the organisers. A new feature are the so-called E-Races, which comprises seven qualifying races in which points are awarded. The two horses with the most points qualify for the 2026 Elitloppet. If one of the two winners has already been invited, the next highest-placed horse moves up. The winner of the Finlandia Ajo receives another starting place.
The seven qualifying races of the E-Races: C. Th. Ericsson Memorial, Onions Lopp, Nuncios Lopp, Meadow Roads Lopp, MileMästaren, Price Daniels Lopp


» More information about Swedish trotting races.