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SWEDENLast Year’s Hambletonian winner Pinkman, trained in the States by Jimmy Takter defeated his former stable-mate Uncle Lasse, who has been exported to Sweden to Daniel Reden in the 4YO males elite race.Another Reden trained for-mer US age group star Wild Honey (4f Cantab Hall) won the 4YO mares elite race, while the elite race for old-er females, the Lady Snarts Lopp went to Moving On (Quite Easy), a Swedish bred

and owned mare who races in France in Fabrice Solouy’s stable.The 3YO elite males race went to Makethemark, a son of former Swedish champion Maharajah, while the female division was won by Finland’s Ratu Royale (Credit Winner).ITALYDavide di Stegano’s Uragano Trebi (Nad Al Sheba) won the Gran Premio Gaetano Stabile over 1600m at Aversa.Uragano Trebi defeated Uno Italia (Conway Hall) and US-que DL (Equinox Bi).

BEGUM FROMENTRO rode to victory in the Group II monte Prix Victor Cavey at Vincennes yesterday.

Mathieu Mottier set Be-gum Fromento to the front as the field headed up the climb, with early leaders Bis-cuit Delavera and Bellissima France trailing.

As they passed the cross-roads Biscuit Delavera gal-loped leaving Belissima France to chase Begum Fro-mentro as the pair separated

from the peleton.Mottier sat quietly on Be-

gum Fromentro who coast-ed to the line a couple of lengths clear of Belissima France with Bazajet a distant third.

Meanwhile on Friday Philippe Allaire’s dominance of the D crop continued with Dawana (Ready Cash) and Don’t Explain quinellaeing the Group II Prix Ozo.

Dawana came out of the trail on the turn and stayed

on strongly while Don’t Ex-plain rallied strongly for sec-ond ahead Franck Anne’s Deese de Gueron (Melchior Jet).

Later Jean Michel Bazire trained and drove Ave Avis (Kesaco Phedo) to get up in the last few strides to win the Group III Prix du Crepuscule.

Fabrice Solouy stable-mates Viking Va Bene (Rite On Line) and German-bred Indigious Prodigious) were second and third.

FRENCH FACTThe Grand National du Trot

takes Group racing to 13 pro-vincial centres in France, be-fore culminating in a Group II final worth 150,000 at Vin-cennes in December.

The fifth leg of the tour touched down in Laval last week and was won by Jean Michal Bazire’s Aubrion du Gers (Memphis du Rib). Sec-ond was Sebastien Guara-to’s Baltic Charm, a Group II winner only two starts ago.

BEGUM THE VICTORUET MASTERS SERIES

With the completion of the Elitloppet, attention turns to the Trotting Masters Series, whose final is at Bjerke, Nor-way on September 18.

There were three UET Masters Series races at Solvalla on the weekend, with the Elitloppet, as one of the four Grand Slam events, carrying 1000 points to the winner, Nuncio, while the final placegetters each earned maximum points, with Resolve earning 600, Un Mec d’Heripre 400, Timoko 200 and Propulsion 100.

Nuncio and Un Mec d’Heripre shot up the rankings table to equal 10th place. Sixth placed Oasis Bi still heads the rankings.

A world record was set in one of the other UET races at at Solvalla when Ready Cash son Bird Parker won the Group II Harpers Hanover, Sweden’s most prestigious staying race.

The Philippe Allaire trained stallion came off a 40m hand-icap and a strong pace to defeat favourite Sauveur (Echo) and pacesetter El Mago Pellini (Chocolatier). Former race and world record holder Mellby Viking was fourth. The time for the race was 1’12”1 (1.56) or the equivalent of winning the New Zealand Trotting Cup in 3.52.

The Sweden Cup, raced on similar terms to the Elitloppet, but in three heats also carried UET Masters Series points, and was won by Lutfi Kolgjini’s Dante Boko (Going Kronos).

Driven by Adrian Kolgjini, Dante Boko stormed past for-mer Italian Derby winner Pascia’ Lest in 1”10’1 (1.52.4). Another Kolgjini runner Quick Fix finished third.

UET MASTERS SERIES POINTS1 Oasis Bi (ITA) 3350; 2 Bold Eagle (FRA) 2300; 3 Lionel (NOR) 1750; 4= Creatine (USA) Timoko (FRA) 1700; 6= Votliguer de Myrt, Orsia (ITA) 1350; 8 B.B.S. Sugarlight (SWE)1425; 9 Mosaique Face (SWE) 1350; Nuncio (USA) Un Mec d’Heripre (FRA); 11= Delicious U.S. (USA) 1250; 13 Your Highness (ITA) 1225; 14 On Track Piraten (SWE), 15 Moses Rob (ITA) 1100, Robert Bi (ITA) 1000.Next race, June 11 Gp2 Jamtlands Stora Pris, (Ostersund SWE).June 12 Gp1 Oslo Grand Prix, Gp2 Bjerke Cup (Bjerke, NO)

LOVE YOULOVE THE MOMENT (Winner 2200m Cambridge, NZ) DANIELLE AMORE (Win-ner 2200m, Forbury, NZ) NATIVES LAST LOVE (2nd 2600m Rangiora, NZ) REINE DES GITANS (2nd 2700m Alexandra Park, NZ) LOVE THE MOMENT (2nd 2200m Alexandra Park, NZ) HEAVEN-LY LOVE (2nd 2600m Add-ington, NZ) IL PIRATA (3rd 2200m Alexandra Park, NZ) BARAKA (Winner 2700m La Capelle) BE LOVE DESBOIS (2nd 2825m Pontchateau) CYRIUS JIEL (2nd 2625m Nancy) GEISHA SUND (2nd 2300m Toulouse) VENICIO POMMEREUX (2nd 2875m Laval) CEDEA JOSSELYN (3rd

2700m Vincennes) SAM BOURBONBELLONE SPECIALE (Winner 3000m Nantes) DIXON DARK (Winner 2875m Pont-chateau) COME BACK MON-EY (Winner 3225m Vannes) BOURBONNE MESANGE (2nd 2875m Enghien) DISCO DARLING (2nd 2850m Paril-ly)COMME CHEZ NOUS (2nd 1’14”4/2450m Caen) DEL PIERO DE LOU (3rd Group II 1’13”9/2150m Vincennes)ORLANDO VICIDARLINGTON PARK (Win-ner 2700m La Capelle) BAZIR DIMANCHE (Winner 2600m Nancy) VULCAIN DE CORBERY (Winner 3225m Vannes) TELFANTO DE COUDDE (Winner 3050m

Eauze) BERCEUSE WIN-NING (2nd 2850m Parilly) DORLANDO (2nd 2850m Sable-Sur-Sarthe) CENZO DU GUEMONT (3rd 2200m Caen) URLANDO BEJI (3rd 2450m Biguglia)THE BEST MADRIKCALYPSO DU BOSCAIL (3rd 2375m Eauze) DEBEST FLASH (3rd 2650m Hyeres)READY CASHDAWANA (Winner Group II 1’13”5/2175m Vincennes) DJANGO RIFF (Winner Group II 1’13”5/2150m Vincennes) BANGURO (Winner 3200m Vannes) ASTOR DE ROZOY (Winner 2875m Rambouillet) CLARABELLE (2nd 2700m Vincennes) CASH OKAY (2nd 2700m Vincennes) DON BO-

SCO (3rd 2675m Alencon) BE BOP MARCEAUX (3rd 2850m Parilly)QUAKER JETCRISTAL DU GITE (Winner 2150m Vichy) DONNA DE KARMEL (2nd 2150m Enghien) AVALON (2nd 2850m Parilly) COCKTAIL DU LOUP (3rd 2150m Enghien) CYBELE D’ERONVILLE (3rd 2850m Parilly)REPEAT LOVECORSAIRE DU ROI (3rd 2850m Vincennes) CROIX DU BUISSON (2nd 2875m Laval) DESTIN GEDE (2nd 2800m Viledieu-Les-Poeles)

MILE RATE CONVERSION: 2.00 =1’14”6, 1.57=1’12”7, 1.54=1’10”8, 1.51= 1’09.

Stefan Melander’s Nuncio bounced back to win the Elitloppet in front of 28,896 people packed into Solvalla, Sweden, early Monday morn-ing Australian time.

In the heats, the heavy $1.50 pre-race favourite was comprehensively beaten by Fabrice Solouy of France’s Un Mec d’Heripre (Orlando Vici).

Local driver Jennifer Tillman’s Royal Fighter (Varenne) had set the pace while Jos Verbeeck sat Un Mec d’Heripre outside the trailing horse and challenged on the turn, outsprinting Nuncio, who came off his back, to the line.

With Solouy choosing the coveted ace pole in the final, Nuncio was forced to start in the middle of the front line.

French-based Dutchman Richard Westerink’s cham-pion Timoko (Imoko) in the hands of Bjorn Goop had earlier dominated the first heat, arguably the stronger of the two.

Timoko defeated Stefan Pettersson’s Italian-bred Oasis Bi (Toss Out) to the lead and proved too tough to overhaul, holding off the United States representative Resolve (Muscle Hill) and import Propulsion (Muscle Hill), who both sat and sprinted from the back, to earn the other inside draw in the final.

In the final, Un Mec d’Heripre took first blood, holding out a determined assault from Nuncio in the

battle for the first turn, as the pair rattled off the first 500m in a searing 1’07”6 kilometre rate.

Un Mec d’Heripre eased off a fraction as the leaders completed the first lap in a still slick 1’09”6.

Orjan Kihlstrom, who won the race last year on Magic Tonight, parked Nuncio as the French horse kept up the race-record setting pace.

Un Mec d’Heripre held a handy two length lead as they turned for home

but Nuncio pulled out and finished on strongly to win by a length.

The official US-entrant Resolve, trained by ex-pat Swede Ake Svanstead fin-ished strongly to edge out Un Mec d’Heripre for second.

Timoko, who followed Nuncio finished fourth, full of running, but was left with few options to advance due to the pace set by his compatriot.

“He had to do the job out-side a good competitor, but

in the stretch, he switched gears and then it felt like we would win,” said the victori-ous Kihlström.

It had been a nervous ride in the stands for trainer Stefan Melander who won his second Elitloppet, after winning with Iceland and Johnny Takter in 2010.

“I was a bit tense. I did not think he would win from death,” said trainer Stefan Melander.

The winner clocked a stakes record 1.09.2kr (mile rate 1:51.34) for the final on the 1000m track surpassed only by Panne de Moteur went 1’08”9 (1.50.4) in the second heat in 2014.

The 3 million SEK (AUD$497,763) first prize means that Nuncio, a former pupil of US-resident has now won more than 21.59M SEK (AUD$3.58M) from 31 wins in 46 career starts.

Brilliant Nuncio takes Elitloppet crown

BIrd Parker wins Harpers Hanover. GERARD FORNI

NEW ZEALANDTwo winners and a stack of placings for Love You proge-ny in New Zealand last week.

Love The Moment has thrived since moving north to join Simon Lawson’s barn at Pukekohe.

The 6YO gelding started twice in four days winning in great style to break maiden company at Cambridge on Tuesday afternoon. On Friday night, Love The Moment had

been second at Alexandra Park.

In Dunedin, Danielle Amore also broke maidens for Phil Williamson at her second start. She had finished a fast finishing second first up at the same track.

Runners-up for Love You were Natives Last Love on Sunday at Rangiora and on Friday, night Reine des Gi-tans at Alexandra Park and Heavenly Love at Addington.

Nuncio wins the Elitloppet and below with Stefan Melander, centre, and Orian Kihlstrom, kneeling and the horse’s connections. GERARD FORNI