2025 The Elitlopp Trot: The Locomotive to race for Australia in Stockholm, Sweden

Inter Dominion champion The Locomotive will tackle the world’s biggest trotting race – the iconic Elitlopp Trot at the Solvalla track in Stockholm – next month.

The Locomotive has locked in an international sojourn. Picture: HRNSW / Brett Atkins

Inter Dominion champion The Locomotive will tackle the world’s biggest trotting race next month.

Owner Glenn Holland excitedly confirmed he and trainer-driver Brad Hewitt had accepted an invitation to contest the iconic Elitlopp Trot at the Solvalla track in Stockholm, Sweden on May 25.

The Locomotive will become just the fourth Australian-trained trotter to compete in the Elitlopp, the most recent being the great Just Believe two years ago. The others were Maori Time in 2018 and Sundons Gift in 2009.

Including New Zealanders, the great mare Pride Of Petite is the only “Down Under” trotter to contest a heat of the Elitlopp and qualify for the final run later the same day at Solvalla.

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“I said to Brad (Hewitt, trainer-driver) that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we simply had to take up the challenge,” Holland said.

“All our dealings with the Swedes have been through Andrew Kelly at Harness Racing Australia, but it couldn’t have gone more smoothly. They’ve been great.”

The Locomotive, who returned to winning form at Menangle last night, will still go to New Zealand for the $NZ600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge on April 4.

The five-year-old, who boasts 24 wins from just 40 starts, will return home two days later to prepare for a series of flights to get to Stockholm on April 15.

✨ MAGIC MOMENTS OF 2024

We don't have to go too far back for this moment - The Locomotive winning the TAB Inter Dominion Trotters Final at Menangle in a track & Australian record of 1:55.3 for the 2300m and making it a clean sweep of the ID24 series! pic.twitter.com/uUjwI7uzzf

— Harness Racing NSW (@HRNSW_Harness) December 30, 2024

“Thankfully, there are more options and the travel isn’t as daunting as it was for Just Believe a couple of years ago,” Holland said.

“We can fly from Melbourne to Doha, on to Amsterdam then a three-hour road trip for another flight from Paris to Stockholm. It sounds a lot, but it takes away a 17-hour road trip Just Believe had to endure.”

Holland said Hewitt would supervise most of The Locomotive’s preparation in Sweden and drive him in the Elitlopp.

Hewitt said he was pinching himself with the news.

“It’s amazing. We’re confident he’s the right sort of horse with the class and speed for a race like the Elitlopp,” he said.

“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.

“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.”

🏆 #ID24

"This is what we do it for, for nights like tonight!"

Trainer-driver @bradhewitt14 after taking out the TAB Inter Dominion Trotters Final with The Locomotive @ClubMenangle tonight, clocking 1:55.3 & taking a tenth of a second off his own track record. pic.twitter.com/zSNutKi2WF

— Harness Racing NSW (@HRNSW_Harness) December 14, 2024

Holland said the plan was for The Locomotive to stay and campaign in a string of other feature Scandinavian races for two months after the Elitlopp.

“There’s no way we can get back in time for the Inter Dominion, so we’ve decided to stay longer over there and make the most of our time there,” he said.

• Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.