Premio Loco: Winter Derby hero faces eight in Sweden on Tuesday
PICTURE: Getty ImagesWall stalwart Premio Loco on his travels again
Preview: Sweden, Tuesday 8.03pm BST
Jagersro: Pramms Memorial (Group 3) 1m1f, dirt, 4yo+
BRITISH-trained Premio Loco (Chris Wall/George Baker) will be a warm favourite to beat eight opponents and land the major share of the SEK 1.2 million (£106,000) prize fund for the first Group race in Scandinavia this year.
According to official figures, Premio Loco has 6lb in hand of his rivals and it could be argued that his biggest threat is the sharp track. However, three successes on the Polytrack at Lingfield, including last time out in the Winter Derby, suggest that should not be too big a problem.
The race will most likely be run at a true pace, with German challenger Empire Storm (Andreas Wohler/Eduardo Pedroza) and Norwegian-trained course-specialist La Zona (Wido Neuroth/Fredrik Johansson) both quite happy setting the fractions.
That likely good gallop should suit Premio Loco and if he finds himself tracking the leaders, as he so often does, then he will be hard to beat.
Swedish Oaks winner La Zona has won four of her five starts here, going down by a head the only time she missed out, while Empire Storm - runner-up in this 12 months ago - has proven his ability to handle the track and has a running style which so often prevails at Jagersro.
The home-team is five-strong and includes Peas And Carrots (Lennart Reuterskiold jnr/Rafael Schistl) winner of this race in 2008 but still going strong and Luca Brasi (Francisco Castro/Manuel Martinez), bidding for a third successive win in the race.
Luca Brasi was not at his best in his prep race last month, finishing second but easily brushed aside by former Italian-trained Silver Ocean (Niels Petersen/Per-Anders Graberg).
Now based in Norway and placed in a Meydan handicap during January, Silver Ocean is the main Scandinavian hope, although his wide draw is far from ideal and he will need some luck in running.
Fresh from winning Sunday's Poule d'Essai des Poulains with Lucayan, French-based trainer Francois Rohaut supplemented Nova Valorem (Frederic Spanu) for this after he won a valuable handicap at Saint-Cloud last month.
Also on Tuesday
Jagersro: Lanwades Stud Jagersro Sprint (Listed) 6f, dirt, 3yo+, 6.31pm BST
Fratellino (Alan McCabe/Martin Harley) is the lone British challenger for this after Judas Jo was declared a non-runner after failing to please trainer Gay Kelleway in pre-race tests.
"She tested dirty so I can'ttake her," said a disappointed Kelleway.
Lingfield Listed race winner Fratellino takes on five rivals from Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden and has every chance of picking up a decent share of the SEK 500,000 prize.
Local favourite Alcohuaz (Lennart Reuterskiold jnr/Fredrik Johansson) is the one they all have to beat. He is the highest rated runner in the line-up and has won his last two starts at this track.
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