Diva Ek won the C.L. Müllers Memorial on October 25, 2026, at Jägersro, but lost the victory after race officials ruled that the trotter drifted too far out across the home stretch and interfered with rival horses, Expressen reported.
Jägersro Stewards Strip Diva Ek of V85 Victory
Alessandro Gocciadoro drove Diva Ek across the finish line first in the V85 feature race at Jägersro, ahead of Kentucky River and Boscha Diablo. The victory was short-lived. Race stewards intervened immediately after the finish, concluding that Diva Ek shifted out significantly during the stretch run and impeded competitors.
Staffan Falk, one of the race officials on duty during the Saturday meeting, explained the decision to penalize the winning combination. Falk noted that Gocciadoro drifted outward by two paths on the stretch and chose to urge the horse forward rather than correcting its course to hold a straight line. According to the stewards’ assessment, Diva Ek would not have won had the driver maintained the proper track position.
Drivers Question the Stewards’ Ruling
The decision drew immediate surprise from competing drivers who navigated the final stretch alongside the winner. Johan Untersteiner, who drove Boscha Diablo, and Magnus A Djuse, the driver of Kentucky River, both questioned the necessity of the demotion, arguing that their respective horses suffered no real hindrance from Diva Ek’s outward movement.
Despite the drivers’ protests, the penalty stood, dropping Diva Ek from the top spot and handing the official victory to the following contenders in the race order.
Svensk Travsport Chief Backs the Penalty
Erik Adielsson, head of judging for the Swedish Trotting Association (Svensk Travsport), addressed the controversy the following day while appearing on the television program GS75 Direkt. Adielsson defended the officials’ handling of the race.
“I think the decision was right. You have to hold your lane,” Adielsson told TV12. “Of course horses are allowed to drift out a bit, they are no machines. But she was out at least two paths yesterday.”
Adielsson acknowledged that track conditions at Jägersro on Saturday were muddy and visibility was limited, which likely contributed to Gocciadoro’s steering line. However, the head of judging maintained that the shift was too wide to ignore.
“It is not about one or one and a half paths. He does not do it intentionally, but that does not mean you can let everything pass,” Adielsson said. “I would not have slept entirely well if a wash out had been made.”
Worth a look
