By MICHAEL GUERIN
Lyell Creek took a step closer to taking on the world's best trotters yesterday.
Owner Graham Bruton has agreed to a programme outlined by Swedish trotting official Klaus Koch, the man who convinced Lyell Creek's connections to make the trip to Scandinavia.
In a move that will end any chance of Lyell Creek's defending his Interdominion crown in Brisbane, the champ will be flown to Sweden on April 13.
He will leave from Melbourne after racing in the Bill Collins Mile at Moonee Valley, fly to Copenhagen via Singapore and then be floated to Stockholm.
There he will be stabled with leading Swedish trainer-driver Torbjorn Jansson, who will drive Lyell Creek in his first Swedish race.
The $33,000 free-for-all at Solvalla in Stockholm will be against only mediocre opposition and should provide the perfect pipe opener for Lyell Creek.
But this clashes with the Interdominions in Brisbane and the Sires' Stakes Final in Christchurch where regular driver Anthony Butt is likely to have commitments.
"So we are lucky to have Torbjorn, who is one of the best drivers in Europe, driving him for his first race up there," said Bruton.
Once safely through that outing, Lyell Creek will head to the first race of the European Grand Circuit, the $440,000 Oslo Grand Prix in Norway on May 13, in which the 2100m mobile conditions are likely to suit him.
Then comes the biggest test of the trip, the $860,000 Elitlopp at Solvalla on May 27, which consists of a heat and a final over a mobile mile on the same day.
Lyell Creek will wrap up his Scandinavian campaign in the $290,000 Copenhagen Cup over 2011m mobile in early June before heading to the United States.
"It is an exciting time for us and while a lot has to go right for him to win races like this, he deserves his shot at the best," said Bruton.
Bruton is so convinced that the Northern Hemisphere trip will go ahead he will not even make Lyell Creek's next payment for the Interdominions in a fortnight.
That will see Last Sunset promoted to favouritism for the $A200,000 Grand Final at Albion Park on April 28 and also opens up the series to trotters such as Mountain Gold, Sundon's Way and Take A Moment who have spent much of the last year living in Lyell Creek's shadow.
But the New Zealand TAB are playing it safe just the same.
The TAB will open its market on the Interdominion Pacing series today. Atitagain is a $4 favourite ahead of Shakamaker at $5 and Yulestar at $9.
"But we won't be opening a trotting market until we know exactly what Lyell Creek is doing," said TAB bookie Kevin Gutschlag.
"It wouldn't be fair on the betting public who love Lyell Creek if we took money on him and then he was definitely out of the series after the next payments."
Racing: Northern lights beckon Lyell Creek
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