Scandinavia is launching a three-pronged assault on the Tote International Handicap at Ascot a week on Saturday.
Swedish pair El Gran Lode and Senador and Danish horse Woven Roving were today confirmed definite starters for the £150,000 event, which has failed to attract a challenger from further afield than France in two previous runnings.
Bo Gilborg, director of racing at Malmo racecourse in Sweden, said: 'All three horses are in very good form, with El Gran Lode looking particularly impressive.
'It will be very interesting for Scandinavian racing to see how they run. If the handicapper has rated them correctly they must come with a fair chance.'
The Diego Lowther-trained five-year-old El Gran Lode has 8st 7lb to carry in the seven-furlong race at Ascot, having won three of his four starts since he was imported from Argentina to Sweden.
He won a Listed six-furlong event at Ovrevoll last time out and is to be ridden by the Chilean Fernando Diaz at Ascot.
Lennart Reuterskiold has booked Gary Bardwell to ride Senador (7st 13lb), an eight-year-old with 14 career wins.
Flemming Poulsen's Woven Roving (8st 4lb) was second to the ex-British Sea Dane in a Listed event at Klampenborg on his latest start.
Ascot clerk of the course Nick Cheyne said: 'It's going to be a very high-class, ultra-competitive handicap and the presence of the three Scandinavian horses illustrates perfectly the rationale behind one of the very few races in which overseas runners can be handicapped according to their domestic form.
'It's fantastic news that all three are coming over.' - PA
