by Magnat

This season’s 33rd race-meeting will be held at the Marsa race track next Friday 1st July from 7pm onwards, and will consist of eight trotting races over a 2,140m distance, two for the Copper class, one for the Bronze class, two Silver class races, another two for Gold class horses and a Premier class race.

We have the continuation of the Summer Championship in which horses do not lose nor increase handicap points in the Malta Racing Club classification and will thus retain the class they started in. Instead they gain points based on their classification only for the purpose of determining the championship’s finalists in each respective class.

The top race of the day is expected to be that for Premier class horses in which we have thirteen registered horses some of which have already won more than once this year, including Livi Cantona (4 wins and two places), Major Chaleonnais (3 wins and two places), Mon Daniel (3 wins - including one in the Equestrian Festival Premier Final - and two places) and Milord Barbes (2 wins and a place).

It also includes three interesting newcomers, i.e. Fire (SE), Happiness Photo (DK) and Podium (FR).

At 8 years of age, Podium is the youngest French newcomer in the Premier class this year, having 5 wins and various places overseas, prize-winnings of Euro215,210 and a best time of 1’12’6 per kilometre registered at Vincennes over 2,100m; its best results over the last year include a 4th place over a 2,675m distance.

Swedish newcomer Fire is another 8 year-old having 6 overseas wins and numerous places, prize-winnings of SEK1,028,550 and a best time of 1’13’2 per kilometre made at Solvalla over 2,140m. Its best results over the last year include three second places, a third and a fourth place. Danish Happiness Photo is 9 years old and has foreign prize-winnings of DNK705,482 and a best time of 1’13’0 per km.

The two Gold class races are characterised by the large number of newcomers they feature, i.e. twelve in all. These are French horses Majestic Herold, Mickey de Loiron, Natif de Blay, Neptune Williams, Night Inlet, Noc de Bussy, Nomade de Mai, Nukir de Bodavel, Ouragan des Douets, and Orage du Pont, and Swedish trotters Baron G.L. and She’s Dreamlike.

They also include horses such as the last Prix de Cabourg winner Lys des Etroits, and others coming from recent wins such as Bankir Zon and Big Hit.

Another attractive meeting under a Mediterranean summer sky awaits us …

Last meetings
Two race-meetings were held over the last few days featuring 16 races in total.

The main attraction was the V.O.B. Cup final which was held on Tuesday. This resulted in another first class performance from 14-year old Joker de Choisel (driven by Francis Cassar) which recently also won the Prix de Vincennes.

After occupying the back places for most of the race it provided a blistering sprint around 400m from the end. A strong counter-attack was then launched by Master Perrine which however broke and was disqualified. Joker de Choisel also had to withstand a strong challenge from Arnie Sensation but the former ultimately won its tenth race in Malta by about half a length in a time of 1’16’6 per kilometre, to add a VOB Cup to its two Prix de Vincennes titles.

Arnie Sensation was also disqualified, with the runner-up spot going to Isolated, followed by Mark de Chamant and Energy Launcher.

The main Summer Championship race in Friday’s meeting was the Premier class one which saw Mentor de l’Iton (driven by Brian Hili) take the lead around 300m from the end, having to endure a tough challenge from Candy Fantasy in the final straight but still comfortably taking its first win in Malta, in a time of 1’16’2 per kilometre over a 2,140m distance. Candy Fantasy, Carnegie Hall and Affe Fager finished behind it in that order.

Magnifique Sablais led for most of Friday’s Gold class race until it was overtaken in the final straight by Novano du Brindeau, which passed the post first, but was disqualified. Magnifique Sablais thus took its sixth seasonal win in front of Vasterbo Hitchiker, L’Ideal de Fersan and Schejken Bill.

In Tuesday’s first Gold class race we had an extremely close finish with three horses launching themselves together towards the finish line; Rambo Lambo ultimately took its first win in Malta from No Comprendo, Triangel Kall and Napolitano Sun. The second resulted in the meeting’s best time (1’16’5 per kilometre) being recorded by winner Nacarat Campbell (also at its first win in Malta); runner-up Muflier des Fleurs was disqualified, with the remaining places thus being taken by Kingpin La Marc, Jobie Lucky and The Big Blue World in that order.

The only flat race was a Class B one which saw Marivan’s first win in Malta resulting from a good increase in speed in the last half lap to win a close race from Nuage de la Tour and Adorabile Med.

Other news
The Malta Racing Club has received doping test results disclosing Category 3 prohibited substances in respect of thoroughbred Etoile du Pic, in its win in the Butler Cup, as well as trotter Indian Attack relative to its win in the Assikura Cup Premier/ Gold/ Silver final.

Once again, our driver (Clint Vassallo) and jockey (Oliver Briffa) were not so lucky in the horses that they were drawn to partner in the Mediterranean Horse Racing Union championship’s latest leg held in Serbia. Oliver Briffa managed a fourth place whilst Clint Vassallo placed fifth. After this leg, Malta currently occupies third place in the drivers’ championship and sixth place in the jockeys’ championship.

V.O.B. Cup
We have just seen another edition of the Variable Odds Betting (V.O.B.) Cup or as it is also known, the Bookmakers Cup.

This trophy has a rich history and is one of the long-standing honours in the Maltese trotting calendar. Racing veterans recall the first edition in the current race-course, way back in January 1982, in an Open championship, when Flavacourt led for most of the 2,200m race, but was eventually overtaken by Gael which won in front of the same Flavacourt and Hesdak, in a then-record time of 2m 52s.

The 1983 edition saw a spectacular display from the popular Isard du Pont. After trailing at the tail-end of the field for most of the 2,650m race led by front-runners Jalium and Inacar, it launched its first attack 800m from the end and afterwards another in the final straight, to ultimately win in style.

The crowds then spilled onto the track and surrounded horse and driver as the garlanded Isard du Pont took centre-stage in triumph, and the presentation was made to driver Raymond Clifton who was carried shoulder-high.

Thereafter the championship was held regularly until the year 2000 over different distances, sometimes short and at others long, although occasionally there were a few one-off years in which it was not held. On various occasions the championship was open to trotters from the lower classes (between classes C and H in those times) but the senior A1, A and B classes also had their fair share.

In addition to the above-mentioned, this Cup’s winners included some of our popular horses, such as Kypro Pile, Neronien (twice), Mistral du Vallon, Neroli de Vaure, Lionel, Comfort Me and many others.

No competition was held between 2001 and 2008, but it returned in full splendour in 2009 as a Grand Final for the best placed horses in the Prix de Vincennes Final for French Premier class horses and the MRC Premier Trot (now the Sette Giugno Cup) final for Premier Class trotters of any nationality not competing in the advanced stages of the Prix de Vincennes – all finalists resulting from a rigorous selection process.

It was won by Arnie Sensation in 2009, Think Yatzee last year and now Joker de Choisel – all excellent trotters.

It is indeed fitting that such a prestigious competition featuring some of our best horses should be named after the Bookmakers, one of the long-standing protagonists of the Maltese horse-racing scene.

We wish you all another exciting meeting next Friday evening.