by Magnat

Two race meetings will be held at the Marsa racetrack this weekend; the first on Saturday (19th November) and the other on Sunday (20th November), both starting at 1.30pm.  Saturday’s meeting comprises nine races with another ten races on Sunday.

Except for one flat race for class B horses seeing a full field of eight thoroughbreds racing over the short 1,250m distance, the remaining races are all heats from the SECF championships which are reserved exclusively for French trotters.  As usual, a championship for each class is being held, each named after a famous French racecourse.

During these two meetings, we will see in action horses from the Premier (Prix de Vincennes), Gold (Prix d’Enghien), Silver (Prix de Cabourg) and Bronze (Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer) classes, with the Copper class (Prix de Caen) heats being held on Friday of next week.  These championships will be held over the rather long 2,640m distance.

Three heats will feature in the Prix de Vincennes (6 qualifiers from each heat for the semi-finals), four in the Prix d’Enghien (5 qualifiers from each heat), six in the Prix de Cabourg (4 qualifiers from each heat), five in the Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer (4 qualifiers per heat) and next week we will have three Prix de Caen heats with six qualifiers from each.

Naturally, the main focus of attention will be centred on the Prix de Vincennes where no less than thirty four Premier class trotters have been registered to compete.  The last three editions of this competition were won by horses born in the year 2000 (names starting with the letter “M”).

The participants include a number of past Prix de Vincennes winners, Master Perrine, Mont Cenis Honey, Madis Boy and Joker de Choisel, winners of recent championships such as Emirates Tazza l-Kbira winner Kakisis, Summer Championship Premier class winner Major Chaleonnais, Equestrian Festival Premier class final winner Mon Daniel and January MRC Premier Final winner Lou Petiot.

There are also a number of recent winners such as Niky du Donjon, Mica Bonero, Mig of the Wood and others, as well as newcomers Nelson du Val, Nuper and Oviedo Vici.

Interestingly, ten year old Nuper is registered with the highest number of MRC classification points for newcomers.  It has won Euro363,220 abroad, has a best time of 1’13’6 per kilometre (over 2,700m), with 12 wins and numerous places overseas – among its best performances in the last year are two 3rd places in Vincennes and Enghien, over 2,850m and 2,150m respectively. 

Even the heats in the championships for the other classes are expected to be extremely balanced and interesting.  For instance, the Prix d’Enghien includes various horses coming from recent wins, such as Milano du Gite, Naja in Blue (winner of the Cassar Fuels Autumn Championship Gold class), Magnifique Sablais, Night Inlet, Ludo de Bellande, Orlando Tejy and others, and championship winners in the last year, such as Lucky des Brisants, Lys des Etroits and Nacarat Campbell.

We also have five  nine year old newcomers in the Gold class, i.e. Ogor, Orphee Kadesh, Oscar de la Vallee, Osiris des Kids and Ouest du Vivier.  The other newcomers are in the Silver class, i.e. Oscar Mati, Quirikou and Phoenix des Baux.

A weekend of great racing is anticipated with close finishes and uncertain race outcomes ...  

Last meetings

The key attractions of the last two meetings were the final of the thoroughbreds’ Exotique Challenge Cup and numerous “normal” races over the long 3,140m distance, in which many horses participating in the forthcoming championships took part.

The Exotique Challenge Cup final over the long 2,250m distance saw Cheeky Jack taking the lead early on, but around half a lap from the end, it suffered a strong challenge from favourite Kimberley Downs (mounted by Michael Sultana) which went ahead and kept up its momentum to win with a comfortable margin from the same Cheeky Jack, Ollie Fliptrik and Wildnis.

In the trot events, the first Premier class race saw another splendid performance by Energy Launcher which went four wide in the middle of the back straight and continued going strong to take its sixth seasonal win, half a length from newcomer Nous Dix de l’Erve, Lover Boy Index and Dialect Af Prinfo in a good time of 1’17’9 per kilometre.

Last Sunday’s Premier class races both resulted in first seasonal wins.  In the first, Milord Barbes took an early lead and held on to it until it suffered Mica Bonero’s strong attack in the last few hundred metres.  The latter went in front as the horses were entering the final straight and won ahead of Troy Boshoeve, Milord Barbes and L’As de Seuilly.

The last Premier class race saw a great tussle in the final straight between no less than five horses, with newcomer Mig of the Wood managing to take the honours in front of fellow newcomer Nevaio des Bordes which had lost ground in the initial stages but recovered well, Mon Daniel and True Q.

Each of the four Gold class races spread over the two race cards had features of interest.  In the first one, Magnifique Sablais managed to take its eighth seasonal win (the largest number we have so far this year) winning with a considerable margin, then Naja In Blue, fresh from its success in the Cassar Fuels Autumn Championship (Gold class) earned its second consecutive win after taking the lead at the beginning of the last lap.

Knockout Molar took its first win in Malta in its second race locally, going in front in the final straight and winning by around a length, whilst Milano du Gite registered the best time of the two meetings (1’17’7 per kilometre) winning its first race in Malta, by more than ten lengths.

The Class A “normal” race for thoroughbreds was won by Nuage de la Tour (its second seasonal win), which went in front in the last half lap and kept a good pace till the end. Salsiane was runner-up, in front of Pride of India.

French trotters challenging each other

An aspect which impresses me in seeing trotters of the same nationality competing against each other is that for some of these horses, especially those of similar age group and level of winnings, this is a continuation of the sport rivalry existing between them when they used to meet in races held on their home soil.  Others might not have crossed each others’ paths in their country of origin, but they get the opportunity of competing against each another here in Malta.

In this case, the protagonists are French trotters.  The French trotter constitutes one of the main distinct trotting breeds worldwide.  However it was not in France but in the Netherlands and Denmark, that the first trot races took place in the 17th century.  This type of racing started taking root in France in the 19th century with the first official races being organised there in 1836.

Today, France is a leading trot racing country. In 2010, nearly 11,200 foals were born there and more than 11,000 trot races were held, in which nearly 16,000 different horses took part. 

Trot racing provides employment to over 70,000 people in France.  There are around 4,500 owners, close to 2,000 trainers, nearly 3,000 drivers, jockeys and apprentices, around 1,000 amateurs.

The level of annual prize-money distributed is the highest in Europe, standing at nearly 225 million euro in 2010.  Nearly 17,500 doping tests were taken, of which only about 0.2% resulted positive.  

A number of historic races in the French trot calendar are renowned worldwide.   

Held for the first time in 1920, the most famous is the Prix d’Amerique, a sulky race over a 2,700m distance which attracts some of the best trotters worldwide. It is held on the last Sunday of January in Vincennes (in Paris), France’s most famous race-course, and has a total prize-money of 1,000,000 euro.  Winning this race ensures that that trotter’s name would be remembered for posterity.

Although nowhere close to the Prix d’Amerique, our SECF championships represent an important appointment in the Maltese racing calendar by giving us the opportunity to get a glimpse of the great worldwide tradition associated with the French trotter.  We look forward to enjoying another edition of these championships, in the conviction that the tough competition in the heats and semi-finals will result in brilliant, in-form finalists for the various finals that will be held.

We wish you all two exciting meetings this weekend.