by Magnat

A brilliant race meeting will be held at the Marsa racetrack next Sunday 18th December starting at 2pm and comprising seven trot races. In addition to two Copper class races, the programme includes five SECF championship finals, one for each class, reserved for French horses, over a 2,640m distance.

Naturally, the key attraction is the Prix de Vincennes final, pitting against each other nine finalists aged between 10 and 14 years which between them have won over 2.9 million Euro outside Malta and more than 30 races in Malta. 

Of these, one (Joker de Choisel) has won a Prix de Vincennes in the past, Kakisis won last year’s Dragonara autumn Championship and the Emirates Tazza l-Kbira this year and Major Chaleonnais won this year’s Summer Championship.  The others have all made their local debut either late last year or this year and are currently in very good form. 

The full list is Joker de Choisel, Mica Bonero, Major Chaleonnais, Noble d’Ete, Mig of the Wood, Nevaio des Bordes, Milord Barbes, Nelson du Val and Kakisis.

The Prix d’Enghien (Gold class) final also sees nine finalists, aged between 9 and 12 years which have won in Malta 23 times between them.  The majority of these made their debut earlier this year, i.e. Nomade de Mai, Night Inlet, Oscar de la Vallee, Naja In Blue, Ouest du Vivier and Orlando Tejy, with a sprinkling of seasoned performers, i.e. June’s Prix de Cabourg winner Lys des Etroits, eight time winner Magnifique Sablais and Ludo de Bellande.

Aged between 9 and 13 years, the nine Prix de Cabourg (Silver class) finalists share 21 wins in Malta and again combine a majority of relatively recent imports, Ocean Gede, Nicos de Peneme, Nagano Phedo, Nerval du Donjon and Nevada Silver and others which are well-accustomed to the Marsa racecourse, i.e. Mealington, Korentin, Label Chouan and Netter Williams.  Some of them  have had a good reputation in France, whilst others have proved their worth even more here in Malta.

The remaining two finals are the Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer (Bronze class) and the Prix de Caen (Copper class) and even here balanced, hard-fought races are anticipated.

This promises to be one of the most attractive meetings of the season, with the Malta Racing Club  also preparing an innovative backdrop for this occasion.  We also take the opportunity of welcoming senior officers from the French trotting association (the Societe’ d’encouragement a’ l’elevage du cheval francais – SECF) who will be attending the meeting.

Last meetings 

Flat racing stole the spotlight in last Sunday’s meeting, with the Burmarrad Commercials Coronation Cup final over the short 1,250m distance.

This race was dominated by Irish thoroughbred Fyelehk (Michael Sultana) which hit the front as soon as the eight finalists were out of the gates and dominated all the way to the finish, ending more than three lengths ahead of Checky Jack and Tarruji, thus winning the Coronation Cup and notching its third win from as many outings.

The Premier class trot race saw another domineering performance, this time from Swedish horse Fire which won its third race from four outings in Malta, thanks to a fantastic acceleration in the last half lap which saw it storming into the lead and finishing up easy winner by around eight lengths from Think Yatzee, Magic de Assigny and Mystere d’Urfist, in one of the season’s best times on 2,140m, i.e. 1’14’8 per kilometre.

On Tuesday, in bright, sunny Mediterranean weather it was the turn of the Premier class trotters’ President’s Cup contested by ten finalists on a 2,640m distance. 

In the first two kilometres or so, the lead alternated between True Q, Nec Carmolo and Flash Coger, but around 500m from the end, Livi Cantona (Charles Camilleri) attacked strongly from the outside to take the lead and maintain it till the end, despite runner-up Malin Roro’s attack.  Arnie Sensation and Nec Carmolo placed third and fourth respectively.  This was Livi Cantona’s eight seasonal win in a very good time of 1’15’7 per kilometre.

It was truly an honour for horse-racing enthusiasts that this race was followed from the racetrack by His Excellency Dr George Abela, President of Malta, who presented the trophies to the winners after the race, briefly addressed the crowd present and took commemorative photos.

We also had an interesting Monte’ race over 2,160m.  This resulted in a keen tussle in the final straight between Sir de Landerije and Lime Casted, with the win finally going to the former in a good time of 1’17’8 per kilometre.  Max Galbe and Absolut Chili placed third and fourth respectively.

Well done

Well done to jockey Michael Sultana who was awarded a Gold Award at this year’s Malta Olympic Committee Awards.  It is a pleasure to have the achievements of a representative of Malta’s horse-racing community being given such a prestigious recognition, following on similar successes achieved  by Maltese drivers in 2009 and 2010.

It is also a pleasure to note the success which was recently achieved by Maltese trainer Charles Degiorgio (carrying on his activity in Sweden) with two year old Amy’s Bad Boy, at Mantorp race track.  This win has special significance, being Charles’ first win with a horse bred at his centre. 

Interestingly, this horse is also owned, trained and driven by Charles and is the son of Swedish mare Rebecca T which used to race in Malta.  Well done also to another Maltese, Silvio Buttigieg, whose horse Malta B placed fourth in that race.

Nearing the end of another season

It’s unbelievable, but nearly another year has passed and with it another season.  The end of a year is always a good time for reviewing what has happened during the season.

Next Sunday’s and the 30th December meetings bring an official total of 60 meetings this season, but in reality the total number of meetings amounts to 61, due to the holding of the festival-style meeting of the 2nd January (at which even a Grand Final was run) which was not numbered.

Thus the number of meetings equals that of 2010, being the second highest since switching to a calendar season in 2004 (since then, the highest number was 63 meetings in 2008).  No mean feat considering among others the costs and preparation - both visible and behind the scenes - that goes into the organisation of meetings, and some element of disruption encountered this year due to bad weather.

We also had an extremely good number of top quality championships. 

In the trotting field, we had:

(1) the U*Bet championships for each class reserved for Swedish horses (over 2,140m),
(2) the Emirates Tazza l-Kbira for the senior classes (over 2,640m),
(3) the Assikura Cup for non-French and non-Swedish trotters, with the classes being split into two (over 2,140m),
(4) the Equestrian Festival championships for each of the Premier, Gold and Silver classes (heats and final on the same day over 1,640m),
(5) the Sette Giugno Cup for Premier class horses (over 2,140m),
(6) the SECF June championships for each class reserved for French horses (over 2,140m),
(7) the VOB Cup for Premier class horses combining top finalists from the Prix de Vincennes and Sette Giugno Cup finals (over 2,140m),
(8) the Summer Championship for each class in league format ending with a final (over 2,140m),
(9) the Cassar Fuels Autumn Championship for each class (over 2,140m),
(10) the President’s Cup for the Premier class (over 2,640m),
(11) the SECF December championships for each class reserved for French horses (over 2,640m),
(12) the December Grand Final for Premier class horses combining top finalists from the Prix de Vincennes and President’s Cup finals (over 2,640m).  Last year’s Grand Final was held on the 2nd January this year,
(13) a Monte’ Cup was also due to be held but did not have enough participants.  Instead, a Pavo Feeds Gold class championship with heats and final on the same day on 1,640m will be held in the last meeting. 

In the flat racing field, we saw:
(1) The Butler Cup over 1,750m,
(2) The Piscopo Gardens Cup over 1,750m,
(3) The McDonalds Mediterranean Derby over 1,750m,
(4) The Exotique Challenge Cup over 2,250m,
(5) The Burmarrad Commercials Coronation Cup over 1,250m.

A truly splendid list of championships in both trot and flat racing.  Well done to the Malta Racing Club for the organisation and for finding the sponsors, and a big thank you to all the sponsors without whose help it might not have been possible to hold these prestigious championships which constitute the biggest horse-racing attractions in Malta.

We wish you an exciting meeting next Sunday as well as a Happy Christmas to you and your loved ones.