Friday 3rd February 2012
5th horse-racing meeting 2012 – 5th February

by Magnat


Another horse-racing meeting will be held at the Marsa racetrack next Sunday 5th February starting at 1.30pm.  The race card consists of six trot races and one flat race.


The meeting’s main attraction involves four semi-finals from the Assikura Championship on a 2,140m distance.  This championship is reserved for trotters which are neither French nor Swedish – the latter two nationalities being most prevalent among trotters racing in Malta.


Participants in this championship originate in nine different countries.  Although not too numerous, they include various popular trotters. 


The championship is split into category A comprising horses in the Premier class, the Gold class and the top part of the Silver class, with the remainder being grouped in category B.  Two semi-finals are scheduled in each category, with eleven horses in each race in category A and thirteen in each category B semi-final.


Ten horses (five from each semi-final) qualify for the final of each category, which will be held in a couple of weeks’ time.


Five trotters are registered to debut in these semi-finals, i.e. Ackaturbo (BE- Bronze class/ category B), Ygor of Pass (NL – Silver class/ category B – previously scratched), Imbra d’Alfa (IT – Premier class/ category A), Side Spin (USA – Gold class/ category A) and Tygo Idzarda (GER – Premier class/ category A).


Eleven year old Tygo Idzarda is registered with the maximum possible points for a newcomer in the MRC classification.   It has winnings of Euro256,224, a best time of 1’12’6 per kilometre and positive performances over both short and long distances in countries such as France, Sweden and two wins in Finland last year.


The “normal” Premier class race comprises 14 registered horses, including recently promoted horses such as Nomade de Mai, Nagano Phedo, Janitor and Ouest du Vivier, seasoned performers like Energy Launcher, Kojak d’Isques and others, Nuage de Bourgogne (FR) which made its debut last week coming in as a reserve, newcomer Master Gede (FR) and all the other popular horses.


The remaining trot race is one for the Bronze class.  For the record, we note that in one of last week’s Bronze class races, Donna Giant (SE) also made its debut coming in as a reserve.


We also have an interesting class A flat race over a 1,750m distance, with seven registered thoroughbreds, being 2011 Exotique Challenge Cup winner Kimberley Downs, past double Mediterranean Derby winner Just The Best, 2011 Piscopo Cup winner Friarscourt, last year’s most consistent thoroughbred Ollie Fliptrik, 2011 Coronation Cup finalist Marivan and two British newcomers Palagonia and Sleep Walking.


Although horse-racing is always exciting, nothing beats the competitive spirit generated by championships.  We look forward to further hard-fought and high-level championships this year.  We will start with the Assikura Championship ... 


Last meetings 


The key features of the last couple of meetings were the two Premier class races on a 2,140m distance.


In the 22nd January race, Arifant took an early lead and maintained it until half a lap from the end, when it was overtaken by Count of Life which went on to comfortably take its first win in the last eight and a half months in a time of 1’16’4 per kilometre, in front of Anguz R.C., Energy Launcher and Troubadour S.


Last Sunday’s hard-fought race ultimately resulted in a head-to-head tussle in the final straight between True Q and Bonus Kall.  The former took its second win in Malta by half a length, in a good time of 1’16’2 per kilometre in front of the said Bonus Kall, Arnie Sensation and Orion d’Ostal.


Nomade de Mai took its first win in Malta and achieved promotion to the Premier class in the first Gold class race, winning by over a length from Vasterbo Hitchiker, Jobie Lucky and Dialect Af Prinfo in a time of 1’16’5 per kilometre.


Le Bolide du Suret also won for the first time locally in the next Gold class race, characterised by an exciting struggle between no less than four horses in the final straight.  The first three finished practically in a straight line, with Le Bolide du Suret beating Hulot and Natif de l’Hommee by a head and Race Ball finishing fourth.  The winner’s time was 1’16’9 per kilometre.


In last Sunday’s first Gold class race, She’s Dreamlike celebrated its return to racing after six months’ absence by taking its third win in as many races in Malta.  It went in front in the last kilometre and remained there till the end, to win in 1’16’9 per kilometre in front of Nicos de Peneme, Ouragan d’Any and L’Ideal de Fersan.


In the other Gold class race Label Chouan registered its fifth win in Malta (all in the last four and a half months), ending a number of lengths ahead of Reado November, Oscar de la Vallee and Touch The Diamond, in a good time of 1’16’3 per kilometre.


The class A flat race on a sprint 1,250m distance saw a splendid performance from newcomer Darielli, which won comfortably from favourite Fyelehk and Marivan.


The other winners were New Hope and Newmarket Boy in the Copper class, Marchallah, Morgan Kane and Olympus du Bouffey in the Bronze class and Zilver Boko, Socrates, Sweep The Floor and Must du Buisson in the Silver class.


Trotters from countries other than France and Sweden
Due to the high percentage of French and Swedish trotters racing in Malta there could be a tendency for trotters of other nationalities not to be mentioned as frequently as the former.  The Assikura Cup is aimed at putting horses of such other nationalities in the forefront.  Participants will hail from no less than nine different countries, i.e. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain (this horse was born in Denmark but registered in Great Britain), Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the USA.


These countries are also front runners in the international trot racing scene.  The USA is a leader in the trot world, Italy is one of the top three European trot nations, whilst many of the others also have a long trot racing tradition and have given various top horses to the international racing community. 


Over the last 15 years, one of these was Italian trotter Varenne (born 1995 – retired 2002), winner among others of the Derby Italiano del trotto, the Gran Premio delle Nazioni and the Breeders’ Crown, twice winner of the Prix d’Amerique and the Elitloppet and three times winner of the Gran Premio Lotteria d’Agnano; a racing and breeding legend. 


Winner of nearly US$5,6 million until its retirement in 2000, US mare Moni Maker (born 1993) is another legend, winning among others the Prix d’Amerique, the Copenhagen Cup, the Breeders’ Crown, the Elitloppet, the Trotting Classic Stakes, the Gran Criterium de Vitesse and the Gran Premio delle Nazioni.


Nine year old German trotter Brioni is still active and has just been crowned 2011 horse of the year in Sweden.  It has won more than SEK11.5 million and prestigious international events such as the 5 year old European Championship, the Elitloppet and the Olympic Trot.  Another German trotter Abano As (born 1997), won the Prix d’Amerique and other prestigious races, such as the Breeders’ Crown, the Criterium Continental and others. 


Another recent well-known trotter is Norwegian Jetstile (born 2001), winner among others of the 5 year old European Championship and the Forus Open.


And these are only a few examples of the fine trotters that have originated in these countries. 


Various horses originating in these countries have also performed very well here in Malta.  In addition to today’s optimal trotters, we have also seen fine horses in the past.


These include Italian Teseide, winner of 17 races in the current racecourse plus various others in the old one, Finnish Ilex Garden winner of 17 races in Malta, US trotter Huggie Hanover twice winner of the President’s Cup, winner of the Red Leaf Cup and a Condition Race final in a total of 16 wins, Danish Cyrus Bonbeth also winner 16 times, including an Oracle Casino Cup and two Condition race finals, as well as many other excellent horses.  


The Assikura Cup celebrates these trotters, their countries of origin and their equestrian heritage and is aimed to crown the best non-French/ non-Swedish trotters amongst us.


We wish you all an exciting meeting next Sunday.