by Magnat

Another two race-meetings will be held at the Marsa racecourse this weekend, the first on Friday starting at 7pm, and then on Sunday with the first race commencing at 1.30pm.  Both meetings consist exclusively of trot races over a 2,140m distance with seven races in Friday’s race card and eight on Sunday’s.

Although these meetings do not feature any championship, they include various highlights, principally no less than two Premier class races (one in each meeting) and five Gold class races (three on Friday and two on Sunday).

Friday’s Premier class race includes 15 participants with horses coming from promising performances such as Ollico Pellois (two wins in its last three races), Nagano Phedo (a good place in its last race) and various horses which are seeking better form than that shown in the last weeks.

We also have four newcomers, i.e. French Oltedo de Rieux and Swedes Baron Flax (previously scratched), Opal Hall and Simb Tyrant.

Interestingly, at five years old, Swedish stallion Opal Hall is the youngest trotter to make its debut in the Premier class this year.  Winner of SEK569,000, through seven wins and ten places (until 5th place) in just a 27-race career in Sweden, it has a best time of 1’11’6 per kilometre registered on a 1,640m distance last year.  Its best recent performances, in the last quarter of 2011, were a win, a runner-up place and a 3rd place, all over a 1,640m distance at the Solvalla (twice) and Romme racecourses. 

Sunday’s race presents us with a full field of 16 horses many of which are extremely popular here in Malta.  We see the return of Summer Championship Premier class winner Milord Barbes, Skyparks Swedish Trotters Premier class championship winner Wiss Night Hawk and Dragonara Tazza l-Kbira runner-up Nuage de Bourgogne, after some months of rest, together with VOB Cup winner Label Chouan, recent winner Mars, Assikura Cup runner-up Count of Life and various other horses.

Three newcomers are scheduled to make their debut in this race, i.e. French Orev de Reynard, German Superior As (previously scratched) and Swede Poppes Fighter.

The five Gold class races in this weekend’s programmes include also a number of popular and in-form horses.  Among these we find recent winners Simb From Abroad (Cassar Petroleum Silver class championship), Ozerio, Side Spin, Ygor of Pass, Count Wiesnievski and Petrus du Vivier and many horses which were racing in the Premier class until recently, such as Quipo de Billeron, Max d’Avignere, Oscar de la Vallee, Night Inlet, Natif de Salvi, Nougat Voideen, Nick de Touchyvon, Niky du Donjon, Nuper, Chaco Bar and others.

American trotter Argus Hanover and French Onyx Lucernais are also scheduled to debut next Sunday in the last of these races.

The remaining races are five for the Silver class (in which French Quito du Reynard and Reve de l’Abbaye and Swedes Iatas Skid and Pat Boone, will debut, bringing the total number of newcomers registered to debut this weekend, to an encouraging 13 trotters), one for the Bronze class and two races for Copper class horses.

With no less than seven Premier and Gold class races between these two meetings, races which feature our best and most popular horses and which are inevitably balanced, this weekend’s racing should certainly present entertaining fare.  Moreover, these are the last races before the start of the next two championships, the SECF championship for French trotters and the President’s Cup, thus making this our last occasion to get a better idea of the participants’ state of form.

Last Meeting

The last meeting consisted of eight “normal” races, seven for trotters (on a 2,140m distance) and one for thoroughbreds (on 1,750m).

In the Premier class race, Nino de Saintho took an early lead but Troy Boshoeve went in front with around a lap to go followed by Nitesco d’Anthony and other horses.  The latter attacked strongly in the final straight but could do nothing to stop Troy Boshoeve from taking its second consecutive and seasonal win by around one and a half lengths from the same Nitesco d’Anthony, in the meeting's best time of 1’16’1 per kilometre.  Magic de Assigny and Skip Dimanche finished third and fourth respectively.

The meeting’s second best time was registered in the first Silver class race (1’17’1 per kilometre) when Cross Country F.C. took the lead in the final straight and claimed its first seasonal win by around two lengths from Lotus du Goth, with newcomer National Brown and Noli de Marray following them in that order.

Rich Kemp went in front in the last half lap of the second Silver class race and despite attacks from various horses in the final straight, it claimed its first win among us, half a length from Lacoste I.T., closely followed by Orage du Pont and Soren Sufflor.  The winner’s time was 1’17’6 per kilometre.

In the three Bronze class races, first it was Noe de Loudat which made it five seasonal wins, finishing around a length ahead of Royal Rox, then we had a brilliant finish between no less than five participants, with the win going to Hawkear (second seasonal win) just a head in front of Emil Brebro. 
Finally, Dandy claimed its first seasonal win after no less than 5 runner-up positions this year, a length ahead of Ocean Gede.

Jet Starline claimed its third seasonal win in the Copper class ahead of Rybo Patzie.

In the class A flat race, Marivan set the pace for most of the race, but it was overtaken in the last half lap by Timolin which went on to register an impressive second consecutive and seasonal win, around 5 lengths ahead of Four Richer and Privilidged Boy, in a good time on the distance of 1’47’18.

Horses’ retirement age

I have always been a great admirer of one of Malta’s best veteran long distance athletes. He has competed in over 20 marathons across the world and in other long distance challenges, has continued to do so despite being in his mid-sixties and he continues to collect successes both locally and even overseas.  The times he records, his stamina and speed are the envy of athletes who are 20, 30 or even 40 years younger!

But you might ask: What does this have to do with horse-racing?

I have been arguing for some time in favour of the lifting of the compulsory retirement age for racehorses in Malta (a country which, differently from countries like France, Sweden etc does not often re-export horses after they finish their career here) which should come into force soon.  A possibility that, going forward, applies for all horses (typically only a few would still be competing at that age) and owners, without distinction. 

Naturally, I do not own any horses, nor do I have friends having horses which are close to retirement age, nor do I have any personal interest in the matter.  I just love horse-racing as a sport and as a spectator for the last 35 years.

Like all athletes, including humans, one can find horses which are no longer competitive at a relatively young age, whilst others continue expressing themselves strongly even at an advanced age, and thus, discriminating against the latter horses purely on the basis of age, is unfair.

If our top veteran athletes had been horses, many of them would have had to retire long ago, notwithstanding the fact that they are much better than many of their younger competitors!

And in the horse-racing scene, we can cite various examples of horses recording excellent performances even at ages older than 16 years.  I recall horses such as Roi des W.B, Iacchus, Iris du Pont, Uquito d’Orphee, Faverol and others winning when they were older than 16 years and these are merely some that immediately came to my mind!  There are also various veteran horses competing successfully in the amateur races organised in the old racecourse.

Furthermore, whilst 20 or 30 years ago, most of our trotters used to be imported aged between 7 and 9 years old, today many of our horses are 9 years or older when they make their local debut, which reduces the number of seasons in which they may be enjoyed here in Malta.

Having said that, it remains extremely important that all horses (whether young or old) are retained at all times in good health and in an optimal physical condition, irrespective of their age. 

Thus, the Malta Racing Club rightly introduced a number of measures to regulate horses which are older than 16 years, and to ensure that no abuses are committed:

(i) the need to produce qualified veterinary’s certificates confirming that the particular horse is in a good physical condition for racing at the particular level;
(ii) the horse would need to be compulsorily retired if it does not win or place in seven consecutive races – thus confirming the point that while a horse would not need to be retired simply on the basis of age, retirement would be necessary if it does not remain competitive;
(iii) the horse would also need to be compulsorily retired if it falls at any stage below the minimum number of handicap points for the Copper class – again emphasising the principle that if a horse does not remain competitive it needs to be withdrawn.
(iv) such horses remain subject to doping tests like all other horses.

I augur that we may continue to admire all our horses, for as long as they remain healthy and competitive, without discriminating against any of them merely on the basis of age.

We wish you two exciting meetings this weekend.