by Magnat
Two race-meetings will be held at the Marsa racecourse this weekend, the first on Friday starting at 6.30pm, and then on Sunday with the first race commencing at 1.30pm. Both are all-trot race cards, with nine races being held on Friday and ten on Sunday.
Barely has the dust settled on the SECF championships heats, that we have the start of another championship, the President’s Cup. With a history of over 20 years, this is one of Malta’s most important championships, celebrating a national feast, Republic Day, and our Head of State.
As announced in last Thursday’s press conference given by the Malta Racing Club and the Office of the President of Malta, this year there is the added attraction of a new President’s Cup trophy, a beautiful work of art commissioned by the President of Malta himself and produced by Maltese artist George Muscat.
Continuing a tradition that had started during the Presidency of the late Dr Vincent Tabone, it also provides the Maltese horse-racing community with an opportunity to welcome at the racetrack on the day of the Final, His Excellency the President of Malta Dr George Abela, greeting him and showing respect and appreciation for him and the work he carries out, and giving a contribution to the Community Chest Fund.
On a race distance of 2,640m, no less than 44 horses are registered to participate in the 4 semi-finals which are reserved exclusively for the Premier class, with the first three placed horses in each making it to the final, which will be held on Republic Day, 13th December.
Seven nationalities are represented, that is 23 Swedes, 13 French, 3 Germans, 2 Danes and one horse from each of Finland, Italy and the Netherlands.
Among the participants we find this year’s Cassar Petroleum Autumn Championship winner Troy Boshoeve, Sette Giugno Cup winner Zilver Boko and Skyparks Swedish Trotters’ Championship winner Wiss Night Hawk, True Q and Nevaio des Bordes which won 4 races and 3 races respectively this year and are returning after a stop of 5- 6 months, various championship winners in the past, such as Think Yatzee, Arnie Sensation, Mont Cenis Honey, Kakisis, Joker de Choisel, Lou Petiot etc.
We also have a number of finalists in other championships this year and others which are relative newcomers but have had an encouraging start to their career in Malta, such as Mars, Celebrity Photo, Opal Hall, Versace Boko, Shakira Trot and others, and Swedish newcomer Give to Get.
Undoubtedly, with this level of competition, the participants will really need to give their very best in order to have any hope of making it to the final, and there is barely any margin of error.
The other races are “normal” races for the remaining classes also over a 2,640m distance, with 4 races for the Gold class, 6 for the Silver class, 4 for the Bronze class and the other for Copper class horses. These include the following newcomers: Swedes Caramba Zon and Dacoit, Dane Mark Skovgard and French Quartz du Lupin in the Silver class and American Stair Dance and Swede Prince November in the Gold class.
Special attention should be dedicated to the Gold class races, being extremely balanced and which include various in-form horses some of which used to race in the Premier class or are on the door-step of that class.
In Sunday’s meeting we will also have the presentation of the Driver of the Month award for October to winner Redent Magro. Many thanks to Rocky Auto Dealer for supporting this award by sponsoring last month’s edition.
The season is now really in full swing! And I must admit that I love this part of the season where one championship follows each other and most of our best horses, irrespective of nationality, are on parade. From now until the end of the year, nearly every meeting includes a major attraction and undoubtedly the President’s Cup is among the biggest of them all!
Last Meetings
The last weekend’s meetings were dominated by the heats from the SECF championships reserved exclusively for French trotters, on a 2,640m distance.
The most important races consisted of three semi-finals from the Prix de Vincennes (Premier class).
Friday’s Prix de Vincennes semi-final had a splendid ending. This race saw Oltedo de Rieux having an extremely fast last lap, recovering ground after not being among the front runners in the first part of the race.
Oltedo de Rieux caught up with leader Lady de Vindecy and they challenged each other head-to-head in the last 350m or so, with the former managing to pip the latter at the post by just a nose to claim its second win from as many races in Malta, in a time of 1’16’4 per kilometre. Label Chouan and Milord Barbes finished behind them in that order and also qualified for the final.
In Sunday’s first semi-final, Nagano Phedo took an early lead and hung on to it until around the last half lap when it was overtaken by Nophenio de Lune which however changed pace just before turning into the final straight. Nino de Saintho and Magic de Assigny then took over and challenged each other in the final straight with the former claiming the race and its first win in Malta by around one and a half lengths from Magic de Assigny in a time of 1’17’7 per kilometre. Newcomer Ouest Mabon and Natieu d’Echal were the other two qualifiers for the final.
In the last Prix de Vincennes semi-final, the protagonists were all 11 year old trotters. Nuage de Bourgogne took an early lead and maintained it throughout the entire race, finishing up winner by around four lengths from Nitesco d’Anthony followed by Nabab du Chatelet and Nono de Crouay which were the last horses to make it to the final. This was the winner’s sixth seasonal win in the best time of the weekend of 1’15’3 per kilometre.
In the Prix d’Enghien (Gold class), the first race saw an exciting head-to-head tussle throughout the last half lap between Night Inlet and Milano du Gite. The former won by a head registering its second consecutive and third seasonal win in a time of 1’18’2 per kilometre from Milano du Gite, with Nuper and Quid de la Muette finishing 3rd and 4th respectively and also making it to the semi-finals.
In the second Prix d’Enghien heat, around half a lap from the end, Orion de Chapeau overtook Novano du Brindeau (which had been in front for most of the race) and resisted all challenges to claim its first win in Malta in a time of 1’20’2 per kilometre. Oscar du Meu, Nuage Somolli and Niky de Memartin qualified for the semi-finals after placing in that order.
On Sunday Ozerio claimed its second consecutive and third seasonal win, overtaking front runner Natif de l’Hommee in the last half lap and going on to win by about a length in a time of 1’16’4 per kilometre. Natif de Fontaine, Niky du Donjon and Onyx Speed placed behind the winner in that order and also qualified for the semi-finals.
It was then the turn of Orion du Vaumicel to take its first win in Malta after leading throughout the next Prix d’Enghien heat, finishing a length and a half ahead of other semi-finalists Quebec, Ouest du Vivier and Magnifique Sablais in a time of 1’16’1 per kilometre, the second best time of the weekend.
Finally, Nicos de Peneme took the lead midway through the last Gold class heat and maintained it till the end, notwithstanding a strong challenge from runner-up Natif de Salvi in the final straight. Timed at 1’16’5 per kilometre, this was Nicos de Peneme’s fourth seasonal win on its return to racing after an eight month absence (it had also won its last race), just half a length ahead of Natif de Salvi, with Onyx Lucernais and Oscar des Racques being the last qualifiers for this championship’s semi-finals.
The other trot winners were Oural d’Asnois, Max Galbe, Octobre en Fete, Prao de Bussy, Notre Allegro and No Commentary in the Prix de Cabourg (Silver class) and Nereus Galbe, Ouragan de Crouay, Polytain and Nerlo Villetot (Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer – Bronze class).
We also had a Class A flat race on the sprint 1,250m distance. This saw Little Anthony take an early lead which it maintained until the last turn prior to the final straight when it was overtaken by Darielli which went on to register its second seasonal win (after being away from racing for the last five months) by about one and a half lengths from the same Little Anthony and Cheeky Jack.
The President’s Cup – 20 years ago
In the popular TV programme Korsa, following the President’s Cup final 1993, presenter Twanny Bugeja commented with the winning horse’s owner Mr Vincent Debono, that although this was probably not the season’s “largest trophy” – possibly in terms of prize-winnings - because other large championships were still to come (the season spanned between October and June), in his view “it is a big honour to win the President’s Cup in Malta”.
And so it is! A trophy named in honour of our head of state, where the final is held under his patronage and in which only Malta’s best trotters are eligible to participate, lead indeed to a most prestigious trophy. And this is even more so today, when this championship has acquired an element of tradition, after being held 11 times over a 20 year span.
That season, the President’s Cup was held over the Christmas and New Year’s period. It was open exclusively for class A1 trotters on a 2,160m race distance.
The four heats were held on the 20th December 1992, with the first being won by newcomer Roi Airlines thanks to a good sprint in the last 200m, then being followed by a dominating performance by Ring Leader which led from start to finish and won its heat by some eight lengths. The other two heats had extremely close finishes with first Royal Des Landes beating Sanit and then Lucky Khan just having the better of Sept De Carreau.
The two semi-finals were held a week later (27th December). Close to winning the first semi-final, Sept De Carreau was surprised by a strong sprint from Ramiret in the final straight, which saw the latter overtaking Sept De Carreau to win by just a head.
Some drama occurred before the second semi-final when during the warming-up, favourite Ring Leader sped away uncontrolled and it was only stopped after some time with the help of some handlers. However, this did not deter the same horse from leading throughout the race and winning by around two lengths from runner-up Sanit.
The final was held the following Sunday 3rd January, and the following finalists lined up behind the autostart: Singapour, Roi Airlines, Sept de Carreau, Rex de Gournay, Rageur, Sanit, Ring Leader and Ramiret.
The meeting was watched by an enormous crowd and part of the gate money was donated to the Community Chest Fund. Before the final the national Anthem was played in honour of the President of Malta, Dr Vincent Tabone and the participating drivers were each introduced to him.
In the race itself, it was hot favourite Ring Leader which took an early lead which it soon extended to a couple of lengths. After the first lap, horses such as Singapour and Sept De Carreau were in hot pursuit of the leader and with around 300m to go, the latter took the lead, but Ring Leader reacted well to go in front again in no time.
However the best was still to come in the final straight, when 9 year old Sanit, driven by Charles Clifton unleashed a brilliant sprint in the last 200m, overtook Ring Leader in the last metres and won by half a length, from the same Ring Leader, Rageur and Sept De Carreau in that order.
Interestingly, the winner registered a time of 1’15’7 per kilometre which at the time was the national record on the 2,160m distance.
I still remember the happy faces of owner Vincent Debono and driver the late Charles Clifton, as they were presented with the winner’s trophy by the President of the Republic who also presented the trophies to the owners of the other placing horses.
That was no doubt a memorable edition of the President’s Cup. With the quality of horses participating in this year’s event, this edition promises to be no less exciting ...
We wish you two great meetings this weekend.
