by Magnat

Two race meetings will be held over the next few days, both eight race cards starting at 2.30pm.  The first meeting will be held on Sunday 28th April followed by another on Wednesday 1st May (Workers’ Day public holiday). 

These meetings are referred to as “Cup Days”, with trophies being awarded to the winners.  The race distance is the short 2,140m distance for trotters and the sprint 1,250m for thoroughbreds.

As often happens, the two Premier class races are the most awaited ones. 

The 13 participants in Sunday’s race include last week’s Gold class winner Skars Hanna, and Nagano Phedo which won the Gold class in its penultimate race, this year’s Assikura A Championship winner Argus Hanover, together with Mark de Chamant, Skip Dimanche and Veikko Hornline which finished third, fourth and fifth respectively in the Premier class last week.

This race also sees the return of Celebrity Photo and Oviedo Vici after a five month lay-off, together with French newcomers Olry Meslois and Reves de Magalou.

Another 13 horses are the protagists of Wednesday’s Premier class race, with these including Belafonte, winner of a Premier race on this distance in February, and various recent good performers, such as last week’s runner-up Simb Mark, with Of Course Ramble, Magic de Assigny, Olympien Major and Ouragan de Sita also placing well over the last month or so.

Three Gold class races are also included in these two programmes with each including a field of 15 horses. 

Sunday’s two races include recent winners Hulot, Phenix de la Roque, Super Qui and Orage du Pont, recent runners-up Oscar Indien, Ouragan d’Any, Touch The Diamond, Troubadour S and Kapro Wareco and other horses which also placed well over the last month or so, such as Carnegie Hall and L’Ideal de Fersan.

Wednesday’s race is characterised by no less than five newcomers, French Pancho Villa, Perdreau Rapide, Pissaro and Quel Gibus and Finnish I Got The Power.  The other horses are well-known names, including various recent good performers such as Prince November (a win and a runner-up place in its last three outings), Okir de Leau and Xray Hornline (two places each in March), Podium and Nuper (both having placed last month).

Undoubtedely three quality Gold class races!

The other newcomers in these two meetings are all in the Silver class, i.e. Swedes Queen Streamline and Zandina Boshoeve, French Panda des Fleches and Italian My Lady Fi.

On Wednesday, we have a very interesting Class A flat race with a full field of eight participants.  These include popular horses such as Kimberley Downs coming from a win last week, last year’s Coronation Cup winner Cheeky Jack, 2011 Mediterranean Derby winner Buttermilk, recent winner Enthrall, last week’s runner-up Ollie Fliptrik, Darielli making its return after a four month absence, and recent newcomers Alca Driver and Alto Monte.  A great race should be in the offing!

After last week’s long distance races we return to the short distances.  These are important races because they will permit us to evaluate our horses form in the run-up to the next important appointments, such as the French trotters’ championships, the Sette Giugno Cup etc, all over the short 2,140m distance and the Mediterranean Derby for thoroughbreds over the longer 1,750m. Never a dull moment at the Marsa racetrack!

Last Meetings

All races in the last two meetings were on the longest distances used in Malta, i.e. the 3,140m distance for trotters and 2,250m for thoroughbreds.

The two Premier class races were the hightlights of these meetings.  In the first one, Veikko Hornline was the protagonist of most of the race, when it took an early lead. With just over two laps to go Orcas Bac took over but within a few hundred metres Veikko Hornline went ahead again.

A lap later it was then the turn of Nicos de Peneme to take the lead briefly but again Veikko Hornline soon regained its lead.  Mark de Chamant attacked the leader around 700m from the end and these two horses entered the final straight neck and neck. 

However at around the middle of the final straight Sultan November emerged from next to the rails and Simb Mark on the outer lanes, overtook the race leaders and challenged each other for the win.  It was Sultan November’s day, finally notching its second seasonal win by over a length from Simb Mark, followed by Mark de Chamant and Skip Dimanche in a good time of 1’17’6 per kilometre.

In Sunday’s race, the lead alternated between different horses, mainly Ourasi Diams, Ofackevo and Ouest Mabon, with the latter retaining the lead for long stretches.  However,  around 750m from the end Fire started a strong attack from the outer lanes, which thanks to its impressive acceleration, took it to the front in a matter of a few tens of metres, followed closely by Mars.  By about 500m to the end these two horses had detached themselves by a number of lengths from the other horses. 

Mars tried to challenge Fire along the last bend before the final straight but changed pace around 350m from the end, leaving a clear field for Fire to continue to maintain its impressive pace and to notch its second consecutive and third seasonal win, no less than about seven lengths ahead of Oran, followed by Poppes Fighter and Ourasi Diams in that order, in a time of 1’16’6 per kilometre, the seasonal best in Malta on this distance so far.

These two meetings provided us also with three Gold class races.  In the first, Simb Tyrant led the field for most of the distance, but Happiness Photo attacked strongly around 700m from the end and took the lead, followed closely by L’Ideal de Fersan. 

However a strong sprint took Skars Hanna to the front by the middle of the final straight, taking its second seasonal win by around two and a  half lengths from Happiness Photo, which was disqualified, with Oscar Indien finishing runner-up, followed by L’Ideal de Fersan and Simb Tyrant.  The winner’s time was 1’19’2 per kilometre.

In Friday’s second Gold class race, Eject was in front for long stretches, but Nophenio de Lune attacked strongly in the back straight and took the lead around 600m from the end.  However Super Qui launched an impressive sprint from the outer lanes in the final straight, went in front a few tens of metres from the finishing post and took its first win in Malta around two and a half lengths from Nophenio de Lune followed by Jerry Eme and Prince de Blequin in a time of 1’18’8 per kilometre.

In Sunday’s race, newcomer Udice Boko took an early lead, being overtaken by L’As de Seuilly around 1,200m from the end. The latter was in turn overtaken by Nobleness Dubrio at the start of the final lap.  From then on, Nobleness Dubrio controlled the race, resisting also Max Galbe’s attack in the final straight to notch its second consecutive and seasonal win, half a length from Max Galbe (coincidentally these two horses finished in exactly the same order as they did in a Silver class race a week before), followed by Troubadour S and Lucky des Brisants in a time of 1’18’3 per kilometre.

Ollie Fliptik was in front for most of the Class A flat race, but Kimberley Downs started a strong attack with around half a lap to go, taking the lead at the entry of the final straight and celebrating its return to Malta after over a year racing overseas, with a win in a time of 2’22’36, around one and a half lengths ahead of the same Ollie Fliptrik, followed by Cheeky Jack.   

Some thoughts ...

This week I wished to end with some considerations and developments that I came across this week. 

(a) Varied winners

One of the most beautiful aspects of our sport is its unpredictability.  Last week, the two meetings were dedicated to long distance racing.  Whilst some may have thought that this may be advantageous particularly for French trotters, which often race over such distances in their home country, these two meetings presented us with a truly international list of winners, with seven French, six Swede, one Finnish and one German trotters triumphing in the 15 races held.

We also had one of the best times on this distance since 2010, i.e. the 1’16’6 per kilometre registered by Fire in the Premier class.  I was curious to see what long distance experience this horse had in its past races overseas.  Interestingly, although this was its first 3,140m race in Malta, this horse is no stranger to such distances, having raced no less than 14 times on distances of over 3,100m in its last two years in Sweden and placing seven times either second or fourth in those races, with a best time of 1’15’0 per kilometre on 3,160m.

(b) Driver of the Month Award

Another happening is jockey Ramon Grima winning the March Jockey of the Month award, the first time that a flat racing jockey has won this award.  Ramon, winner of last year’s best jockey award, was chosen on the basis of his two wins in the heat and final of the Chukkas Cup and his runner-up placing (all on Timolin) from the four races in which he participated during that month.

We congratulate Ramon for winning this honour.  It is also a sign of encouragement for all thoroughbred horse owners and jockeys as they prepare their horses for the Mediterranean Derby.  We look forward to seeing more thoughbreds racing at our racecourse and to a revival of this beautiful discipline which adds welcome variety in Maltese horse-racing.

Special thanks go to Ideal du Gazeau Bar for supporting this initiative by kindly sponsoring March’s award.

(c) Doping test results

Congratulations also go to the owners and trainers of Argus Hanover, Mars, Pro Shop, Reado November and Mealington, in respect of which the Malta Racing Club recently received the results of doping tests showing that they were clean from prohibited substances.  The first four doping tests referred to the Assikura A Championship final, whilst that of Mealington concerned a Silver class race.

(d) The Malta Racing Club Council

On a different subject, it is anticipated that the Hon. Minister for Education and Employment will soon nominate the Government-appointed members on the Council of the Malta Racing Club.  This is an important event for the continued development of this sport in the coming years.  A sport with a great tradition in these Islands and which is so close to the hearts of so many enthusiasts!

A lot of improvement has taken place over the years but there is certainly much more that can be done to continue raising the level of our favourite sport to higher, indeed I would add, to international levels.  We wish the appointees all the best!

Equally important is the opening of nominations from horse owners and drivers as candidates to serve as the owners/ drivers’ representatives on the MRC Council. 

Speaking to Council Chairman Dr Matthew Brincat this week, he emphasised the importance of the new Council having owners and drivers of goodwill who wish to present new ideas and to work with a sense of altruism and participation so that our sport continues to go from strength to strength, building on the good work already carried out together for the good of the owners and drivers.  Indeed owners and drivers always remain this sport’s most fundamental resource.

Dr Brincat encouraged owners and drivers to consider contesting these elections with a view to working within the Council and being the voice of their colleagues.  He also emphasised that the Council should be at all times one team which continues to work in the general interest of everyone, with unity – the cornerstone for growth of this sport both in the past and in future- continuing to reign at all times.

He also appealed to other persons of goodwill who for some reason or another may not be willing to contest these elections to come forward and bring their opinions to the attention of the Council either by writing to the Club or else by discussing their ideas with a Council member.

He ended his comments by stating that “A lot of good has been done but much more can be achieved in the coming years if everyone contributes in a spirit of goodwill and altruism in the genuine interest of this sport and if we all work together by pulling the same rope!”

We wish you two great meetings over the next few days.