by Magnat
Two race meetings will be held over the next few days first on Sunday 3rd November starting at 1.30pm, followed by another on Monday 4th November starting at 6.30pm. Each meeting comprises eight races with two races being over the short 2,140m distance with the rest being on the longer 2,640m distance.
The two main attractions of these meetings consist of a Premier class race in each meeting and two friendly Encounter Races between Maltese and Dutch drivers in Sunday’s meeting.
The normal races are all over the 2,640m distance.
In Sunday’s Premier class race we find 16 horses having among the highest handicap points in the Malta Racing Club’s classification.
These include among others recent winner True Q, this year’s Tazza l-Kbira winner Nabab du Chatelet, Prix de Vincennes runner-up Mark de Chamant, Premier class Summer Championship winner Shakira Trot and Arnie Sensation coming from a good place last week.
Another interesting participant is Swedish 10 year old newcomer Tap Dance, registered with the highest handicap points for a newcomer. Winner of SEK1,495,200 overseas, with 10 wins and many places and with a best time of 1’12’4 per km on 1,640m (August 2012), this horse had various positive performances, including its runner-up place (behind no other than Commander Crowe) in the Breeders’ Crown final for 4 year olds in November 2007 and its 3rd place in the E-3 Open Class final for 3 year olds in July 2006 (behind Going Kronos and Express Merett), both on 2,140m. Among its best outings this year, we find two 5th places on 2,160m and 1,640m, with a good 1’13’2 in the latter.
Monday’s Premier class race comprises another full field of 16 trotters, of which no less than four are newcomers, i.e. French Pietro de Lou and Quampo Mondo Sy, Dane Made In Hoff and Swede Rocky Composite.
Among the other participants, we find horses such as Nicos de Peneme coming from a win and a place in its last three outings, Oltedo de Rieux which registered a good third place last week and Absolut Spender which made a very good 1’14’1 per kilometre in the recent Cassar Petroleum Autumn Championship final, among others.
Horses such as Quebec, Original Blue and Net de Ginai are making their return after some months’ absence.
Sunday’s meeting also includes two encounter races between Maltese and Dutch drivers (from Alkmaar) with the first race involving Bronze and Copper class horses and the second Silver and Gold class trotters.
The first encounter race features five Maltese and five Dutch drivers whilst the second includes six Maltese and five Dutch drivers. We give a warm welcome to the Dutch drivers visiting us and wish them a very pleasant stay in Malta.
The participating horses include among others Quio de Nappes and Buckens Stjarna each having a win and a runner-up place in their last three outings, Queen Streamline with a good place in its last outing and other valid horses, some of which are making their return to racing after the summer break.
These two meetings also feature three very interesting Gold class races. Monday’s two races include various horses coming from good places in October, such as Energy Launcher, Nouveau de Vie, Regent de Tillard, Rika Rico and Super Qui.
Sunday’s race features the attraction of four newcomers, French Oeillet de Phens, Pepito Flash and Produit Fier as well as Swede Flux. The 12-horse field also includes some which have shown good form recently such as Pan des Coupieres and Lover Boy Index and others which were in good form before the summer break such as Nophenio de Lune and Xray Hornline.
The other races are four for the Silver class, four for the Bronze class and one for Copper class horses, with French trotter Quercus du Jusclay being scheduled to debut in the Silver class.
Variety constitutes a critical aspect of horse-racing. Although this weekend’s meetings do not feature any championships, the Premier and Gold class races, the encounter races between Dutch and Maltese drivers and the interesting number of newcomers in the various classes should provide further great spectacle for all racing enthusiasts.
Last Meeting
Last Sunday’s meeting was dominated by five Cassar Fuels autumn Condition Races for all trot classes except the Premier class, on the short distance 2,140m.
The main final was that for Gold class horses and this did not disappoint. Nacarat Campbell went in front in the early stages, with Charm Hammering taking over after around 600 metres. However, the determining move in the race arrived in the back straight, as Midnight Passion sprinted strongly four wide to come head to head with the race leader in the last 400m.
These two horses entered the final straight together, but Midnight Passion (Eric Bezzina) forged ahead 150m from the end and notched its fifth win from six races in Malta and claimed the Gold class Condition Race, nearly two lengths ahead of Charm Hammering, followed by Skars Hanna and Prince Gaillard in an excellent time of 1’14’5 per kilometre.
Prince Lu (Shaun Portelli) went in front after just 500m from the start of the Silver A class Condition Race final and imposed a strong pace on this race. This horse was never troubled throughout the remainder of the race, increasing its speed further in the final straight to claim this Condition Race and its second win from as many races in Malta by a length and a half from Zandina Boshoeve, followed by Matador Knick and Mind Your Head in that order in a very good time for this class of 1’15’1 per kilometre.
Pile Ou Face was the early leader in the Silver B final, followed like a shadow by Magnific As. The situation remained the same until the start of the final straight when Magnific As (David Ellul) shot out like an arrow to go in front and win this Condition Race, notch its third seasonal win in the process in 1’15’8 per kilometre, more than two lengths ahead of Pile Ou Face, followed by Pilote de Nganda and Lys de l’Oasis.
Command Coger went in front soon after the start of the Bronze class final, with the situation remaining the same until the back straight when the race leader suffered Andri Boko’s determined attack with the latter coming head to head with Command Coger.
However the latter made a strong reaction with around half a lap to go to take a clear lead once again, but the crucial action arrived in the last 200m as Loustic d’Anjou (Julian Farrugia) produced a strong sprint to overtake Command Coger and win this Condition Race by a length in 1’16’6 per kilometre – its first win in three years and nine months. Pema and Gin T. Dalimo finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
Finally, in the Copper class Condition Race final, it was Royal Qui (Ivan Bilocca) which took an early lead. At the start of the last lap, Hotchemin sprinted to go head-to-head with the race leader.
However, Royal Qui remained in the lead and with a half a lap to go it increased its pace substantially to increase its lead materially with the final straight being a mere formality for this horse as it claimed this Condition Race final and its fifth seasonal win, two and a half lengths ahead of Esmeralda Run, followed by Monte Cinto Mag and Hulegardens Filur, in a time of 1’18’1 per kilometre.
The other races were normal ones over the longer 2,640m distance. The two Silver class races were won by Ostheo d’Havetot (at its first win in Malta) in 1’18’0 per kilometre and newcomer Qurieux du Ponchet in 1’17’0 per kilometre, whilst Kiton de Bouere returned to winning ways after nearly two and a half years by winning the Copper class race in 1’19’3 per kilometre.
During Sunday’s meeting, Noel Baldacchino was presented with the award of Best Driver for the month of September by Lorraine Cunningham on behalf of the sponsors P&M Farrugia (Tan-Niger), importers of horses and of goods used in this sport, to whom we convey our sincere thanks for supporting this initiative.
Horse Racing Academy Opening Ceremony
On Saturday 2nd November at 9.30am, Hon Stefan Buontempo, Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth & Sport, will officially open the Horse Racing Academy for the 2013-14 season in the presence of Kunsill Malti ghall-Isport Chairman Hon. Luciano Busuttil and Malta Racing Club Chairman Dr Matthew Brincat.
Since August of this year, the Kunsill Malti ghall-Isport has decided that this academy should be the responsibility of the Malta Racing Club but be sustained through financial aid provided by the KMS. Indeed, this academy is critical to Maltese horse-racing by training children and youths to become the future protagonists in this sport.
Like father like son!
Recently I was speaking with a friend of mine whose son has been struck by a cruel sickness and he told me “How I would much rather prefer that that sickness had hit me!”.
Undoubtedly, the relationship between father and son is a special one and so it should be!
This conversation reminded me of something that happened earlier this year at the racecourse and which I felt we did not give it enough exposure.
On the 7th June 2013, the day of the Sette Giugno Cup final won by Orcas Bac, 18 year old driver Anton Cassar managed to collect his first career win in a Silver class race when driving Ogor, after managing to stave off a strong challenge in the second half of the final straight from Orio de Marancourt on the outside lanes, driven by his father France Cassar.
The arrival photo shows both drivers looking sideways in each other’s direction, with Anton looking out to see whether his father’s horse had beaten his and France looking out to see whether his charge had caught up with Anton’s.
In sports activities, these father – son encounters are truly rare because the age difference between them typically ensures that by the time that the son gets of age the father would no longer be on the field of play – but this is not always so!
One remarkable sports occurrence involving father and son took place on the 24th April 1996, when in Tallinn, in a football match between Estonia and Iceland, Icelandic Eiour Guojohnsen (then aged just 17) entered in the second half to substitute his father Arnor.
In Maltese horse-racing, this is also a rare occurrence, especially where father and son finish in the first two places in the same race. Another instance I remember when this happened took place on the 3rd March 1985 when in a Class A race over 2,650m, Raphael Gialanze driving Keluguet (1’20’7 per kilometre) had to resist a strong duel with Iasco Amoy (1’20’8 per kilometre) driven by his son Paul Gialanze, particularly over the last 400m, before triumphing and gaining promotion to the top class. Interestingly, Kabado which placed third, was driven by another son of Raphael, Charles. So, indeed father and two sons placing in the first three positions.
It must be a matter of mixed feelings for the father in these situations. On the one hand, he would certainly be proud of his son’s achievement but at the same time his professionalism pushes him to give his best irrespective of the fact that his opponent happens to be his son.
Irrespective of the placing obtained by each of them, I am sure that every father is keen to teach his son to be better than him, particularly if they practice the same profession and horse-racing is no exception. Indeed, the father’s successes would probably have fuelled the son’s interest and passion to take up the particular profession even if then the son would wish to affirm himself in his own right.
These rare occurrences involving father and son claiming win and runner-up place in the same race (and even the third place in the case of the Gialanze family) certainly add colour to Maltese horse-racing and deserve to be recorded for posterity!
We wish you another two great meetings in the coming days.
