Friday 15th November 2013
44th and 45th horse-racing meetings 2013 – 15th and 17th November

by Magnat


Two race meetings will be held this weekend, the first on Friday 15th starting at 6.30pm followed by another on Sunday 17th November starting at 1.15pm.  Both are all-trot meetings, the former consisting of nine races with Sunday’s meeting comprising 10 races.


The salient attractions in Friday’s meeting include two “normal” Premier class races both over the short 2,140m distance.  The first includes 13 participants some of which are currently in good form, such as Veikko Hornline coming from a win in its penultimate race, Absolut Spender which had two positive performances prior to its last race, Skip Dimanche coming from two good places and Ygor of Pass which registered a win and a place in September, among others.


A number of recent newcomers are also due to participate in this race, such as Made In Hoff, Pietro de Lou and Quampo Mondy Sy, together with two 7 year old mares which are absolute newcomers, i.e. Danish Our Dream and Italian Madam di Poggio.


The second Premier class race sees 15 popular participants, such as Midnight Passion which is coming from three consecutive wins, Summer Championship Premier class winner Shakira Trot, Vanmaker Limburgia which is coming from five consecutive places, Oltedo de Rieux which placed in its last two races, Nicos de Peneme and Original Blue which obtained a good place in their last race and other extremely valid horses.


This weekend also sees the start of the SECF French trotters’ championships with a championship for each trot class.  Whilst the Premier and the Copper class trotters will enter the fray directly in the semi-finals, heats will be held during this weekend’s meetings for the Gold class (Prix d’Enghien), the Silver class (Prix de Cabourg) and the Bronze class (Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer), all on the longer 2,640m distance.


We have four heats from the Prix d’Enghien with the first five from each of which qualifying for the semi-finals and six heats in each of the Prix de Cabourg and the Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer, with the first four from each making it to the semi-finals.


These heats include much of the cream of Malta’s French trotters in the respective class. 


Thus for instance the first two heats from the Prix d’Enghien (featuring horses aged between 8 and 13 years) include horses such as Pitchpin des Bois winner of two of its last three races, Niky du Donjon coming from two wins in its last races, Nacarat Campbell winner of various Gold class championships in the last years, Niky de Memartin coming from three consecutive placings, Prince Gaillard which placed in each of its last two outings and Pan des Couperies having a win and a place in its last three outings.  Rapide du Matin is due to debut in the first heat.


The third and fourth heats are no less interesting, with horses such as Oiellet de Phens, Player du Mirel and Quartz Clayettois each coming from a win in their last race, others such as Phenix de la Roque and Quel Gibus having won once in their last three outings and yet others such as Nitesco d’Antony, Nophenio de Lune, Orion de Chapeau and Regent de Tillard, registering two good places in their last three outings.   Paleo des Cascades and Reader Jyl are registered to debut in the last heat.


The Prix de Cabourg also features various quality horses aged between 7 and 15 years, among which we find no less than fifteen which have won at least once in their last three outings, i.e. Loustic d’Anjou, Lys de l’Oasis, Milano du Gite, Noli de Marray, Ocean Brilliouard, Ostheo d’Havetot, Paolin de Bannes, Poustouf de Bleuet, Queops de Retz, Quio de Nappes, Quaroldo, Quipson, Quozak Prior, Qurieux du Ponchet and Swahili de Nacre.


Five newcomers are also due to make their first appearance in Malta in this championship, i.e. Quasimir de Bolero, Quito de Valsoiz, Rapnou des Picanes, Reve de Nieul and Reveal Champ Blanc.


The Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer is equally balanced with horse ages in this case varying materially between 6 and 17 years.  Once again various in-form horses are due to contest a place in the semi-finals, as well as newcomer Rush d’Avran.


German newcomer Clarito should also be making its debut in the normal Copper class race on Friday, such that the total number of newcomers this season should this weekend exceed the 200 mark.


After the fifth race (at around 2.45pm) of Sunday’s meeting, a commemorative presentation will be made to Mr Angelo Cassar, owner of Orcas Bac, which on the 13th October, during the Cassar Petroleum Autumn Championship final, registered a national record on the 2,140m distance of 1’13’4 per kilometre.


We have now well into the last couple of months of the season – one of the climax periods of the Maltese racing season, with many races forming part of one championship or other, for both trotters and thoroughbreds.  Every year we look forward to this period as the horses are primed to reach their best form and give their all in an attempt to capture one or other of the remaining championships, thus ending the season with a bang!


Last Meeting


The most important race of the last meeting was the Johnnie Walker Cup final for thoroughbreds over the long 2,250m distance.  Here it was Alto Monte which shot out of the starting gates first, closely followed by Ollie Fliptrik, with Kimberley Downs in third place.


Ollie Fliptrik took the lead after around 750m, but 1,100m from the end, Kimberley Downs came on the inside lane to arrive head to head with the race leader, going in front 200m later.  From then on the race had no more story, as Kimberley Downs ridden by Michael Sultana gradually increased its pace and its lead, finishing off with a brilliant sprint throughout the last half lap to dominate the last part of the race and win by over eight lengths from Timolin and Friarscourt in that order in a seasonal best time on this distance of 2’19’17.


Thus Kimberley Downs added the Johnnie Walker Cup to the Mediterranean Derby it won in June and notched its fifth seasonal win from six races.


Mr Alfred Braddick, on behalf of the sponsors M. Demajo (Wines & Spirits) Ltd, presented the Johnnie Walker Cup to the co-owners of the winning horse together with the handsome prizes for the owners of the first three placing horses in this final.


The remaining races were all trot races over the short 2,140m distance.


In the Premier class, True Q was the first to take the lead, but this horse was overtaken after about 300m by Mars.  The real action however started in the back straight as various horses advanced to attack the race leader.  Among others we saw newcomer Cloria Victis two wide and Orcas Bac three wide running strongly to catch up with Mars.


These three horses entered the final straight in one line, but Orcas Bac soon asserted its superiority, so however that Okilaibo produced a magnificent sprint on the outside lanes to courageously attack Orcas Bac, which however successfully withstood the challenge to notch its fifth seasonal win in a time of 1’14’9 per kilometre, half a length ahead of the same Okilaibo, followed by Cloria Victis and Ohime Mag.


Chippen Bob went in front early on in the Gold class race, a position it maintained for most of the race.  However 900m from the end, Zandina Boshoeve went three wide and overtook one horse after another until it caught up with the race leader around 350m from the end.


However at that stage Chippen Bob changed pace and was disqualified leaving an open road for Zandina Boshoeve to sprint till the end to claim its second seasonal win some four and a half lengths ahead of Reado November, followed by Charm Hammering and Beckham Bob in a time of 1’16’4 per kilometre.


Matador Knick went in front at the start of the last lap in the first Silver class race and this horse maintained its lead until the end, sprinting well also throughout the final straight to win by no less than three and a half lengths from Target Player, followed by Udice Boko and Count Wiesnievski.  This was Matador Knick’s first seasonal win in the meeting’s second best time of 1’15’3 per kilometre.


In the second one, Command Coger was in the lead for most of the race and continued to lead comfortably until the end of the race to claim its third seasonal win, one and a half lengths from Soren Sufflor, followed by Magnific As and Janitor in a time of 1’16’7 per kilometre.


Belgian newcomer Bugatti Wulvennest took the lead 600m into the last Silver class race, a position it maintained throughout the remainder of the race.  Indeed, it actually accelerated further in the last 500m, to win practically unchallenged, finishing nearly three lengths ahead of Zeta Jones A, followed by Missionimpossible and Alf Eme, in 1’16’4 per kilometre.


Driver of the Month – October


Eric Bezzina is the winner of the Malta Racing Club’s Driver of the Month award for October.  This decision was based on the three wins (including that in the Cassar Fuels Gold class Condition Race) and two places he obtained during that month from the 8 races he participated in.


His three wins were all registered on Midnight Passion (Gold class – including the above-mentioned Condition Race final) whilst the placings came through Lacoste I.T. (Silver class) and Qualou Chouan (Bronze class).


Well done Eric for winning this honour!


We also thank Winner’s Circle Bar & Restaurant for kindly supporting this initiative by sponsoring October’s edition.


Ten years ago: the first SECF French trotters championships – Part One


One thing that never ceases to impress me is the speed with which time passes!  I still remember when the SECF French trotters’ championships were still an absolute innovation and unbelievably this is already the 10th anniversary of these championships!


On the occasion of this anniversary I could not resist the temptation to go back on a nostalgic trip to those days, having recourse to my memory (which does not serve me as well as it used to when I was young), the newspapers of that era and the marvellous records of our friend Mr Nicholas Farrugia.


None of the horses participating at the time are still in action at the Marsa racecourse today, whilst many (but unfortuntaly not all) of the drivers still are.


That year the racing season (2002-03) spanned some 14 months with a record breaking 72 meetings organised within it.  Indeed, it also continued throughout the summer and these championships were in fact held as from the second half of July well into August.


Differently from the situation today when two editions of this championship are held annually, the summer one on the short 2,140m distance and the winter one on the longer 2,640m, in that first year only one edition was held with 2,640m being the preferred distance.


The championships kicked off on Friday 18th July 2003 with two semi-finals from the championship reserved for classes F, G and H (a mix of the Bronze and Copper classes in today’s classification), with the first four from each semi-final making it to the final.


Bichon du Ravary appeared to be on its way to winning the first semi-final but in the final straight it suffered a strong challenge from Dede de Mingot as well as Fardoc.   It was Dede de Mingot driven by France Cassar which ultimately got the better of the other two to win in 1’18’7 per kilometre from fellow qualifiers Fardoc, Bichon du Ravary and Elopior in that order.


The second semi-final was a photocopy of the first.  This time Eperon de Ranville seemed to have the race wrapped up in its favour, when it was attacked in a determined manner by Europeen du But and Crispin which both overtook the previous race leader.  It was Julian Farrugia’s Europeen du But which ultimately triumphed in 1’19’6 per kilometre, with Crispin being disqualified.    Thus Eperon de Ranville finished runner-up, while Eric de la Noemie and Calin du Parquet also placed and qualified in that order.


The championships then continued four days later, on Tuesday 22nd July, with two semi-finals this time from the championship reserved for classes C, D and E (a mix of Silver and Bronze classes nowadays).  Once again the first four from each semi-final qualified for the final.


In the first, Elan du Cottage driven by the late George Schembri took an early lead which it maintained throughout.  It actually increased its speed in the final straight to win comfortably in 1’18’5 per kilometre, from the other qualifiers Comte de Billeron, Edelweiss Steadly and Diatka de Pitz.


Gold Vinoir driven by Noel Baldacchino also took an early lead in the second semi-final but it lost its lead in the last lap.  However, it managed a great comeback in the final straight to finish winner in 1’19’1 per kilometre followed into the final by Gregorio, Falcon Bey and El Toro.


In this manner those two meetings provided the selection of finalists for both the championship reserved for the C, D and E classes as well as that for classes F, G and H.


And what about the senior classes A1, A and B (Premier and Gold nowadays)?  These entered the fray last, making their first appearance on the 26th July and the number of participants necessitated  heats followed by semi-finals in order to provide the finalists for this championship.


But we will continue that story next week before the start of this year’s Prix de Vincennes for Premier class trotters ...  In the meantime we will enjoy the heats from the other SECF championships!


We wish you another two great meetings this weekend.