by Magnat
Two other race meetings will be held over the coming week, the first this Sunday 2ndFebruary followed by another one the following Sunday 9th February. The first race in both meetings is scheduled to start at 1.30pm. The first meeting features nine races with ten races being on the 9th February racecard. All of these are for trotters with one race in this week’s programme being for thoroughbreds.
The race distance now increases from that of the first meetings, i.e. 2,640m for trotters. Thoroughbreds start the year on the 1,750m distance.
As is often the case, the Premier class trot races are the main attractions of these two meetings.
In this week’s race, we find a full list of 16 high quality trotters. These include recent winner Vejby Boom, as well as runner-up P.A. Surprise which had won its first race in Malta at the end of last year and placing horses Zalgado Transs R and Pro Shop.
In addition, we find one of last season’s protagonists, i.e. the six time winner Midnight Passion, last week’s Gold class winner Zandina Boshoeve and runner-up Phenix de la Roque which were both promoted to this class, Madam di Poggio and Quelino d’Amour which both placed in the Equestrian Festival and in the Prix de Vincennes finals, as well as the other participants which can all rise to the occasion.
French 10 year old Quiet Way is due to make its debut in this race.
Next week’s race has another full house of 16 participants from among those with the highest handicap points in Malta. These include last week’s winner Oran and placing horses Sultan November, Lage and Oltedo de Rieux, as well as 2013 Tazza l-Kbira winner Nabab du Chatelet and 2011 winner Kakisis, December’s Prix de Vincennes winner Ohime Mag, Equestrian Festival Premier class final winner Absolut Spender, President’s Cup winner Gently di Poggio, recent newcomer Poulot des Cinty which had a positive first outing, French 12 year old newcomer Over Oaks and all the other great horses.
We also have four very interesting Gold class races spread over these two meetings. This week’s first race (for horses with the highest handicap points in this class) features last week’s winner Paleo des Cascades, December’s Prix d’Enghien winner Oolong, Premier Avril which registered a win and a good place in December, Equestrian Festival Gold class final winner Charm Hammering (which registered five wins last season), newcomers Italian 9 year old Lost Photo and French 10 year old Quintet, and all the other popular horses.
The second one includes last week’s Silver class winner Ouragan d’Any and Gold class runner-up and third placed Quintet du Vivier and Wies Buitenzorg, Rapide du Matin, Ouf Boy and Niky de Memartin which all placed well in December and 10 year old French newcomers Qlement du Digeon and Quid d’Aliermont.
Among the participants in next week’s first Gold class race we find Beckham Bob coming from a win and a place in its last outings, December’s Prix de Cabourg winner Petit Pierricais and Prix d’Enghien runner-up Prince Gaillard, Energy Launcher and Joss QC which both placed well last week, Power Night Star and Pan des Couperies which had a good end to last season, and many other promising horses.
The last Gold class race in these two meetings features another 10 year old French newcomer, i.e. Quooper de Connee, together with last week’s Silver class runner-up Baron G.L. and various horses which placed well in their last outings such as Pissaro, Regent de Tillard, Quarborandum and Pirate d’Urzy, among others.
These two race meetings also include no less than six Silver class races, including a variety of recent winners, such as December’s Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer winner Polytain, Command Coger, Valles Emile, Reveal Champ Blanc, Nasdaq du Closet, Caddie Drink, Milano du Gite, Darco As, Marchallah and Isebel, among the many competitive horses in this class, which promise some hard-fought and uncertain races.
This Sunday’s first Silver class race in particular promises special interest because it groups together various horses which are on the doorstep of the Gold class mixing recent winners and placing horses with others which have been recently relegated from the Gold class and which could possibly find their feet in this class.
This class also features some eight newcomers, i.e. French 8 year old Samson Ben Max and 9 year olds Rower, Rocktailo and Rocky de Jervi, Swedish 8 year old Livi Evergreen, Dutch 8 year old Zwinger Bobber, Italian 7 year old Neumond HBD and Danish 6 year old Razor Shadow.
The other races are reserved for Bronze and Copper class horses and these feature another newcomer, i.e. French 7 year old Tigre des Valerins.
The season’s first flat race includes a small field of five participants but with a number of points of interest. This Class A race over the longer 1,750m distance features two newcomers, i.e. Irish six year old gelding Pearl Storm and American five year old stallion Safari Storm, together with last season’s most consistent thoroughbred German Timolin, 2011 Mediterranean Derby winner Buttermilk (IR) and popular American Ollie Fliptrik.
Undoubtedly two extremely varied programmes; many newcomers, extremely competitive trot races, the season’s first flat race featuring a mix of popular thoroughbreds and newcomers, following our horses’ progress over longer distance races, etc. We all hope that the weather in this time of year will be kind to us and allow us to enjoy another two meetings where great spectacle and entertainment are guaranteed for the whole family!
Last Meetings
The season’s first two meetings consisted exclusively of trot races over the short 2,140m distance and the start of the season did not disappoint.
The main attractions were naturally the two Premier class races (one in each meeting) and the three Gold class ones split over the two meetings.
P.A. Surprise took an immediate lead at the start of the Premier class race held on the 19th January, followed by Zalgado Transs R and Original Blue for a good part of the distance. The situation remained the same until the backstraight at which stage Vejby Boom crept up the ranks to take up second place behind the race leader.
Into the final straight it was P.A. Surprise followed a length behind by Vejby Boom which launched a determined challenge onto the race leader from the start of the straight, managing to go in front with around 100m to go and maintaining the lead till the end to claim its first win in Malta by a length and a half from the same P.A. Surprise, followed by Zalgado Transs R and Pro Shop in the meeting’s best time of 1’14’9 per kilometre.
Orne des Olivettes went ahead early on in last Sunday’s race, with this horse remaining in front until the start of the last lap, when Lage attacked strongly on the outer lanes and took a lead of around five lengths in the backstraight. However at this stage Oran started to advance and in a short while it managed to annul the frontrunner’s lead in an impressive manner and went up head to head with it around 300m from the end.
The final straight was a triumphal march for Oran which went ahead around 200m from the end and sprinted in impressive manner to claim its third win in Malta more than three lengths ahead of Sultan November which had a strong finish, followed by Lage and Pro Shop. The winner’s time was a brilliant 1’14’5 per kilometre, the best time of these two meetings.
In the season’s first Gold class race, it was Quintet du Vivier which took an early lead and it controlled the race well until the final straight, notwithstanding various horses getting close to it at different stages. However in the straight for home, Quintet du Vivier was attacked strongly by Beckham Bob hugging the rails with the latter going in front around 150m from the end to claim its third win in Malta by about a length from the same Quintet du Vivier, followed by newcomer Wies Buitenzorg and Regent de Tillard in a time of 1’15’8 per kilometre.
Then in the Gold class races held in the second meeting, we first saw Paleo des Cascades taking the lead at the beginning of the race. This horse controlled the race in a comfortable manner and increased its speed in the last lap taking a two length lead in the backstraight. Notwithstanding Simb Tyrant’s strong sprint in the final straight, Paleo des Cascades was strong enough to keep a length’s advantage and won its first race in Malta in a time of 1’16’0 per kilometre, from the same Simb Tyrant followed by Energy Launcher and Joss QC.
Prince Gaillard held the lead for most of the second Gold class race, but in the backstraight this horse could do nothing to resist Zandina Boshoeve’s determined attack which led her to going in front around 600m from the end and this mare continued to increase its speed to comfortably resist Phenix de la Roque’s challenge in the final straight and claim its fourth win in Malta in a time of 1’16’4 per kilometre. In the process it was promoted to the Premier class together with the same Phenix de la Roque which finished two lengths behind it, followed by Oolong and Carnegie Hall.
In the Silver class, Reveal Champ Blanc overcame its back number to claim its first victory in Malta in 1’16’4 per kilometre, a length ahead of another French 9 year old, Reve de Nieul. Then it was Finnish mare Isebel’s turn to obtain its second win in Malta, nearly three lengths ahead of Quaid Tejy in 1’17’0 per kilometre, with French Ouragan d’Any replicating the same time in winning its fourth race in Malta some two and a half lengths ahead of Baron G.L.
Pile Ou Face, another French horse, dominated the last Silver class race of the first seasonal meeting comfortably notching its fifth win in Malta in 1’17’4 per kilometre, with Quioco Dry finishing runner-up.
In the only Silver class race on last Sunday’s programme, it was Swede Valles Emile which managed to clinch its second win in Malta a length ahead of Super Gordon in 1’17’2 per kilometre.
Clifferty Calleja competes in Vincennes
On Saturday 25th January, driver Clifferty Calleja represented Malta in the European Cup for Amateurs, an autostart race on the short 2,100m distance which was held in the legendary racecourse of Vincennes in Paris and was open for amateur drivers each nominated by a member country of the European Trot Union.
Clifferty partnered French Saxo de Breteil, a horse which was drawn for him by lot.
Norwegian driver Alf Torfinn Skeie was in the lead throughout the race on Italian Lord Dany and it won in a comfortable manner. Clifferty finished in seventh place. We wish Clifferty more beautiful international experiences like this which should further enrich his career.
Facts and Figures 2013 (Part 2): Trot best times, number of meetings and participating trotters
(a) Best Times
2013 was a fantastic year in terms of the best times registered on the various trot distances – flat races will be featured separately in a coming article.
We saw a national record being broken, i.e. that of the 2,140m distance, a joint national record on the 1,640m distance and a very good seasonal best also on the 2,640m and the 3,140m distances.
But let’s start in the proper order.
On the 14th December, Swedish 12-year old Totti T. Dream registered the best time on the 1,640m distance in an Equestrian Festival semi-final for the Premier class. The fantastic time of 1’13’1 per kilometre is the joint best time not only on the 1,640m distance but also on all distances here in Malta and equalled the times registered by Hiracan de Brehan and Pajarito Nada way back in 2007.
Swedish 9 year old Orcas Bac made a historic achievement on the 13th October, when in the Cassar Petroleum Autumn Championship final this trotter shattered legendary In Vitro du Bourg’s old national record on the 2,140m distance of 1’13’7 per kilometre, registering an impressive 1’13’4 per kilometre. Truly fantastic!
Even the 2,640m distance provided us with some great times, particularly the seasonal best made jointly by the first three horses in the VOB Cup Grand Final on the 29thDecember, French 11 year old Okilaibo, Swedish 9 year old Cloria Victis and French 11 year old Ohime Mag which all registered a fantastic time of 1’14’2 per kilometre, the best time registered in Malta since Joker de Choisel equalled its own national record on that distance (1’13’6 per kilometre) way back on the 1st June 2008.
This year we did not have many races on the longest distance in Malta, i.e. the 3,140m, but of these it was Swedish 10 year old Fire which in a “normal” Premier class race on the 21st April registered the seasonal best time on the distance, 1’16’6 per kilometre.
Some truly great times in the 2013 season!
(b) Number of meetings and of participating trotters
The total number of meetings organised in 2013 amounted to 53. Although still very good, this was among the lowest number of annual meetings in the last decade – precisely 8th out of the last ten years.
A figure which was certainly impacted by the bad weather we had in certain parts of the year and by the slow start of race registrations we had at the beginning of the year, both of which left a negative effect on the number of meetings in the calendar.
Even the number of trot races organised was somewhat lower than that of 2012, reflecting the lesser number of meetings.
The number of trotters that competed at least once in 2013 amounted to 738. This was 15 less than that of 2012 (753), with this figure showing an element of downward trend for the last few years (765 in 2011 and 781 in 2010.
Out of these, 400 (i.e. 54.2%) were French, 232 (31.4%) were Swedish, we had 24 (3.3%) Danes, 23 (3.1%) Germany, 19 (2.6%) Dutch, 14 (1.9%) Italians and 12 (1.6%) coming from Finland. The remaining 14 horses (1.9%) originated in the United States, Belgium, Austria and Norway.
So, one can say that last year just over half of our participating trotters originated in France whilst just under half originated in other countries which were nearly all European (apart from the United States).
Interestingly France and Sweden between them contributed over three-quarters (75.6%) of all trotters participating in races in Malta last year.
Undoubtedly some interesting statistics. We will now see what the current season will reserve for us and in particular what changes will take place from last year’s reality.
We wish you another two exciting meetings over the coming week.
