by Magnat
Another race meeting will be held on Sunday 23rd February, comprising another programme of no less than 11 races, with the first race scheduled to start at 1.15pm. All these races are trot events over the short 2,140m distance.
Two main attractions characterise this meeting, i.e. a “normal” Premier class race reserved for trotters with the highest handicap points in Malta and the start of the Assikura championship for Bronze class horses with no less than six heats.
The Premier class race in this programme promises to provide a great spectacle. Twelve horses of great calibre will challenge each other for a prestigious win! These include last season’s Tazza l-Kbira winner Nabab du Chatelet, President’s Cup winner Gently di Poggio, December’s Prix de Vincennes winner Ohime Mag, past championship winners Arnie Sensation and Livi Cantona recent placing horses such as Sultan November and all the other extremely valid participants.
These also include newcomer Chiara Sisu, a Swedish 9 year old mare registered with the highest handicap points for newcomers here in Malta. Winner of SEK1,191,012 overseas, through eight wins and numerous placings, it has a best time of 1’12’0 made in 2012 on a 1,609m distance. Among its best performances we find a win in a Diamantstoet heat in November 2010 (SEK100,000 of winnings) and a runner-up place in the Diamanstoet Final (for 3-7 year old mares) in November 2011 with the same level of winnings. It also had a good year in 2013 with a win and no less than 13 places (2nd to 5th) on distances varying between 1,640m and 2,640m, and a best time of 1’13’0 per kilometre.
The Assikura Bronze class championship features some 72 participants, with 6 heats composed of between 10 and 13 trotters each. The first four from each heat make it to the semi-finals.
Among the participants in the first heat, we find recent winners Kaki de Peyrahout, Buckens Stjarna and Pema, as well as others such as Mezio Josselyn and Money Boy which placed well in their last races, as well as all the other valid participants.
The recent winners in the second heat include Navaroso de Khepri and Bella Notte whilst Take Out Blue and Prince du Moutier also had good placings in their recent outings, with all the other competitors also having the quality to rise to the occasion.
The third heat features Nemrod du Ruisseau and Stormy Sand, both winners in recent races, together with Napolitano Sun and Ywema’s Pine among those having successful races in the last meetings.
Then it is the turn of trotters of the likes of Qumran de la Motte, Quatrain de Retz and Nylan du Mouloire which registered wins in the last few months, whilst Lotus du Goth, Obscur de Busset, Petchora and Nono d’Echal demonstrated their competitiveness through good places. This heat also features the only newcomer in this championship, i.e. Swedish 11 year old mare Wilma Belize.
The fifth heat is characterised by the number of participants which placed well recently, including Willesden Hanover, Caddie Drink, Qualou Chouan, Notice As, Julian Port and Biggles Coquet, with all the others being capable of challenging for the win or for a place in the semi-finals.
The same is the case for the sixth and final heat, with horses such as Lime Casted, Icare de Jemma, Adream Wish, Jens, Above Roland, Oscar du Meu and Quella des Moyeux all having placed well in their last outings.
Undoubtedly six balanced races with an uncertain outcome not just as regards the winners but also for the other qualifying horses.
The remaining races are normal class ones for the Copper (one) and Silver (three) classes.
And thus we start a new championship, one reserved for horses which perhaps might not dominate the Maltese racing scene as is typical of the Premier and Gold class trotters, but nonetheless these are popular horses with a strong competitive spirit which are sure to guarantee some close finishes and a great spectacle for all spectators!
Last Meeting
The last meeting was characterised by the start of the Assikura championship for Gold class trotters as well as a splendid “normal” Premier class race all over the short 2,140m distance and an entertaining Class A flat race on the longest race distance for thoroughbreds in Malta, 2,250m.
Premier Class
P.A. Surprise went in front early on in the Premier class race managing to set the pace for the rest of the field until around 850m from the end, when Absolut Spender went two wide and overtook the race leader. This horse, winner of December’s Equestrian Festival Premier class final even increase its speed in the last part of the race and thanks to a great sprint it managed to resist Vejby Boom’s strong attack in the final straight to claim its sixth win in Malta in the very good time of 1’14’8 per kilometre, a length ahead of the same Vejby Boom, followed by Zalgado Transs R and Oltedo de Rieux.
Assikura Championship heats - Gold class
Phenix de la Roque took the lead with around a mile to go in the first Assikura Championship heat and although Quintet took the lead for a few seconds, Phenix de la Roque soon regained its lead.
The latter maintained its lead until the last part of the race, when with around 350m from the end Quintet positioned itself two wide to attack the race leader, managing to take the lead at the beginning of the final straight and then sprinting to the end to claim its first win in Malta in 1’15’3 per kilometre, around a length and a half ahead of the fast finishing Prince Gaillard, followed into the semi-finals by Phenix de la Roque and Joss Q.C.
In the second heat, we first saw Happiness Photo taking the lead after around 300m after the start of the race, with Ouest Mabon taking over after the first half kilometre. This horse remained in front until the end of the back straight when Happiness Photo launched its attack two wide and took the lead with around 600m to go.
The latter continued increasing its speed and soon detached itself from the rest of the field and then comfortably dominated the final straight to claim its first win in Malta in 1’15’1 per kilometre, nearly three lengths ahead of Blizzard AD, followed by Means Nothing and L’Ideal de Fersan which all made it to the semi-finals.
Little Nick took an early lead in the third heat which it comfortably maintained until the backstraight when we started to see the determined advance of Charm Hammering two wide, with the latter going in front 600m from the end.
The final straight was an exciting duel between Charm Hammering in the inner lanes and Player du Mirel on the outer lanes with the former managing to resist the challenge and to claim its eighth win in Malta and after the disqualification of Player du Mirel for hooking, Charm Hammering’s win was of nearly five lengths from Quintet du Vivier, with Xray Hornline and Quipson claiming the remaining semi-final places. The race time was of 1’16’1 per kilometre.
The next heat had little story as Pissaro took the lead in the early stages and maintained it throughout. Actually it even managed to increase its speed in the last 300m sprinting marvellously to claim its first win in Malta in 1’16’1 per kilometre, some two lengths ahead of fellow qualifiers Qurieux du Ponchet, Qlement du Digeon and Energy Launcher.
Orion du Vaumicel took an early lead in the penultimate heat followed by horses such as Carnegie Hall, Oiellet de Phens and the other horses in a compact group. The situation remained practically the same until the final straight when no less than six horses challenged each other practically in a straight line, with the best among them being Wies Buitenzorg running five wide and Quid d’Aliermont four wide. The photo finish awarded the first win in Malta to the former in 1’16’6 per kilometre, just a head in front of Quid d’Aliermont, followed into the semi-finals by Carnegie Hall and Oiellet de Phens.
Finally, it was Olry Meslois which was in the lead for most of the last heat but the real action arrived at the start of the final straight when December’s Prix d’Enghien winner Oolong running four wide, launched an impressive sprint to overtake one horse after another, reaching the race leader in the middle of the straight and then being unstoppable till the end to claim its fourth win in Malta in the impressive time of 1’14’4 per kilometre (the best time so far this season on the 2,140m distance), some two lengths ahead of Oscar Mati, followed by Olry Meslois and Obelix Cream which became the last horses to qualify for the semi-finals.
Flat Race – Class A
In the Class A flat race on the extremely long 2,250m distance it was Ollie Fliptrik which took the lead followed by Timolin and Pearl Storm. These two thoroughbreds launched their attack in the backstraight and provided us with an exciting head-to-head struggle. Pearl Storm took the lead around 300m from the end and then defended it successfully throughout the final straight from Timolin’s return, to claim its second consecutive and seasonal win three quarters of a length ahead of the same Timolin, followed by Ollie Fliptrik. The race time was of 2’19’42.
Facts & Figures 2013 (Part 4): Trot racing honours
The Maltese trot scene offers a number of honours in respect of both drivers and horses. Most of these reward consistency in performance throughout the entire year with the Driver of the Month Award being aimed at the most distinctive driver or jockey during the particular month.
The most consistent trotter for 2013 was Dutch Andri Boko (following another Dutch, Zilver Boko, in 2012) which notched 8 wins (including the Summer Championship Copper class final) and 8 places out of its 24 races (the horse which participated in most races last year). This horse raced mainly in the Copper and Bronze classes but was promoted to the Silver class close to the end of the year.
It was followed by French Okilaibo (six wins and eight places) from its 14 races (all in the Premier class) and another Dutch Zeta Jones A (six wins and six places) from 16 races (mainly in the Bronze class but it was promoted to the Silver class in November), in this classification.
Noel Baldacchino won the Best Driver award once again (the fourth consecutive time) ahead of Charles Camilleri, Rodney Gatt, Julian Farrugia, David Ellul, Tony Demanuele and Clifferty Calleja in that order. These seven drivers all managed to exceed the 190 point mark in the final classification.
Rodney Gatt won the Best Apprentice (Under 25) Driver award for the eighth consecutive time ahead of Redent Magro, Jesmar Gafa’ and Kurt Saliba. It is a pity that out of these top four, only Rodney Gatt (3rd) managed to place in the top 10 of the overall Best Driver classification.
After its active participation in the Mediterranean Horse Racing Union’s drivers’ championship in the last few years, last year Malta took a back seat in this respect, participating only in one leg, i.e. that held in Siracusa, Italy, where Noel Baldacchino finished seventh (4th amongst the participants in this international championship).
On the other hand, 2013 will remain impressed in our mind as the year of Noel’s historic win at the legendary Vincennes racecourse (the second Maltese win after Andrew Pace’s in 2001) driving 10 year old Puy de Sancy in the international race Prix de Recontres Internationales du Trotteur Francais on the 30th November 2013.
Our drivers also took part in various other international races, whether on the basis of personal initiatives or representing Malta in an official capacity and many of them managed to obtain extremely satisfactory results. Well done to all of them.
The Driver of the Month Award was won twice only by one person, i.e. champion driver Noel Baldacchino (September and November), with the rest of the winners being Clifferty Calleja (January – February), Ramon Grima (flat racing jockey) (March), Charles Camilleri (April), Patrick Spiteri (May), Rodney Gatt (June), Julian Farrugia (July), Eric Bezzina (October) and Ronald Cassar (December). Well done to all of them!
The Malta Horse Racing Awards ceremony was also held in February, and once again this proved to be a very successful event which honoured owners, drivers, jockeys and other horse-racing personalities for their successes. A very enjoyable and laudable event.
Well done to all the above-mentioned people and horses. We wish all the best to them and to all those (whether humans or horses) who are aiming to get their share of the honours this year.
I also take the opportunity of once again thanking my friend Mr Nicholas Farrugia, a veritable trot encyclopedia, without whose precious statistical information in various areas I would not have been in a position to present the summary of the last season in the conclusions to these four articles. In the next edition, we will take a look at the flat racing scene.
We wish you another exciting meeting on Sunday.
