by Magnat
Another race meeting will be held next Sunday 2nd March, with an 8 race card commencing at 1.30pm. These races involve a variety of distances, from the short 2,140m to the longer 2,640m in the case of trotters and the sprint 1,250m for thoroughbreds.
This meeting’s main attraction consists primarily in two Assikura Championship semi-finals on the short 2,140m distance for Gold class trotters, with the first five from each making it to the final which is due to be held in a couple of weeks’ time.
The 22 participants comprise 12 French, 6 Swedes, 2 Danes and one each from Austria and the Netherlands.
In the first semi-final we find 12 high quality participants, i.e. heats winners Quintet and Pissaro, Obelix Cream, Prince Gaillard and Qurieux du Ponchet, all coming from a win and a place, Phenix de la Roque, Means Nothing, Blizzard AD, Energy Launcher, Quintet du Vivier and XRay Hornline registering two places in their last three outings and Oeillet de Phens managing to place well in its last race.
10 horses will contest the second semi-final. This features four heats winners, i.e. Equestrian Festival Gold class final winner Charm Hammering, December’s Prix d’Enghien winner Oolong, Happiness Photo and Wies Buitenzorg, Quid d’Aliermont coming from a win and a place in its two races in Malta to date, Carnegie Hall which placed in all of its last three races, Joss QC and Olry Meslois coming from two good places in their last three races, together with the other valid trotters L’Ideal de Fersan and Quipson which both placed in their heat to qualify for the semi-final.
The “normal” Premier class race includes a full complement of 16 horses and will be held on the longer 2,640m distance (as all the other “normal” races in this meeting). All extremely valid, these horses involve a really interesting mixed bag.
Competing in this race we find among others Vejby Boom, having a win and three places in its four outings to date, Zandina Boshoeve with a win and a runner-up place in its last three outings, Oltedo de Rieux which registered two places in its last three races, one of last season’s best performers, Midnight Passion, which also placed well in its last race, P.A. Surprise with a win and a place in its four races in Malta to date, recent newcomers Paris Libere’ and Quiet Way, the return of some horses after a few months of absence, such as Poppes Figher and Rocky Composite and French 11 year old newcomer Pat de Fontaine.
The other trot races will be two for each of the Bronze and Copper classes. French six year old Uranium des Arkads is expected to debut in the Copper class.
The Class A flat race is expected to feature the largest number of flat race participants to date this year, i.e. six. These involve two US thoroughbreds coming from good places, i.e. Safari Storm and Ollie Fliptrik, and then the interesting feature of four horses making their return after a period of absence from racing. These are American Darielli and Irish Gold As Good (both making their seasonal debut after last competing in December), Swede Mr Roxy Music (returning after a year and a half of absence) and Spectrum Bond (which has been away from racing for three and a half years).
Being also Carnival Sunday, this meeting will also contain the additional attraction of children being invited to come to the racecourse in their Carnival costume. Furthermore children having a pony may bring it to the racecourse in Carnival attire for a parade which will be held after the third race on the card. Interested persons must be in the paddock at 2.15pm. A trophy will be awarded to the pony which will be attired in the most original manner on the Carnival theme. More details may be obtained from Joe Zerafa (il-Prins).
This is a shorter race meeting than the previous two, but the attractions are no less. Indeed, two semi-finals involving some of Malta’s most popular trotters, many of which are on the doorstep of the Premier class should certainly not be missed, whilst the Premier class race, the flat race and the remaining races as well as the Carnival atmosphere at the racecourse all constitute a guarantee of splendid Sunday afternoon entertainment for the whole family!
Last Meeting
The main attractions of the last meeting consisted of a high value Premier class race as well as the start of the Assikura Championship for Bronze class trotters, all on the 2,140m distance.
Premier Class
Most of the Premier class race was dominated by Swedish newcomer Chiara Sisu which took the lead early on closely followed by Ohime Mag, Sultan November, Vanmaker Limburgia and the other horses in one group. The situation remained the same until the last 500m when various horses started their attack on the race leader.
However the determining action in the race arrived around 350m from the end when Ohime Mag suddenly accelerated in an impressive manner, went two wide and got head to head with Chiara Sisu. These two horses entered the final straight together, but Ohime Mag produced a marvellous sprint, took the lead at the start of the straight and then resisted the courageous challenge produced by Vanmaker Limburgia to claim its fifth win in Malta, nearly two lengths ahead of the latter, followed by Orgueil de Nganda and Livi Cantona. The race time was 1’15’1 per kilometre.
Assikura Championship heats - Bronze class
Kaki de Peyrahout was the first to take the lead in the first Bronze class heat, but it was soon overtaken by Narcus du Roc, followed by a compact group of participants. However in the back straight we saw the return of Kaki de Peyrahout which launched a determined attack and went ahead around 600m from the end.
The latter accerated brilliantly and soon opened a good lead which it successfully defended in the final straight from Pema’s and Mezio Josselyn’s attack to claim its second consecutive and seasonal win (its 12th win in Malta) in 1’17’3 per kilometre, a couple of lengths ahead of the same Pema and Mezio Josselyn, followed into the semi-finals by Quero des Erablais.
Prince du Moutier was in the lead for most of the second heat remaining there until the backstraight, when Take Out Blue went out on the outer lanes and successfully attacked the race leader, managing to go in front with around 600m to go. However the race was far from over, as Queops de Retz advanced swiftly to arrive within striking distance of Take Out Blue with around 300m to go.
These two went head-to-head in the final straight with Queops de Retz managing to take the lead in the middle of the straight and claiming its third win in Malta in 1’18’2 per kilometre, a length and a half ahead of Take Out Blue, followed by Royal Qui and Niko de Chamant, which all made it to the semi-finals.
In the following heat it was Napolitano Sun which dominated proceedings for most of the race after taking an early lead. This horse was the first to enter the final straight, closely followed by Sjohultets Tigra and various other horses. However in the straight, a number of horses made their attack on Napolitano Sun with the strongest of the lot being 16 year old veteran Schejken Bill which came in hugging the rails and managed to claim its fourth win in Malta in 1’18’7 per kilometre, half a length from Sjohultets Tigra, followed by fellow-qualifiers Napolitano Sun and Quiara Magic.
The fourth heat had little story as Obscur de Busset went in front early on and maintained the lead till the end, even managing to accelerate in the last half lap or so, to comfortably claim its third win in Malta, some three lengths ahead of Qumran de la Motte, in 1’17’3 per kilometre. The other qualifiers from this heat were Nylan de Mouloire and newcomer Wilma Belize which took the remaining places.
The same was the case in the following heat, which saw Julian Port taking the lead after around 400m, followed by Notice As and various other horses, with the former maintaining the lead till the end. It also reserved the best for the final straight as it sprinted to the finishing post, resisted the attacks of the fast-finishing Pancho Villa and of Notice As and took its first win in Malta in 1’18’2 per kilometre, around three-quarters of a length ahead of the same Pancho Villa and Notice As, with Willesden Hanover being the last horse to qualify from this heat.
Finally Quingen de Bussy took the lead around a lap and a half to go in the sixth and last heat, and it managed to maintain the lead until the final straight, when Zeta Jones A produced a great sprint on the inner lanes and managed to snatch its seventh win in Malta in 1’17’4 per kilometre, after going in front in the last 100m. At the post Zeta Jones A was one length ahead of the same Quingen de Bussy which preceded Lime Casted and Jens into the semi-finals.
Facts and Figures 2013 (Part 5): The Flat Racing Scene
It is fitting that we should end our review of the 2013 season with a look at the flat racing scene.
Maltese flat racing had another challenging year in 2013.
Only 18 flat races were held throughout the season which represents a very slight increase on 2012, when 16 races had been held. This means an average of one race every 2.94 meetings held in 2013 (one every 3.75 meetings in 2012), so however that fewer horses took part in many of these races than was the case in 2012.
Eleven of these races were for Class A thoroughbreds while the remaining seven races being open races.
The most popular race distances were the sprint 1,250m and the longer 1,750m distances with eight races being organised over each of these distances. Just two races were held on the extremely long 2,250m.
The most consistent thoroughbred was German Timolin in its second full season in Malta, aged 6 years last year. It won 3 times, was runner-up 5 times and third another time from its 9 races throughout the year, i.e. it managed to win or place in all its races last year. It won the Chukkas Cup on the 1,750m distance and then was runner-up in the Johnnie Walker Cup and the Coronation Cup and third in the Mediterrean Derby.
However, the thoroughbred that arguably was the most dominating force in Maltese flat racing last year was then-7 year old Kimberley Downs (USA) which after returning to race in Malta in April, after nearly a year racing successfully in France and Belgium, managed to six of its seven races in Malta until the end of the season, also claiming the Mediterranean Derby (1,750m), the Johnnie Walker Cup (2,250m) and the Coronation Cup (1,250m), i.e. an honour on each of the Maltese flat racing distances.
Thus, these two horses won between them half the flat races organised last year here in Malta.
The total number of thoroughbreds which took part in the 2013 races amounted to 24, another considerable reduction over the 2012 figure of 33, and even more over the 2011 one of 42 and less than half the 49 thoroughbreds that competed in 2010.
The number of new thoroughbreds which made their debut in 2013 was 11 (on the same level as the 10 of 2012) and much lower than the 22 newcomers of 2011 and the 21 of 2010. These newcomers all originated in Ireland (7) and Great Britain (4).
The most popular age for newcomers was that of 4 years (6 newcomers), followed by the 5 year olds (3) and the 6 and 8 year olds with a newcomer each. The most popular gender was stallions (5), followed by mares (4) and geldings (2).
The best time on the 1,250m distance was registered by Kimberley Downs (1’12’97 – just under the 2012 best time on this distance registered by Fyelehk (USA) of 1’12’76), that on the 1750m distance was made by Timolin (1’14’90, again just under the 2012 figure of 1’46’79 registered by Cheeky Jack (USA)), whilst the seasonal best on the 2,250m distance was also recorded by Kimberley Downs (2’19’17, an improvement on the 2012 best time of 2’21’73 registered by Just The Best (FR)).
The youngest thoroughbred racing in Malta in 2013 was Irish newcomer Gold As Good at the age of 3 years, whilst the eldest was 12 year old Privileged Boy.
The Jockey of the year award was won by Michael Sultana with 55 points, followed by Demis Zammit and Ramon Grima in that order (Ramon Grima also won the March edition of the Jockey of the Month Award.). Fourteen jockeys took part in all, no less than three of whom were Italian and with only seven managing to win or place among the first three.
No doubt another extremely difficult season for our flat racing scene. Once again we augur that we all interested parties would address what can be done so that the situation can improve at least to some extent and will work together to try to make the 2014 season a better one for this beautiful racing discipline.
We wish you another exciting meeting next Sunday.
