by Magnat
Another race meeting will be held on Sunday 13th April, composed of nine trot races over the rather long 2,640m distance, with the first race starting at 1.45pm.
The key attractions of this meeting are undoubtedly three semi-finals from the Bank of Valletta Tazza l-Kbira featuring 29 Premier class trotters, 13 French, 12 Swedes, 2 Germans and one each from Denmark and Italy. These are 23 geldings, 4 mares and 2 stallions aged between 8 and 14 years.
The first four from each semi-final make it to the final.
The first semi-final includes heats winners Perceval and Pacha de la Frette and runners-up Made In Hoff and Pouloud Keroc’h, Tazza l-Kbira holder Nabab du Chatelet, past championships winner Arnie Sensation (eldest horse in these semi-finals at 14 years), as well as popular horses Totti T. Dream, Chiara Sisu, Vanmaker Limburgia and Quiet Way.
The second semi-final features no less than six Swedish trotters with Tap Dance having the best placing in the heats (runner-up), and with all of The Bad Rock, Poppes Fighter, Sultan November and Madam di Poggio finishing third. The field also includes 2013 Summer championship winner Shakira Trot and Equestrian Festival winner Absolut Spender, as well as equally deserving horses Ourasi Diams and Ego Sanna.
The last semi-final features heats winners Vejby Boom (this horse is coming from two consecutive wins), Pat de Fontaine and Papy de la Potel, as well as runners-up Prieure’ and Oltedo de Rieux (which won its penultimate race), together with Cloria Victis which also won its penultimate race, and other strong contenders for a place in the final, Midnight Passion, Original Blue, Oran and Quirio Charm.
Undoubtedly three extremely balanced semi-finals from which it will be a tough task for everyone to obtain one of the first four places, in order to secure a place in the final.
The draws for the final will then be transmitted live on ONE TV’s programme ‘Sal-Gister’ on Wednesday 16th April in the presence of MRC Chairman Dr Matthew Brincat and BOV CEO Mr Charles Borg, as well as the owners and drivers that will make it to the final.
The “normal” Gold class race featuring a full complement of 16 participants is another highlight of the meeting with no less than five newcomers (all geldings), four French 10 year olds, Quim Itou, Qadjar Turgot, Querios du Randou and Quitou Jim Park, as well as Swedish 7 year old Oregon Frontline.
These will join horses such as Quarborandum and Regent de Tillard, coming from a promising runner-up position, Quazoumax which obtained a good third place recently and various other extremely solid horses.
The other races are interesting “normal” races, one for the Copper class, two for the Bronze class and the other two for Silver class trotters.
After having reached the 100 newcomer mark this year at the last meeting, apart from the above-mentioned ones in the Gold class, more newcomers are due to make their debut in the Silver class, i.e. French 10 year old Quersis and 9 year olds Recif du Layon, Rasting Celina, Ravageur de Payre, Rex Speed and Record du Mexique.
But undoubtedly this Sunday’s star attraction remains the three BOV Tazza l-Kbira semi-finals. I am sure that the participants’ owners, trainers and drivers (but also us horse-racing enthusiasts) will have butterflies in their stomach throughout the weekend in anticipation of this appointment with history, as they strive to make their efforts and sacrifices give deserved results, with their horses attempting to obtain one of the coveted four places in each semi-final to secure a ticket to Malta’s race of the year, the BOV Tazza l-Kbira 2014 final – at its 80th anniversary!
Last Meetings
The highlights of last Sunday’s meeting were the Ray Auto Dealer Challenge Cup final for Silver class trotters and two interesting “normal” Gold class races plus four Silver class races, all on the short 2,140m distance. This meeting was characterised by a number of trotters obtaining their first win in Malta – no less than six from the nine races on the card.
Ray Auto Dealer Challenge Cup final
Roma M and Quatre de Coeur went in front early on in this final, with the latter taking the lead with a mile to go ahead of a compact group of horses. But these positions switched again a couple of hundred metres later with Roma M maintaining the lead until the backstraght when Quid de la Muette launched its attack and went in front with 700m to go followed closely by Quioco Dry.
The final straight was a spectacular affair as Quoico Dry went ahead challenged seriously by no less than three other horses, Zizazimoko, Ollico Pellois and Ringo Flower which thundered towards the post practically together, with the photofinish having to determine the winner.
The verdict went in favour of Dutch mare Zizazimoko driven by Tony Demanuele at its first win in Malta, just a nose ahead of Quioco Dry, followed by Ollico Pellois, Ringo Flower and Command Coger in that order, in 1’16’7 per kilometre.
After the race Mr Gabriel Micallef, on behalf of Ray Auto Dealer, presented the trophies and prizes to the owners and drivers of the winning and placing horses.
Gold class
Milord Barbes went in front at the beginning of the first Gold class race maintaining the lead until the backstraight, when with 850m to go, we saw a fantastic sprint by New Star D K on the outside lanes, which took it straight to the front with 600m to go. From then on, the race had no more story as this horse controlled the race until the end to claim its first win in Malta, a length ahead of Ouest Mabon, followed by Malewe and Quio de Nappes in a time of 1’16’1 per kilometre.
Our Dream took the lead with around a mile to go in the second Gold class race. However various horses made their move in the backstraight, with Nagano Phedo managing to go up to second place and then overtaking the race leader with 350m to go.
Into the final straight, Nagano Phedo came under serious threat from Blizzard AD which managed to take the lead in the middle of the straight and to go on to claim its first seasonal and third win in Malta in the meeting’s best time of 1’15’4 per kilometre, more than a length ahead of fast finishing Wies Buitenzorg, followed by Nagano Phedo and Pepito Flash.
Silver class
Newcomer Double Kiss took an early lead in the first “normal” Silver class race followed by Livi Champion and a bunch of other horses.
With over a lap to go, Qumran de la Motte advanced up the field on the outer lanes to come up in third place, with the latter managing to come head-to-head with the race leader with 350m to go, going in front when turning the final bend and then sprinting well throughout the final straight to claim its second consecutive and third seasonal win in 1’16’1 per kilometre, over two lengths ahead of newcomers Rex Rose and Vasterbo Mugger, with Zeta Jones A finishing fourth.
Wonderofyou was in the lead since the early stages of the second Silver class race, but in the middle of the backstraight Foot Stompin Music went three wide to attack the race leader and to arrive head-to-head with half a lap to go.
Foot Stompin Music went ahead at the start of the final straight but at that stage in its turn it was attacked by Quiquafini sprinting three wide, with the final 200m being characterised by a great head-to-head challenge between these two horses, with the latter getting the photo finish’s verdict, obtaining its first win in Malta by a nose from the said Foot Stompin Music, followed by Nimbus Bjerregard and Wonderofyou in 1’16’2 per kilometre.
The lead changed hands a number of times at the start of the third Silver class race until I Pitstop went in front after around 350m, with this horse remaining in front until the beginning of the final straight, when it was attacked by various horses.
200m from the end, Razor Shadow overtook I Pitstop and continued on its way to its first win in Malta in 1’16’5 per kilometre, more than a length and a half ahead of fast-finishing newcomers Purple Hall and Quirinus Vrie, with Touch The Diamond finishing fourth.
Regent de Tillard was in the lead for most of the last Silver class race, but in the backstraight we could notice a brilliant sprint four wide by Quattro du Gite which led it to second place with 400m left. Regent de Tillard managed to hold on to its lead in the first part of the final straight when it was attacked strongly by Quattro du Gite with the latter managing to go in front in the last 100m to become yet another first time winner in Malta during this meeting, in 1’17’1 per kilometre, more than a length ahead of Regent de Tillard, followed by Partisan de Bouere and Ouragan d’Any in that order.
Jockey of the Month Award – March
The Jockey of the Month for March is Michael Sultana, who won this award on the basis of managing to perform a very rare feat here in Malta during that month, i.e. winning more than once and placing both in flat races as well as in trot races.
He won on Seigneur du Dropt and on Grace Party, both in trot races in the Bronze class and on Pearl Storm and Kimberley Downs, both in Class A flat races. He placed on Seigneur du Dropt in the Bronze trot class and on Ollie Fliptrik in Class A for thoroughbreds.
It is also interesting to note that he managed to win two consecutive races in the two different disciplines in the 19th March meeting, first in the trot discipline on Grace Party and immediately afterwards in flat racing on Pearl Storm.
Congratulations Michael!
We also take the opportunity to thank M. Demajo (Wines & Spirits) Ltd, through their brand Johnnie Walker for kindly supporting this initiative once again, by sponsoring also this month’s edition of this award.
The Tazza l-Kbira semi-finals in days gone by – 40 and 35 years ago...
The rich history of the Tazza l-Kbira in its chequered 80 year history contributes in no small measure to its prestige and heritage. Thus, as we have done in previous years, we go back down memory lane and take a look at the semi-finals for this Cup that were held at the Marsa racecourse 40 and 35 years ago.
The race distance was as usual quite a long one, i.e. one lap round the old racecourse of 1.75 miles or over 2,800m.
1974
Forty years ago, in 1974, the first semi-final was held on the 7th April with the following participants: Ardent VI, Vavilly, Quiscale III, Un Reve Royal, Vouf, Urf T, Ulm V, Ultra Son B and Urzy. Trigny, a popular trotter at the time was due to participate too, but was scratched before the race.
The early leaders were Un Reve Royal, Vouf and Vavilly. On the other hand, pre-race favourite Ardent VI did not start well. However, it managed to make good progress in the course of the race and eventually caught up with the front runners.
The last part of the race saw Ardent VI, Ulm V and Quiscale III attacking race leader Vavilly as well as Un Reve Royal.
The race was ultimately fought out between these five trotters and although Ardent VI managed to produce a very good sprint at the end to challenge Vavilly, the latter managed to hold on and finish first.
However, Vavilly was disqualified for hooking and thus Ardent VI got the verdict. Quiscale III was runner-up, followed by Ulm V, Un Reve Royal (the previous year’s champion) and Ultra Son B, making it to the final in that order.
Strong contestations arose after the race as a result of Vavilly’s disqualification – not an untypical occurrence in those times.
The second semi-final was held a week later but lost much of its appeal after the scratching of three participants, i.e. Solide Espoir, Twist A and Unique Tresor. Ultimately it featured the following horses: pre-race favourite Sam II (winner of the Tazza l-Kbira in 1972), Arrysomme, Troubadour L, Azor, Tarzan Novel, Urbain L and Uros.
Urbain L had a perfect start and soon opened a lead of around 7 lengths on Tarzan Novel, followed by the other horses. However with around a kilometre to go, Sam II produced a tremendous run to go up to second place and the last few hundred metres more than made up for the limited number of participants as these two produced a head-to-head tussle between them culminating in a great finish.
Ultimately Urbain L held on to win by just a head, with Sam II finishing runner-up, followed by fellow qualifiers Tarzan Novel, Arrysomme and Troubadour L.
1979
The 1978-79 season was a turbulent one for Maltese horse-racing with so much fighting going on at the racecourse that the stewards even decided that a cooling-off period was necessary, resulting in a two week stop from racing. The Tazza l-Kbira championship thus started much later than normal, on 20th May 1979.
The two semi-finals were both due to be held on the 3rd June. However both were characterised by incidents.
In the first, after the scratching of Elgraiz and Frisson d’Echouche, the unfortunate participant in the eight horse field was Eric de Sassy, a trotter having a very good past in France before its importation to Malta but which was very unlucky here.
Its harness broke during warming up and although a new one was put on, the horse (always having a nervous disposition) appeared affected by this incident and although considered to be one of the potential finalists, had a bad start and could never recover, finishing punultimate.
The race was won in great style by Eric de Sassy’s stablemate Eros Normand, which led practically throughout, opening a four length lead by mid-race. It was chased by Eldy des Etangs (driven by Frenchman R. Patenay) for most of the race, but in the final straight Eldy had to give way to Espoir des Marais, one of the favourites for the Cup, which produced a punishing sprint that brought it within a length from Eros Normand, thus finishing runner-up.
Eldy des Etangs finished third, followed into the final by Dultor and Beguin du Mesnil.
The second semi-final had a false start but eight of the ten participants’ drivers did not notice and continued running for practically the whole race. Thus the stewards decided that the race should be re-run a week later so as to give an equal chance to all participants, including those which had continued to run.
So, the race was re-run on the 10th June, with the 10 horse field including popular trotters such as Curdin Song, Ecossais II, Elagabal, Full Pyl, Urbain L (by then aged 15 years), Erubi, Dicav and Duc de Vendee, among others.
Except for Curdin Song which had a rather mediocre start, the remaining horses remained bunched together for the first half of the race, at which stage Ecossais II took the lead followed by Elagabal, with Full Pyl, Urbain L and Erubi not far behind.
Soon after tackling the final bend, race leader Ecossais II broke and had to be controlled, thus opening the road for Elagabal to take the lead with Dicav in pursuit on the outside.
From then on Elagabal controlled the race comfortably and although not exerting itself too much won by half a length from the strong finishing Dicav, with Full Pyl another half a length behind in third place. Erubi and Ecossais II were the final two to qualify for that year’s final.
Old timers certainly remember the outcome of these two finals, but it will be a joy to recall the protagonists in a couple of weeks’ time as we prepare to follow this year’s final. How can it be that 35 and 40 years have already passed since those two finals when the names of these horses still live on in our memory and in the history of this great Cup?!
We wish you another exciting meeting on Sunday.
