The Malta Racing Club announced on Tuesday that for the first time ever, it would be introducing the Dragonara Cup Championship officially sponsored by the Dragonara Casino Lounge and Bistro. The Press Conference was held at the Dragonara Casino Lounge and Bistro, which has also been recently professionally refurbished and brought back to its former glory.

Club Chairman, Dr Matthew Brincat said at the press conference “the top 50 Horses in Malta will from this Friday compete in what should be one of the most interesting championships for this year. The first two heats will be held at this Friday’s racing meeting, which starts at 7.00pm, whilst the other two heats will be held during Sunday’s meeting, starting from 2.00pm.”

The Top 5 horses from each race will then qualify for the semi-finals, to be held on Sunday 24th October. Interestingly enough is the fact that all those that qualify for the semi-final stage will be competing for a Final in some way or another. As explained by the Dr. Brincat, the Dragonara Cup Championship features a “Consolation Final”, to be held on Friday 5th November while the “Championship Final” is scheduled for Sunday 7th November.

Mr Pierre Zammit, Casino Director said “Dragonara Casino Bistro & Lounge, is proud of its alliance with the Malta Racing Club for the creation of this horse racing championship. We have been in discussions with the club for the last months to finalise all details. We feel that a lot of progress has been done within the horse-racing scene in Malta, and that it is still one of the most popular and well attended sport in Malta.”

The winner will be awarded the coveted Dragonara Cup for a year. The total prize money for the Final is €3,400, consisting of a first prize of €2,000, €800 for the runner-up; €400 for the third place and €200 for the fourth place. The first four places will all get a trophy. A Dragonara horse blanket (għata) will be presented to the winner of Dragonara Cup. For the Consolation Final, additional total prize money of €1,500 will be distributed among the first four.

On behalf of MRC, the drivers and supporters of the sport, Dr Brincat thanked Dragonara Casino Bistro & Lounge for providing the necessary financial support. “Supporting horse racing also confirms Dragonara’s commitment to back up initiatives and traditions that are meaningful to the Maltese and live up to our aims to generate strong competitions at the track and to create a family atmosphere for all to enjoy,” he said.

We wish all of the competitors all the best of luck, for what should be another competitive championship for Maltese horse racing enthusiasts.