by Magnat

Race-meetings will be held at the Marsa race track next Thursday (31st) March (Freedom Day public holiday) and Sunday 3rd April. Both meetings will start at 2pm.

Each meeting will feature eight races, all trot events except for a flat race for Class A horses on Thursday. The sprint distance of 1,640m will be used for all trot races except one (over 2,140m), while the flat race will be run over the long 2,250m distance.

The highlight of the 31st March meeting will be this year’s Malta leg of the Mediterranean Horse Racing Union’s (MHRU) international championship. The Malta Racing Club is preparing a spectacular backdrop for this event with the involvement of “karozzini” and a band.

The MHRU is an international horse-racing organisation including both trot and flat racing. Founded in 2008, it unites various horse-racing federations and associations from the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, i.e. Algeria, Croatia, France, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.

The drivers’ championship will constitute the first leg of this year’s competition and sees our representative Julian Farrugia pitted against representatives of the other competing nations, i.e. Slovenia, Ukraine, Italy, France, Russia and Serbia. Silver class horses will be used for the Malta leg over a short 2,140m distance.

The jockeys’ championship is in its second leg after that held in France. Our representative will be Eric Zammit who will face competitors from Russia, Morocco, Tunisia, France and Italy in a Class A race over 2,250m.

Malta is defending its 2010 champion’s title in the drivers’ championship and we also won a prestigious second place in last year’s jockeys’ championship. We wish our representatives the best of luck because they will be facing tough competition from much bigger nations, most of which have first class traditions in the respective disciplines.

The remaining races will consist mainly of other Silver class races (four), plus a Copper class race and a ponies race.

Sunday’s programme is scheduled to include two Copper class races, three races for Bronze class horses, one Gold class race and two for Premier class horses.

Each Premier class race features a field of fifteen horses. The first includes horses having less than 490 points. Among those coming from positive performances in their last three outings, we have Livi Cantona (won twice), Carnegie Hall (winner in its last race), Lover Boy Index (won once and placed another time) and Key Value (registered a second and a third place).

The other Premier class race for horses with higher points includes other recent good performers including among others Master Perrine and Belafonte (first and second in last week’s Premier class race), Ker Pellois (three wins this season) and various others. Ringside (SE) is scheduled to make its debut in this race.

Last meetings

The key features of last weekend’s meetings were the Emirates Tazza l-Kbira semi-finals over 2,640m which were held on Sunday during an eleven race card. These resulted in the selection of all the contestants of the 10th April final.

The first semi-final was won by Kakisis whose impressive sprint in the last two hundred metres led it to beat the previous front-runners and finish ahead of the other qualifiers Neo de Mira, Lonshults Anders, Madis Boy and Liosco Atout. Unfortunately the latter died soon after the race with the final now losing one competitor.

The second semi-final resulted in the third win from four local outings for Major Chaleonnais which went in front from the early stages and kept ahead throughout to win from fellow qualifiers Lou Petiot, Isolated, Marathon Villers and Netter Williams.

Another eleven race meeting was held on Friday. The key race reserved for Premier class horses over 2,140m resulted in a win for Master Perrine which beat a tough challenge from newcomer Belafonte to register a very good time of 1’15’7 per kilometre.

The three Gold class races also had interesting endings. Friday’s race resulted in a win for Indian Attack in another very good time of 1’15’8 per kilometre over 2,140m. On Sunday, Energy Launcher effected an impressive late sprint to come from nowhere and beat one and all, whilst the other Gold class race was won by Carnegie Hall which was promoted to the Premier class together with runner-up L’An Deux Milles, after the disqualification of the first horse past the post.

Apart from the previously announced newcomers, the following horses also made their debut last weekend, coming in as reserves: Olympic Swing (SE) – Bronze class, which debuted with a win, Running Asterix (SE) – Silver class and Locton (FR) – Premier class,

Doping Tests

We note with satisfaction that the Malta Racing Club recently received three negative doping test results regarding Arnie Sensation, Livi Cantona and Lotus du Goth. Well done to their owners and may we have more negative doping test results to continue to prove our commitment to clean racing competition.

Charles Clifton

It was fitting that Sunday’s programme included a one minute silence to mark the demise of well-known former driver Charles Clifton, together with a symbolic ceremony involving the participation of fellow drivers and members of his family.

Coincidentally the news of Charles’ death reached me whilst reading through a May 1985 The Times report on that year’s Farsons championship ending which stated among others “The Koqsour – Clifton (Charles) tandem fully deserve the accolade of champions showered on them yesterday by an appreciative crowd.”

A similar article of June 1989 reports on the MRC Challenge Cup final: “The leader was now only one length in front but even Lionel and Neloup were steadily closing in as was also Nemo des Bruyeres who was being ably kept in check by Charles Clifton… As the field came out of the final bend, Nemo des Bruyeres made its decisive move. It came strongly on the leader’s outside and gradually ate into the lead, overtaking it with 100 metres to the post. Made in Pirjou reacted but its reaction was rather feeble and never troubled the leader who went on to win by one length.”

That is how we want to continue remembering you, Charles. As a distinguished sportsman and a winner – you may not be with us any longer but your memory will never fade away. May you rest in peace.

We offer our sincere condolences to Charles’ family and loved ones.

We wish you all two exciting meetings this week.