31st and 32nd horse-racing meetings

All races are trotting events over a 2,140m distance, except for one flat race over a 1,250m distance.

The key features of these two meetings are the start of the Summer Championship (including a Premier class and three Gold class races therefrom) and the VOB Cup Final.

This year the Summer Championship will be on a league basis split among the different classes, with horses being entitled to compete twice during the summer meetings, gaining points based on their placings in the respective races, and with the horses having the highest points qualifying for the respective finals.

The Premier class race includes various interesting horses such as Candy Fantasy and Lucas Ness which are both coming from good performances in the Equestrian Festival, Key Value coming from two good places, as well as other well-known trotters and two newcomers, Janitor (SE) and Nothing But Rodney (FR).

Even the Gold Class races include popular horses coming from recent wins or good placings, such as Nacarat Campbell, Jobie Lucky, Kingpin La Marc, Max Galbe, Magic Vaumicel, Napolitano Sun, Maginifique Sablais, L’Ideal de Fersan, Lass John, Rambo Lambo, Orlando Tejy, Winner Farming and many others.

The following trotters are also registered to debut in the Silver class races: Odelvio, Oregon Cerise, Oregon de la Foret, Orlov du Poncelet, and Orman (all French horses), Swedish horses Galileo Bisa and Mira Frontline, Finnish New Grove Jeton and American Willesden Hanover. If these horses make their debut, this year’s newcomers will exceed 150 trotters.

On Tuesday we then have the VOB Cup Final, grouping eight horses which have competed in the Prix de Vincennes and in the Sette Giugno Cup finals. Four French and four Swedish Premier class trotters aged between 10 and 14 years and enjoying a very good reputation will compete for this prestigious honour. The full list is: Mark de Chamant, Isolated, Master Perrine, Gentle Way, Arnie Sensation, Nobel de Grimoult, Joker de Choisel and Energy Launcher.

On Friday we also have a Class B flat race involving six thoroughbreds most of which are coming from good placings, i.e. Marivan, Nuage de la Tour, Rougement, Adorabile Med and Walker and we also welcome Daisy Girl which has been missing from the track since last year.

Doping Tests
This week the Malta Racing Club has received a doping test result disclosing a Category 3 prohibited substance in respect of Newman, relative to its win in the Equestrian Festival Silver class Final.

Last meeting
The 12th June meeting was dominated by the SECF championships finals on a 2,140m distance.

The most awaited one, the Prix de Vincennes Final for Premier Class trotters, saw Malin Roro take an early lead which it maintained until the last few hundred metres. Indeed veteran Joker de Choisel increased its tempo materially in the last 500 metres, attacking four-wide and breezing past the other horses. It went in front in the final straight and won in 1’15’4 per kilometre, one of the season’s best times on this distance. Runner-up Kakisis was disqualified, with Master Perrine taking second place, followed by Malin Roro and Mark de Chamant.

The Prix d’Enghien final for Gold class trotters gave us the most thrilling and close finish of the day, with numerous horses heading for the post together and with a minimal margin dividing winner Lord The Best from runner-up L’Ideal de Fersan, with Magnifique Sablais and Natif de Salvi finishing in third and fourth place respectively.

The Silver Class Prix de Cabourg final saw a splendid performance by Lys des Etroits which went in front in the final straight to record the meeting’s second best time of 1’16’5 per kilometre and won ahead of Knight Brunel, Midoun du Home and Obscur de Busset.

The winners of the above-mentioned three finals were all registering their first seasonal win.

Interestingly, Moustique Rose won its fourth SECF championship for Bronze Class horses (now the Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer), whilst L’Ami du Popey won the Prix de Caen (Copper Class).

The SECF championships presentations were made by senior SECF official Mr Benoit Fabrega, in the presence of Dr Matthew Brincat, chairman of the Malta Racing Club.

The other winners of the day were Insa (Copper class), Sweep The Floor, Syllabub and Narcus du Roc in the Bronze class, and Cross Country F.C. (Silver class).

A week of winners
A solitary horse covered by a colourful blanket comes out of the paddock making its way slowly to the winners’ circle. It’s tired and sweaty but its owners, trainers and the horse itself are enjoying the adulation of the crowd, whose enthusiasm has not abated since the end of the race.

The prize-giving ritual, with the trophy presentations, photos of family and friends with their winner, spectators’ cheering, the interview with the driver and the winner’s triumphant exit in a truly colourful, Mediterranean atmosphere, make proud its owners, trainers and their relatives.

They forget the patience of months of training and preparation, the frustration and challenge of trying to discover why the horse is not performing at its standards, the worry of an injury, especially a long-term one …

Indeed, the racing calendar for the beginning of June offered an impressive number of finals in both trot and flat racing, with a variety of winners. Who are these horses? What is their background?

The McDonald’s Mediterranean Derby was won by Irish 4 year old Buttermilk, which made its local debut, at its prime, last January. After two no places, it took two 3rd places and then two consecutive wins, including the Mediterranean Derby, showing regular improvement in its times in the process, over both the 1,250m and the 1,750m distances.

Although mile distances are not so popular in France, French Equestrian Festival Premier Final winner Mon Daniel registered a win and a place in two sprint races abroad. In Malta it has so far collected 3 wins and 2 places from 7 outings, after winning 20 races and nearly Euro210,000 in its overseas career. At the Equestrian Festival, it registered its all-time personal best and the joint national best time in the last two years of 1’13’8 per kilometre, confirming its speed potential.

Swedish 12-year old Think Yatzee, winner of the Sette Giugno Cup, needs no introduction. Winner of around SEK2,800,000 overseas, with a best time of 1’11’6 per kilometre, this is another horse which is cared for with great dedication. It has won an impressive list of short-distance championships, including three U*Bet Premier championships, an MRC Premier Trot, a VOB Cup and the Sette Giugno Cup, plus a local personal best of 1’13’3 per kilometre.

French trotter Joker de Choisel won its second Prix de Vincennes aged 14 years. In France it competed in various prestigious races, gaining 18 wins and around Euro450,000. It impressed on arrival here three years ago, winning the Prix de Vincennes and twice timing the national 2,640m record of 1’13’6 per kilometre.

Unlucky to be scratched in 3 championships, and suffering a major injury sidelining it for a whole year, incredibly, after returning to racing only 3 months ago, this horse’s great heart and the care and attention it was given, made us relive its glorious days despite facing younger horses.

Different horses … different backgrounds … all winners. A credit to them (and the other winners), their owners, trainers and drivers. An illustration of how patience and dedication can ultimately pay off. Whose turn will it now be to carve its name on the forthcoming honours?