by Magnat

Two race meetings will be held at the Marsa racetrack over the coming week; the first on Sunday (11th December) and the other on Tuesday (13th December – public holiday), both starting at 1.30pm and comprising eight races each.

The key attraction of Sunday’s meeting is the final of The Burmarrad Commercials Coronation Cup over the sprint 1,250m distance, featuring a field of eight horses registered to take part. This includes horses having most points in the Malta Racing Club thoroughbreds classification, with a tie resulting for the last few places, which were thus determined on the basis of the number of races in which the particular horses competed.

The list sees a mix of French, Irish and US horses aged between 4 and 7 years and including among others this year’s Mediterranean Derby winner Buttermilk, Exotique Challenge Cup runner-up Cheeky Jack and all the other valid thoroughbreds.

We also have a very interesting Premier class race on a 2,140m distance, with fifteen registered horses. These include the popular In Vitro du Bourg, U*Bet Championship and Sette Giugno Cup winner Think Yatzee (making its return to the race track after some months’ absence), VOB Cup winner Isolated, Summer Championship runner-up Fire, newcomer Mutin du Chevrel and all the others.

Then, on the 13th December, the main attraction is the President’s Cup final featuring 9 Swedish and 3 French trotters over a 2,640m distance. These include popular horses such as Cassar Fuels Autumn Championship winner Livi Cantona, past MRC Premier Trot and VOB Cup winner Arnie Sensation, a number of promising recent newcomers, such as Utah Hornline, Nec Carmolo, Harmonic Silvio and True Q and the other equally valid horses.

Once again, we thank the businesses which are sponsoring the prizes being awarded to the winning horses in this final.

We also have a monte’ race over a 2,140m distance, including eight horses coming from France, the Netherlands and Sweden, some of which have already registered successes at the Marsa racetrack. These are Lime Casted, Max Galbe, Sir de Landerije, Knight Brunel, Absolut Chili, Biggles Coquet, newcomer Najac (FR) and Mighty.

It will be interesting to follow this type of race which is extremely popular among others in France and in Sweden and which we hope to see more of, in order to introduce further variety in the Maltese horse-racing scene.

A donation will be made supporting the Community Chest Fund in the 13th December meeting, demonstrating the Maltese horse-racing community’s civic and philanthropic values.

Apart from the above-mentioned, we have the following newcomers: Dansoor Pellini (SE) and Mint Condition (SE) in the Silver class and Ouragan d’Any (FR) in the Gold class.

A historic flat racing trophy and a prestigious trot final, in two varied meetings which should not be missed ...

Last meetings

The most important race in Sunday’s programme was that reserved for Premier class trotters on a 2,140m distance, in which Matin de Manche and Arifant shared the lead in the first half of the race but a lap from the end Anguz R.C. went in front, keeping ahead of all the others until the end, to win its second consecutive race, from Matin de Manche, Energy Launcher and Lucas Ness in a time of 1’16’0 per kilometre.

In the Gold class, we saw another splendid performance for Master Lupin which came from the outside to take the lead in the final straight to take its seventh seasonal win by a length from Beckham Bob, Vasterbo Hitchiker and Natif de l’Hommee, in the best time of the day of 1’15’7 per kilometre.

The other races saw the fourth seasonal win for each of Hulegardens Filur and Loulou Noir in the Copper Class and Pretty Post in the Bronze class, Hardy Frontline’s second seasonal win in the Bronze class and the first seasonal win for Gin T Dalimo and Stonecreek.

Thursday’s meeting was dedicated to the semi-finals of the SECF championships reserved for French trotters. Two races were held from each of the Premier, Gold, Silver and Bronze classes and these were characterised by some very good times, with no less than five races being won in a time of less than 1’16’9 per kilometre over a 2,640m distance.

The best time was made by Nevaio des Bordes in the second Prix de Vincennes (Premier class) race thanks to an increase in speed in the last half lap which led it to take its first win in Malta by a comfortable margin, in a time of 1’15’2 per kilometre, which is the seasonal best and the best time on this distance since the re-opening of the racecourse in November 2009. Mig of the Wood, Nelson du Val, Kakisis and Mica Bonero followed in that order and also made it to the final.

The first Prix de Vincennes semi-final saw Major Chaleonnais leading for most of the way to take its seventh seasonal win ahead of fellow qualifiers Noble d’Ete, Joker de Choisel, Milord Barbes and Norman d’Avril, in another very good time of 1’16’2 per kilometre.

The first Prix d’Enghien (Gold class) semi-final saw Naja In Blue notch its third seasonal win when it went in front in the last 300m or so and finished a couple of lengths ahead of Magnifique Sablais, in a time of 1’16’5 per kilometre. Orlando Tejy, Nomade de Mai and Ludo de Bellande qualified too.

The other Prix d’Enghien semi-final resulted in the second consecutive win in Malta from as many races for Ouest du Vivier which won by a head an exciting duel in the final straight with runner-up Night Inlet, in a time of 1’16’3 per kilometre. Oscar de la Vallee, Lys des Etroits and Midoun du Home are the other finalists in this class.

The Prix de Cabourg (Silver class) semi-finals were won by Nagano Phedo and Label Chouan (1’16’8 per kilometre) both at their third seasonal win, whilst the Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer (Bronze class) semi-finals were won by Noble Candeen and Olifant du Pouy, both at their first seasonal win.

Rencontres Internationales du Trotteur Francais at Vincennes

The international weekend celebrating the “trotteur francais” was held by the French trotting association, the SECF, between Friday 2nd and Sunday 4th December at the Vincennes racecourse in Paris. On Friday, the SECF presented Johann Axisa, owner and driver of Kakisis with an honour, for Kakisis being the best French trotter in Malta for the 2010 season.

Then on Saturday, Noel Baldacchino, Malta’s 2010 champion driver, took part in an international race featuring 14 leading drivers from as many countries. Noel was paired with 74/1 outsider Nophenio de Lune, which horse did not appear to be in its best form.

Noel did a very good job to keep his trotter among the front runners for most of the race, but unfortunately Nophenio de Lune changed pace in the final straight and was consequently disqualified. We congratulate Noel for doing his very best and for representing Malta in a dignified manner.

The Coronation Cup

Tracing its origins to Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation nearly 60 years, the Coronation Cup is one of the prestigious trophies in the Maltese horse-racing scene.

It takes us back to the decade following World War II, when Maltese horse-racing was still strongly characterised by British officers and flat racing enjoyed strong popularity.

The Cup was manufactured as part of the celebrations on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation on the throne of the United Kingdom, with a similar Cup being offered to each country being a member of the British Commonwealth. The Cup has a classic design with the Queen’s insignia on the front.

Its prestige stems from its link to this historic occasion, to the Queen (a keen horse enthusiast and owner in her own right) and to the long horse-racing tradition which is associated with it.

As links with the British monarchy reduced, the Cup went into hibernation and it was not made use for a long time. However after a very long absence, it was re-introduced in 2006, again as a competition for thoroughbreds.

At first it was a sort of consolation cup for horses not making it to the Mediterranean Derby final and over the same distance (1,750m) as the Mediterranean Derby, with its status being upgraded as from 2008 as the second most important flat racing trophy in Malta.

Eight top thoroughbreds can compete in the final, which is held annually close to the end of the season. Run on a short distance of 1,250m, it is Malta’s leading flat racing sprint honour, once the Mediterranean Derby is held on a longer distance. Every year’s finalists contribute to enhance the tradition and prestige associated with this Cup.

An impressive history, which honours the association between the British and the flat racing scene in Malta and sets the scene for this year’s final and for another winner to carve its name on this prestigious trophy.

We wish you all two exciting meetings this coming week.