by Magnat

This season’s eleventh meeting will be held next Sunday 13th March starting at 1.30pm. It is another long programme of eleven races, all reserved for trotters over the rather long 2,640m distance.

This meeting is dominated by four balanced Tazza l-Kbira quarter-finals in which a total of 43 horses with ages varying between six and fifteen years, originating mainly in France and Sweden plus a representative from each of Denmark and Finland are scheduled to compete for 24 places in the semi-finals.

Each of these races includes various Premier class horses exceeding 520 points, such as Lou Petiot, Master Perrine and Affe Fager in the first quarter-final, James de l’Iton, Arnie Sensation, Liosco Atout and Major Chaleonnais in the second, Kakisis, Isolated and Flash Coger in the third, and Marathon Villers, Madis Boy, Wiss Night Hawk and Mon Daniel in the final one. However, all other horses are equally valid and this championship is one that traditionally reserves surprises.

The Gold class race has a full field of sixteen registered horses including Front and Kiton de Bouere which won their last race, Bankir Zon which won two of its last three, Energy Launcher which had a win and two placings in the last three races and Lutan Villetot being runner-up in both its last two races.

The remaining races consist of three for the Silver class, one for the Bronze class and two for Copper class horses.

Four French trotters are scheduled to make their debut, i.e. Napitano, Norfolk de Gouerie and Need a Chance in the Silver class and Newton du Pic in the Gold class.

Last meeting

The last meeting was characterised by various newcomers coming in as reserves. Apart from those originally scheduled to debut, these also made their first start locally: One Fouteau (FR) and Oural d’Asnois (FR) in the Silver class, Jobie Lucky (SE), Novak (FR) and Nuage Somolli (FR) in the Gold class and Premier class horses Max d’Avignere (FR), Mec de Freigne (FR) and Moment Present (FR).

Two horses which passed the post first were disqualified in the Premier class and the Bronze class respectively. This resulted in Ker Pellois (Premier) registering his fourth win in the last five races in the meeting’s best time of 1’17’7 per kilometre over 2,640m, followed by Mark de Chamant, and Lover Boy Index, and Narcus du Roc (Bronze) taking its first win in Malta from Ingo Moon and Naja du Tija.

L’An Deux Milles took its first seasonal win in a close Gold class race from its closest challengers veteran Intrus des Rioults and Maestro d’Eloges, whilst Larissa du Breil registered its third win in four races in the Bronze class after a tough challenge from Jet and Ballad Ribb.

Vasterbo Breezy (Copper class), Mattahari (Bronze class), Magnifique Sablais (Silver class) and Newman D.K. (Silver class) all registered their first win in Malta, with the remaining races being won by Pondus Sund (second consecutive win – Copper class) and Napol de Mai (Bronze class).

Favourite Tarruji won its second consecutive race by a sizeable margin in the Class A flat race on 1,250m, from newcomer Adorabile Med and Virginia Med.

It-Tazza l-Kbira

Its literal translation is “The Big Cup” but it is known exclusively by its Maltese name, It-Tazza l-Kbira. It is arguably the most prestigious championship in Maltese trot racing, open for horses of all classes (but in practice registered horses come from the top classes) irrespective of their country of origin.

This championship traces its origins to 1934 when the first edition was won by French horse Frise Poulet, amid some disappointment at a number of scratched participants.

Traditionally run over a rather long distance, currently 2,640m, but in the past even 2,700m and around 2,800m (except for the 2008 and 2009 editions when the distance was the short 2,140m), it was based on a handicap system which arguably prejudiced the best horses competing therein.

However in 1971 the system was changed to one of scratch races run on a heats basis (currently three sets of phases of qualifiers preceding the final) on a knock-out system. The final is held in Spring, between March and June (in March – April, since 2008).

Although this championship commenced nearly 80 years ago, there were a number of years in which for one reason or another it was not held. Thus, between 1941 and 1946, it was not organised due to the Second World War, and then it was suspended for most of the years between the mid-eighties and 2007 for a variety of reasons (e.g. due to fighting and controversy at the race-course, loss of popularity etc), and it was substituted by other championships.

It was re-introduced with its full prestige in 2008 and with the quarter-finals, we are now entering into the most interesting phases of this year’s competition.

We wish you all another exciting meeting next Sunday.