The 2013 horse racing season got under way at the Marsa Racetrack yesterday with a card consisting of eight all-trotting scratch events on the 2,140m distance.

There was only one Premier Class race in programme and this was the highlight of the afternoon.

The winner was Fire, driven by Marco Refalo. Fire finished a length ahead of second horse in, Nicos de Peneme. The winner started its final dash some 400m from the post to secure a comfortable victory for an auspicious start to the 2013 season.

Skip Dimanche was third behind Nicos de Peneme.

Keeping Quality and Onyx Speed were the first two horses past the post in the only Gold Class race yesterday.

However, both front-runners were disqualified with victory awarded to Simb From Abroad, led by Clive Gerada, and the runner-up slot going to Oolong.

Quo Vadis Phedo, under the control of Clifferty Calleja, was too good for the rest of the field in the first Silver Class race of the afternoon as the trotter emerged a clear winner in only its third outing at the Marsa Racetrack.

In the other Silver Class race, Lovely Mab (Johan Gaffarena) started to increase its pace significantly some 300m from the post to go on and win by a length over second horse in Otas Fighter.

There were three Silver Class races yesterday and victory in the third event went to Charles Camilleri’s Daring Daylight after making sure along the final straight.

Shaun Portelli’s Ackaturbo was the winner in the first Bronze Class race thanks to a very strong dash in the last few metres.

Ariane A, controlled by Tony Demanuele, won for a third time in its last four races after leading all the way in the other Bronze Class event.

The opening event of the season, for Copper Class horses, was won by Loulou de la Rose after a very tight run with Hulegardens Filur.

Both trotters sprinted closely together along the final metres but it was Loulou de la Rose, driven by Carl Caruana, that crossed the finish line first.

Yesterday’s winners
Race 1: Copper, Loulou de la Rose (C. Caruana).
Race 2: Bronze, Ackaturbo (S. Portelli).
Race 3: Silver, Quo Vadis Phedo (C. Calleja).
Race 4: Bronze, Ariane A (T. Demanuele).
Race 5: Gold, Simb From Abroad (C. Gerada).
Race 6: Silver, Lovely Mab (J. Gaffarena).
Race 7: Premier Class, Fire (M. Refalo).
Race 8: Silver, Daring Daylight (C. Camilleri).

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