The Cassar Fuels Championship, for class Premier trotters, got under way yesterday during the 36th meeting of the season at the Marsa race track.
Label Chouan, Orcas Bac and Okiliabo emerged victorious in yesterday’s championships heats which were run on the short 2,140m distance with nine horses progressing to the final stage.
In the first championship heat, David Ellul put French favourite Label Chouan in front with a lap to go.
This French trotter did not find any difficulty to register its second win in a row ahead of Mark de Chamant (Michael Seychell), Ygor Of Pass (Tony Demanuele) and Pro Shop (Ronald James).
The winner clocked an average time of 1.15.5” per kilometre.
Orcas Bac (Rodney Gatt) was also untroubled in the second class Premier heat. This Swedish nine-year-old secured its third win of the year with a comfortable ten-length margin from Vanmaker Limburgia (Charles Camilleri).
Nicos de Peneme (Kevin Azzopardi) and Orion du Vaumicel (Anton Cassar) ended third and fourth respectively.
Orcas Bac clocked an average time of 1.14.3” per kilometre.
In the third and last class Premier heat, favourite Okiliabo lived up to expectations.
Driven by Gozitan Julian Farrugia, this French trotter upped its pace around 700 metres from the finishing line and managed to stave off the late challenge of Ohime Mag (Ronald Cassar) to clinch its fourth victory of the year.
Absolut Spender (Mark De-sira) and Versace Boko (Warren Spiteri) followed home in that order. Okiliabo did an impressive average time of 1.14.2” per kilometre.
Yesterday’s winners
Race 1: Class Copper – Buckens Stjarna (Tony Tanti) – 1.18.2”
Race 2: Class Bronze – Take Out Blue (Julien Ferchaud) – 1.17.5”
Race 3: Class Silver – Swahili de Nacre (Patrick Spiteri) – 1.17.7”
Race 4: Cassar Fuels Championship – Label Chouan (David Ellul) – 1.15.5”
Race 5: Class Silver – Lacoste IT (Eric Bezzina) – 1.16.7”
Race 6: Cassar Fuels Championship – Orcas Bac (Rodney Gatt) – 1.14.3”
Race 7: Class Silver – Isebel (Christian Xerri) – 1.16.8”
Race 8: Cassar Fuels Championship – Okiliabo (Julian Farrugia) – 1.14.2”
Race 9: Class Bronze – Queops De Retz (Emmanuel Fenech) – 1.17.2”