The 25th meeting of the season, held yesterday afternoon at the Marsa Racetrack, heralded the start of two other championships for Premier Class trotters.
These were the Prix De Vincennes for French trotters and the Sette Giugno Championship, open to horses that have been imported from European countries other than France.
Yesterday’s programme consisted of nine races, all for trotters.
From the three semi-finals of the Prix De Vincennes Championship, 12 horses qualified for the final.
In the first semi-final, the early leader, Printemps De Gaia (Johan Axisa), ran out of steam around 300 metres from the end. This trotter was reeled in by Quorum Quick (Brian Zammit) which had to go all out in the final metres to secure its first win in Malta from Quebir De L’Aube (Clint Vassallo).
Ripsos De Fa (Ivan Bilocca) finished third ahead of Oltedo De Rieux (Charles Camilleri).
Quesito d’Or (Frenċu Cassar) registered its second win in a row in the second semi-final for French trotters.
Favourite Qui Sait, under the guidance of Rodney Gatt, upped its pace with a lap to go and passed the post first. However, Qui Sait was disqualified by the racing stewards for hooking during the race and the win was awarded to Quesito D’Or.
Palazio Valterne (David Ellul), Okilaibo (Julian Farrugia) and Pouloud Keroc’H (Chris Vassallo) also had a good outing to claim the other top-four positions.
There was a close finish between two trotters, Quartz De Chenu (Michael Ellul) and Pat De Fontaine (Noel Baldacchino), in the third and last semi-final of the Prix De Vincennes Championship. The win went to the former after the photo-finish was consulted by the stewards.
For Quartz De Chenu, this was its first win in Malta.
Quiet Du Chene (Mario Fenech) and Ohime Mag (Ronald Cassar) also booked their place in the final.
The two semi-finals of the Sette Giugno Championship saw 12 horses advance to the final.
Donald Duck Tooma (Charles Camilleri) cruised to its second win in Malta in the first semi.
This Swedish trotter took the lead when the horses turned around for the final straight, triumphing by more than 10 lengths from Zwack (Eric Bezzina) and Vejby Boom (Carl Caruana).
Madrileno (Mario Fenech) and Swedish debutant Love Above (Salvu Vella) followed home in that order.
There was a keen tussle between three trotters in the home stretch during the second semi-final of the Sette Giugno competition.
Eventually it was Cloria Victis (Caillin Borg) that prevailed by half length from Shakira Trot (Nathaniel Barbara) and Striking Actions (George Attard). Borg thus claimed his first win at Marsa.
Zalgado Transs R (Nicholas Bonello), Mad Image (Rodney Gatt) and Ourselves (Noel Baldacchino) were the last horses to go through to the final.
The next meeting at the Marsa Racetrack will be held on Friday with the first race starting at 7pm.
Yesterday’s winners
Race 1: Silver, New Style (Melvin Farrugia) – 1.19.2”.
Race 2: Silver, Jezira (Silvio Schembri).
Race 3: Prix D’Enghien semi-final (gold), Rubis Du Lamee (Tony Mallia) – 1.15.8”.
Race 4: Prix De Vincennes semi-final (Premier), Quorum Quick (Brian Zammit) – 1.14.8”.
Race 5: Sette Giugno Championship semi-final (Premier), Donald Duck Tooma (Charles Camilleri) – 1.16”.
Race 6: Prix De Vincennes semi-final (Premier), Quesito d’Or (Frenċu Cassar) – 1.15.9”.
Race 7: Sette Giugno Championship semi-final (Premier), Cloria Victis (Caillin Borg) – 1.15”.
Race 8: Prix De Vincennes semi-final (Premier), Quartz De Chenu (Michael Ellul) – 1.15.9”.
Race 9: Prix d’Enghien semi-final (Gold), Pike Blue (Frenċu Cassar) – 1.15.4”.