The main event in yesterday's third Spring meeting at the Marsa racetrack was the MRC Condition Race final.
There was also another exciting finish in store. This resulted in the judges awarding first place to two trotters in a Class C race.
All trotting races were scratch ones on the 2,640m distance except for the final and the Class A1 event, both on 2,140m. Noel Baldacchino was the meeting's best driver yesterday with two wins.
In the Condition Race final for Class G/H trotters, Charles Degiorgio's Buckingham I.T. led all the way to the finish even though it had to endure a strong challenge from Casper VIP and Shanti Prema, second and third respectively, at the closing stages of the race.
Get Love shot straight into the lead in the Class A1 race. It looked like winning this race but near the end Get Love could not resist the final dash coming from eventual winner Contiki, driven by Baldacchino.
Boris Giant was third horse in behind Get Love.
There was quite an exciting finish in Class A when Half Back and Gy Du Houlet dashed nearly in one line along the final metres. The post, however was reached first by Half Back, driven by Oliver Briffa. Galassius was a close third.
A final tussle between Cash Collector and Los Mikael ended with the former, driven by veteran George Schembri, clinching victory in Class B.
After leading for most of the distance in Class C, Mario Seguna's Gadget Du Marais was caught up at the very last few metres by Exclusive, which was making its debut at Marsa. Exclusive was driven by Owen Borg.
After a lengthy pause, the judges awarded first place to both trotters as even the photo-finish could not separate these two trotters.
The photo-finish also had to be consulted when Rambo Aspen and My Gift appeared to cross the finishing line together in Class D.
The verdict here went in favour of My Gift, driven by Jonathan Zammit.
The next meeting at Marsa is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Yesterday's winners
Race 1: Class G, 2,640m - Minn Adonis (C. Magro).
Race 2: Class E, 2,640m - Echo D'Eronville (N. Baldacchino).
Race 3: Class C, 2,640m - Gadget Du Marais (M. Seguna) and Exclusive (O. Borg).
Race 4: Flat Classes I/II, 1,250m - Swing Dancer (E. Zammit).
Race 5: Class A1, 2,140m - Contiki (N. Baldacchino).
Race 6: Classes G/H final, 2,140m - Buckingham I.T. (C. Degiorgio).
Race 7: Class A, 2,640m - Half Back (O. Briffa).
Race 8: Class B, 2,640m - Cash Collector (G. Schembri).
Race 9: Class D, 2640m - My Gift (J. Zammit).