The Malta Racing Club organised the first U*Bet Malta-Sicily Encounter Race on Friday evening.

Maltese drivers competed against Sicilian professional counterparts who were driving their own horses at the Marsa racetrack.

Both major races on Friday were won by Maltese drivers.

The meeting, the 39th of the season, opened with two Encounter Race heats on a short distance of 1,640m. While the first heat was reserved for local participants only, the second one was reserved for the Italian visitors. The first five from each heat qualified for the final, held over a mile later in the evening.

In the first race, Kain Poifond (Clifforty Calleja) led all the way and won by two lengths from James de l'Iton (Noel Baldacchino), Race Ball (Tony Demanuele), My Red Force (Rodney Gatt) and Land Havaroche (James Carabott).

Giuseppe Porzio put favourite Iovanin in front 1,000m from the finishing line of the second heat.

This trotter finished first by a length from Fort de France (Giuseppe Vasile), Edologal (Giuseppe Messineo) and Geordie ATC (Giuseppe Poliziotto).

In the final, Poifond was overtaken by My Red Force half-way through the straight for home to win the day's honours and register its second win at Marsa.

Iovanin and Fort de France were third and fourth respectively. The winner clocked an average time of 1.14.3" per kilometre.

Meanwhile, the horses that did not make it to the main event took part in a consolation final.

Here, Arnie Sensation (Carmelo Farrugia) increased its speed 900m from the post to finish ahead of Kakisis (Johan Axisa), Lucky Marceaux (George Attard) and Ice Cube (Salvo d'Aluisi).

Matthew Brincat, club chairman, presented the trophies to the drivers and owners of the winning horses.

The second leg of the Malta-Sicily Encounter Race will take place at the Mediterranean Racecourse in Siracusa today week.