The 50th and last meeting of the year was held on Boxing Day at the Marsa Racetrack.
The programme consisted of eleven races all for trotters and included the two EquestriMalta Grand Final races on a long distance of 3,160m.
Velvet Gio triumphed in the class Premier and Gold Grand Final while Miracle Of Heaven ended first in the class Silver, Bronze and Copper Grand final.
Both winners were driven by Rodney Gatt.
In the main final of the day, Rodney Gatt put Italian Velvet Gio in front with a lap to go and managed to secure its seventh win of the year easily by a length and a half from Iron De Ginai (Charles Degiorgio) and Cruise (Paul Galea).
Al Capone Stecca (Redent Magro) and Eclair Des Vaux (Cliferty Calleja) ended respectively in fourth and fifth place. The winner started the race with a 20 metres handicap.
2024 will remain a memorable year for the owners of Italian Velvet Gio. Apart from this Grand Final, earlier this year this trotter also triumphed in the Assikura Speed Race final in a new national record on the mile distance and also won the President’s Cup on a short distance of 2140m.
In the final for class Silver, Bronze and Copper trotters, Miracle of Heaven (Rodney Gatt) outsmarted favourite Carbonfiber (Jesmar Gafa’) midway through the final straight. Fast Loulou (Noel Baldacchino), Givre Nonantais (Andrew Farrugia) and Gima Tege (Clint Vassallo) followed behind in ther order.
For Miracle Of Heaven this was its fourth win of the year and in Malta.
At the end of both finals, Max Zammit, EquestriMalta CEO and Anthony Mifsud, Malta Racing Club chairman presented the winning trophies to the owners and drivers of the winning horses.
The new 2025 season will start at the end of next month.
Thursday’s winners
Race 1. Class Copper. Dist – 2140m. 1. Himitri Star (Clyde Piscopo Garzia) – 1.18.7”
Race 2. Class Copper. Dist – 2140m. 1. Dencos P. Galore (Jaydon Cutajar) – 1.18.3”
Race 3. Class Bronze. Dist – 2140m. 1. Gaia Lucaxelo (Jeffrey Scerri) – 1.17.2”
Race 4. Class Bronze. Dist – 2140m. 1. Imperial Du Stade (Chris Briffa) – 1.17.2”
Race 5. Class Silver-Bronze-Copper. Dist – 2140m. 1. My Love M.L. (Glenn Calleja) – 1.17.4”
Race 6. Class Silver. Dist – 2140m. 1. Lee Harvey Bros (Francesca Micallef) – 1.15.3”
Race 7. Class Silver. Dist – 2140m. 1. Mojo Express (Glenn Calleja) – 1.17.2”
Race 8. EquestriMalta Grand Final. Class Silver-Bronze-Copper. Dist – 3160m. 1. Miracle Of Heaven (Rodney Gatt) – 1.17.2”
Race 9. Class Gold. Dist – 2140m. 1. Arachis P.R. (Dolan Casha) – 1.16.1”
Race 10. Class Gold. Dist – 2140m. 1. Gentleman De Larre (Jeffrey Said) – 1.15”
Race 11. EquestriMalta Grand Final. Class Premier-Gold. Dist – 3160m. 1. Velvet Gio (Rodney Gatt) – 1.16.1”
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