The ninth and tenth meeting of the season which were held during the weekend included the MRTL championship final for class Bronze trotters on a short distance of 2140m and seven heats which heralded the start of the BOV Tazza l-Kbira championship for class Premier trotters on long distance of 2640 metres.
The class Bronze final was won by Swedish Professor driven by Jason Vassallo.
Eleven trotters lined up for the class Bronze final.
Idillico Sarr (Joseph Scerri) was the fastest horse at first, opening a small lead from Ikarus Fligny (Charles Camilleri) and Professor (Jason Vassallo).
With a lap to go Idillico Sarr started to slow down and eventually was also overtaken by Professor which managed to past the finishing line first from Diablo De Forgan (Rodney Gatt) and Iniesta Sport (Cherise Farrugia).
Figaro Du Fan (Noel Baldacchino) followed home in that order.
At the end of this final, Mark Vella, on behalf of the sponsors, presented the winning trophy to Jason Vassallo, the driver and owner of the winning trotters which was also registering its second win of the year.
From the seven class Premier heats, 35 trotters made it to the semifinali stage. In the first heat, French newcomer Gardon (Rodney Gatt) led all the way.
There was a keen duel between Isabelle Sisu (Nathaniel Barbara) and French debutante Ghostbuster (Noel Baldacchino) in the final metres of the second heat. It was the former which took its third win in a row and in Malta.
In the third heat, French Eldorado De Ver (Charles Camilleri) took its first win of the season after increasing its speed in the last 500 metres.
Debutante El Greco Bello, under the guidance of French Professional driver Pierrick Le Moel, was outsmarted by two other newcomers, Galago Du Cadran (Paul Galea) and The Lion (Rodney Gatt), in the final metres of the fourth heat.
In the fifth heat, another French newcomer, Fuego Du Mortier (Claudio Refalo) took its first win in Malta after sustaining the challenge of Dreamer Boy (Paul Galea) in the final metres.
Global Undecided (Charles Camilleri) led all the way in the sixth class Premier heat.
Popular Italian trotter Velvet Gio (Rodney Gatt) had a similar performance in the seventh and last heat of this championship.
Saturday’s winners
Race 1. Class Copper. Dist – 1640m. 1. Flexy Vert (Paul Galea) – 1.16.9”
Race 2. Class Bronze. Dist – 1640m. 1. Oyess LJ (Rodney Gatt) – 1.15.9”
Race 3. Class Silver. Dist – 1640m. 1. Raj’s Oh Lord (Rodney Gatt) – 1.13.7”
Race 4. Class Silver. Dist – 1640m. 1. Comand (Redent Magro) – 1.13.1”
Race 5. Class Gold. Dist – 1640m. 1. Exotic Jet (Rodney Gatt) – 1.15.2”
Race 6. BOV Tazza l-Kbira Heat. Class Premier. Dist – 2640m. 1. Gardon (Rodney Gatt) – 1.14.5”
Race 7. BOV Tazza l-Kbira Heat. Class Premier. Dist – 2640m. 1. Isabelle Sisu (Nathaniel Barbara) – 1.15”
Race 8. MRTL Championship Final. Class Bronze. Dist – 2140m. 1. Professor (Mark Vella) – 1.15.3”
Race 9. Class Gold. Dist – 1640m. 1. Garry Thoris (Patrick Spiteri) – 1.14”
Race 10. Class Silver. Dist – 1640m. 1. Hera De La Vallee (Noel Baldacchino) – 1.15.7”
Sunday’s winners
Race 1. Class Bronze. Dist – 1640m. 1. Galaxie D’Azur (Paul Galea) – 1.15.1”
Race 2. Class Gold. Dist – 1640m. 1. Donnezac (Cliferty Calleja) – 1.15.2”
Race 3. Phone Refix Championship semi-final. Class Silver. Dist – 2140m. 1. Miracle Of Heaven (Rodney Gatt) – 1.16.2”
Race 4. Phone Refix Championship semi-final. Class Silver. Dist – 2140m. 1. Gonzales (Redent Magro) – 1.14.8”
Race 5. Phone Refix Championship semi-final. Class Silver. Dist – 2140m. 1. Lee Harvey Bros (Paul Galea) – 1.15.9”
Race 6. BOV Tazza l-Kbira Championship heat. Class Premier. Dist – 2640m. 1. Eldorado De Ver (Charles Camilleri) – 1.15.2”
Race 7. BOV Tazza l-Kbira Championship heat. Class Premier. Dist – 2640m. 1. Galago Du Cadran (Paul Galea) – 1.14.5”
Race 8. BOV Tazza l-Kbira Championship Heat. Class Premier. Dist – 2640m. 1. Fuego Du Mortier (Claudio Refalo) – 1.14.8”
Race 9. BOV Tazza l-Kbira Championship Heat. Class Premier. Dist – 2640m. 1. Global Undecided (Charles Camilleri) – 1.15.4”
Race 10. BOV Tazza l-Kbira Championship Heat. Class Premier. Dist – 2640m. 1. Velvet Gio (Rodney Gatt) – 1.14.3”
Race 11. Class Silver Dist – 1640m. 1. Honneur D’Isques (Jesmar Gafa’) – 1.15”
