The Assikura Championship for Bronze Class trotters resumed yesterday afternoon with four heats staged on a short distance of 2,140m.
These championship races were all included in the card of the fifth meeting of the season. In all, there were nine races, all for trotters.
The top event was a Premier Class race on a long distance of 2,640m with 15 horses at the start.
Service Secret (Andrew Farrugia) was the fastest horse in the opening stages of the Premier race, just ahead of Uvario (Charles Debono) and favourite Overtaker By Sib (Marco Refalo).
Service Secret maintained its pace throughout the entire distance, going on to register its first win at Marsa, half-a-length faster than Overtaker By Sib. Uvario was third ahead of Rififi Nonantais (George Attard).
Service Secret clocked an average time of 1.16.3” per kilometre.
Meanwhile, 16 horses qualified for the semi-final stage of the Assikura Championship, yesterday.
In the first heat, Uppercut Rock (Mario Falzon) went almost unchallenged for most of the distance.
This French nine-year-old sealed its first win in Malta some two lengths in front of Niso MRS (Julian Farrugia).
In the next Bronze Class heat, early leader Rex Speed (James Carabott) started to slow its pace with more than 300m left.
In the final straight, Carabott’s trotter was overtaken by Reflexe De Crennes (Redent Magro) which went past the post ahead of Rothko Inn Ronco (Charles Farrugia).
All American Class (David Ellul) stormed ahead from the inside midway through the straight for home in the third Bronze heat.
This Swedish trotter went on to win the race just in front of Carnegie Hall (Anthony Cassar), Saphir Merite (Joseph Scerri) and Quim Itou (Omar Cauchi) in that order.
Sirocco De Line (Neville Spiteri) had to go all out in the final metres of the fourth and last Assikura Championship heat for this trotter to claim its first win at the racetrack.
Alexis Le Grand (Shawn Portelli) was the runner-up with Ricciola Jet (Rodney Gatt) third and Charm Hammering (Gilbert Farrugia) fourth.
Another meeting at the racetrack will be held on Sunday afternoon.
The race winners
Race 1: Copper – Valentino De Monti (Nathaniel Barbara) – 1.18.9”
Race 2: Silver – Uzumaki Tejy (Charles Camilleri) – 1.17.8”
Race 3: Silver – Ariel Sisu (Nathaniel Barbara) – 1.19.3”
Race 4: Silver – Tagena Run (Jesmar Gafa’) – 1.18.8”
Race 5: Bronze – Uppercut Rock (Mario Falzon) – 1.18.7”
Race 6: Bronze – Reflexe De Crennes (Redent Magro) – 1.18.2”
Race 7: Bronze – All American Class (David Ellul) – 1.17.9”
Race 8: Premier – Service Secret (Andrew Farrugia) – 1.16.3”
Race 9: Bronze – Sirocco De Line (Neville Spiteri) – 1.17.8”