The first Malta Horse Racing Awards were held last Friday at the Dolmen Hotel in Qawra. The event was organised by the Malta Racing Club in collaboration with the Kunsill Malti għall-iSport. The main protagonists during the past year were rewarded for their achievements.

Thirteen awards were presented during the ceremony with the main honours going to Noel Baldacchino (best driver), Ramon Grima, best jockey and Rodney Gatt, best apprentice driver. Major Chaleonnais (Charlo Debono) and Ollie Fliptrik (Sarah Borg) were honoured as the most consistent horses.

Other awards were also presented such as that for the revelation horse, given to Livi Cantone, from Sweden (owner Alfred Calleja, driver Charles Camilleri).

Lifetime Achievement awards were also presented to veteran jockey Raymond Clifton as well as the owners and trainer of In Vitro du Bourg (Kalcidon Bilocca, Ivan Bilocca and Censu Debono) and the owner and trainer of James de l’Iton (Kevin Falzon and Raymond Micallef.

Jockey Michael Sultana was rewarded for his international successes in several countries, including Belgium, France, Germany and Kuwait.

A special mention was also made during the evening of jockeys Charles Clifton and George Schembri who passed away recently.