Two race meetings will be held this weekend, the first tomorrow at 6.30pm and then on Sunday 17 June, starting at 4pm.

This weekend is dominated by five finals reserved for French trotters, sponsored by the SECF, the French trot racing association. A final for each class named after a famous French racecourse will be held on a 2,140m distance.

The most awaited is the Prix de Vincennes final for Premier class trotters. Nine of Malta’s top trotters aged between 10 and 13 years, winners of 26 races between them in Malta and most of which have won over Euro200,000 overseas.

These are current Tazza l-Kbira holder Mig of the Wood, Tazza l-Kbira Consolation Final winner Nasko Pride, past Summer Championship winner Lady de Vindecy, past VOB Cup runner-up Mark de Chamant, four and three time winners this season, Label Chouan and Nevaio des Bordes respectively, Tazza l-Kbira finalist Onyx Speed and strong performers Milord Barbes and Niky du Donjon. All fantastic trotters!

The Prix d’Enghien final (Gold class) includes a similarly strong field of trotters aged between 9 and 13 years, winners of 17 races between them in Malta. These are Oros de Reve, Osiris des Kids, Podium, Okapi des Dimes, Orlando Tejy, Marini du Mont, Nuevo Musette, Oscar Mati and Le Bolide du Suret.

The remaining finals, the Prix de Cabourg (Silver class), Prix de Cagnes Sur Mer (Bronze class) and Prix de Caen (Copper class) are equally balanced and promise uncertain outcomes.

Tomorrow’s race-card and the remaining races on Sunday are interesting “normal” races for Silver, Bronze and Copper class horses, giving us the last opportunity to observe these horses’ form prior to the forthcoming Summer championships.

More than half of Malta’s trotters are imported from France. Thus these SECF championships for French trotters are extremely awaited and are always of the highest quality. Some good times and nail-biting finishes are anticipated in all the finals!