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MALTA HARNESS RACING INFORMATION |
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INFORMATION ON MALTA
AND HORSE RACING |
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THE MALTESE ISLANDS
ARE SITUATED IN THE CENTER OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. THE POPULATION IS APPROXIMATELY
400000. 3 ISLANDS MAKE THE MAIN PART OF THE ARCHIPELAGO, WHICH ARE MALTA,
GOZO AND COMINO. THERE ARE ONLY 2 RACETRACKS ON THE ISLANDS; THE MARSA RACE TRACK IS
SITUATED AT MARSA IN MALTA AND IS THE MOST POPULAR. THE OTHER ONE, WHICH IS
NOT SO POPULAR, IS AT XEWKIJA IN GOZO. BEFORE 1981 THE
MARSA RACETRACK WAS ONE OF THE LONGEST TRACKS IN EUROPE MEASURING AN
IMPRESSIVE 2600 METRES. IN 1981 THE TRACK WAS REBUILT AS A 1000 METRE TRACK
AFTER SEVERE FLOODS DESTROYED MOST OF IT. IN 1996 THE TRACK WAS RENEWED AND
IS NOW UP TO A VERY GOOD STANDARD. SPECIAL EVENTS HELD AT THIS RACETRACK WERE
TWICE THE EUROPEAN APPRENTICE DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIPS AND IN 1998 THE EUROPEAN
PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP. RACE DISTANCES VARY FROM 1640 METRES
AND 3200 METRES. THE RACING SEASON STARTS IN OCTOBER AND ENDS IN
JUNE. APPROXIMATELY 700 TROTTERS TAKE PART IN ABOUT 500 RACES HELD IN BETWEEN
50 AND 60 MEETINGS. HORSES ARE DIVIDED INTO 9 CLASSES. CLASS
"A1" BEING THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS AND CLASS "H" BEING THE
LOWEST. IMPORTED HORSES ARE PLACED IN RESPECTIVE CLASSES ACCORDING TO THEIR
WINNINGS TILL IMPORTATION. IN MALTA BREEDING IS AT ITS
FIRST STAGES AND OUR RACEHORSES ARE ALL IMPORTED, MAINLY FROM SWEDEN, FRANCE
AND FINLAND ALTHOUGH SOME DANISH, DUTCH, AMERICAN, NORWEGIAN AND ITALIAN
HORSES ARE ALSO IMPORTED. |
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