U*BET HorseRacing Malta - Sicily Encounter Race 2010

The Malta Racing Club is pleased to announce that the 2010 Malta – Sicily Encounter Race will be held in Malta for the first time on the 23rd July at the racing track in Marsa. 

The U*BET HorseRacing Malta–Sicily Encounter Race is a first for Malta as 10 Italian horses will be visiting our island to race in this unique and special encounter race.

Dr Matthew Brincat, Malta Racing Club Chairman commented that “after last year’s successful event which was held at the “Ippodromo del Mediterraneo” in Syracuse where we had 8 Maltese owned horses crossing over to Sicily and racing against Italian bred horses, this year the Club has organised a double heat, one in Malta on the 23rd July, and the second leg in Sicily on the 1st August.”

He continued, “although encounter races between Maltese drivers or jockeys against foreign representatives have been held at the Club for a long time, it is the very first time that now even the horses are coming over to race, not just the driver or jockey, which as one would expect is definitely not an easy task to organise such an event.” Since taking over the management of the track, Dr. Brincat and his fellow club directors,directors have strived to organise unique events, which attract more people to the sport of horse racing.

Mr Cassar, Maltco Lotteries’ General Director, said “Maltco Lotteries Ltd. has in the last 2 years built a very good relationship with the Malta Racing Club and is once again very pleased that through one of its games – U*BET HorseRacing is being part of this first event for Maltese Horse Racing.” U*BET HorseRacing has now been in operation for over 2 years with a link to Swedish horse races shown live in most of Maltco Lotteries outlets both in the afternoon and evenings as well as on weekdays with one of the most renowned race, the V75, held every Saturday. 

The U*BET HorseRacing Malta – Sicily Encounter Race, will consist of twenty participants, 10 horses representing Malta and 8 Italian bred horses, that will run two races on the same day over a distance of 1640m. The programme will hold a heat between the Maltese participants and another heat between the Italian representatives. The first 5 from each heat will participate in the Main Final, whilst the other horses will run in a Consolation Final.

At the end of the Press Conference, both Dr Brincat and Mr Cassar thanked all those involved especially the organisers and the horse owners for their participation in such a historic event for Maltese horse racing.