Laura Frendo on driving and training across the pond
by Victoria Howard
Recently, I was at the Vincent Delaney Memorial in Ireland attending the incredible races at the Tir (Tir Prince Raceway).
Attending the VDM had always been on my bucket list and I’m so glad I went because the entire trip was far and beyond what I expected. The people in Ireland are so kind and accommodating and the country is beautiful.
One evening I met and dined with a lovely harness racing family who lived in Malta. Their daughter, Laura Frendo, was there to compete in the Bernie Kelly International Ladies Race and her family came to cheer her on.
Up until then, the only thing I knew about the country of Malta was that it is where the cute little Maltese dog derives from; and it wasn’t far from Sicily, where some of my relatives live.
Talking to the family I learned interesting facts about horse racing in Malta. Horse racing is one of the oldest and most popular sports in the world and has been popular since the 1800s when the first races took place on the island in 1832.
Horse racing in Malta is more than a sport; it’s an engaging tradition that provides excitement and joy to many. Racing horses is an event filled with history, culture, and competition that brings people from around the globe together for a day at the races.
Over dinner, my new friend Laura, told me about racing in Malta. Being a die-hard of harness racing I was anxious to hear how our sport thrives and operates across the pond.
Races in Malta are held at a couple of tracks, including the Malta Racing Club in Mara, the Marsa Racecourse and the Malta Racecourse in Ta’Qali.
The Malta Racing Club is the main horse racing track in Malta and home to the Valletta Cup, the Malta Grand Prix, and the Malta Derby.
Horse racing betting is a very popular pastime in Malta, with many people placing bets on the races.
Racing takes place on weekends throughout the year, with peak periods being in the spring and autumn months. Only trotters are raced in Malta, for there are no pacing races.
Frendo was born in the town of Pieta, a population under 5,000 people. Her family has always been horse enthusiasts and the legacy continues with Frendo, and her young son who drives his Shetland pony in races.
Like a proud mother, Frendo pulled out her phone and showed me her son driving his Shetland in a race on the streets. I was amazed, for I have never seen racing like that in the States.
I asked Frendo to tell the readers a little about herself, her horses and racing in Malta.
“My family owns a small farm where I board and train my four horses,” Frendo said. “Growing up, I always loved horses, so my father, and his friends taught me the ins and outs of the sport. I’ve never worked or understudied for anyone but my family.
“In Malta, we only have one major racetrack, Malta Equidrome; and at our sister island, Gozo, there is the Xhajma Racetrack.
“There are not a lot of women drivers in Malta, so I race mostly against the men. They treat me with respect, and for this reason I really don’t mind racing against them.
“In my country we generally train our horses ‘hard’ two times a week and the other days we walk them, but it depends on the horse — some need more work. There are no beaches in Malta, so we train and condition horses on the racetrack or swimming in the sea.”
How often do you drive in a race?
“I only drive our family horses so usually I drive one or two horses every weekend, as races are only on Friday night or Sunday afternoon.”
What was the aha moment that made you decide to drive horses?
“I’ve always cared for and trained horses. We would give the horses to other jockeys when it was time to race, so one day I decided to drive them myself.”
What is the biggest race you’ve won?
“The races that I’ve won have all been normal races, no stakes, but, one time I drove in the streets and won both trips.”
You showed me a picture of racing ponies in the streets. Please explain this to the readers.
“The races are in the streets during the summer months and takes place in the summer in every town that has the feast. Most of the races are in Gozo, where the ponies will trot or gallop.
“The races for the trotters consist of five horses. Whoever the winner is, races again. It is called Challenge Cup. Last year, I won one in Zurrieg, Malta.”
Would you explain how racing in the U.S. is different than in Malta?
“I’ve never raced in the U.S.A., but I hope to one day. The experience I had in the VDM Ladies Race was quite different in that the start is different. In Wales, the starter starts to drive slowly before we get to the gate. It is also different in my country.”
What are your goals and dreams in the sport?
“I’m hoping to be able to visit other countries where I can drive and compete and have new experiences and make memories.”
Frendo lives with her husband and three children on their farm in Zabbar. Her husband helps her train and tend to their horses and her son also helps when he’s not caring for his Shetland racing pony.
I asked Frendo how she liked racing in the VDM against other women and her thoughts of driving a pacer for the first time in her life.
“Being it was my first to sit behind a pacer, it was quite different, but I loved every minute,” Frendo said. “Unfortunately, my horse was hitting the bike during the race, and we didn’t finish as well as I hoped. But it was a great experience.”
NOTE: I’m sorry to admit that the Irish horse fans are much more enthusiastic about harness racing than most Americans. It reminded me of the days when our sport was at its peak in the U.S. back in the ’80s and ’90s.
As I mentioned above, this year the races for the VDM were held at Tir Prince Raceway. The grandstand was jam-packed with people of all ages and the younger generation was just as enthused, if not more, than us old-timers.
Tir Prince is the only all-weather half-mile track in the UK or Ireland that can have eight horses behind the gate at the same time.
Besides the racing, there were amusement park rides, games for the children and a variety of food and drink kiosks.
The track is well maintained, and on race day, I felt as if I were at a county fair here in the States.
