by Laura Valdesi
“A splendid race in which everyone gave their all. Thanks to Sandro Chiti and the owner who allowed me to ride Denise Beauty”, says Salvo Vicino who has just won the Grand Prix of the Monticiano districts for the Piazza which had already won that of September 2023 however with Mattia Chiavassa and Uan King. “But I want to dedicate this success to my daughter”, adds Vicino, picking up little Matilde who is just over two months old. A beautiful day of celebration for Monticiano, after the highly applauded Al Bano concert, which attracted around 2 thousand people on Friday evening. Mayor Alessio Serragli was satisfied and complimented the Piazza at the Corsican grand prix. However, the Association of owners and trainers of Palio horses deserves a lot of them, without which the event that gave great prestige to the young jockeys would not have happened. “A great opportunity to show off”, says the president Osvaldo Costa, claiming “the great commitment and sacrifice at an economic level that all the members make. It is not easy to find suitable subjects”. It was not easy to ensure high quality given the proximity to the planned Provenzano visits and the concomitance with the Palio of the Castiglion Fiorentino districts.
Three batteries, well fought with a knife between the teeth by the jockeys, selected the horses then assigned to the six districts around 6pm. Fate sent Denise Beauty to the Square who had won the second heat. At the Borgo it was Baila ridden by Filippo Belloni, at the Incrociata it was Esmeralda Baia with the jockey Vincenzo Turco, then the explosion of the public when Balzana, the gray daughter of Fedora chestnut, fell to Paretaio. Diego Minucci the jockey. Fate assigned Nino Manca on Esmeralda Élite to Sodo and Giuseppe Angioi on Brivido Sardo to Cerbaione, who was chasing. When Andrea Calamassi gave it his all, Salvo Vicino immediately took off, followed by Baila. A good two-way battle until almost the end when Minucci came back like lightning on Augusto Posta’s Balzana, finishing second. New appointment at Tamburo (maybe) in September.
