Ludi Romani 2761 Circenses reports (Nova Roma)

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Circenses 2761 reports

Here are the reports that C.L.C. has allowed us to display, for every interested civis.

Heats

1st missus (heat)

Every aurigae seemed rather confident before this first series race of the Romani 2761. One of the reasons of this quietness is probably the fact that tomorrow quarter-finals will then be run between two chariots, instead of having four entries races. So, once you advance in quarters, your probabilities to win are theorically higher.

This first race looked like playing cards. Every one seemed observing the neighbor. The hyper-favorite was Vita Brevis, albata equaria Equitia Marina, driven by famous Petronius Gnypho. The bookmakers gave him winner before Germanica and its driver Anthropophagus, russata eq. Arminia Bruta, just before Scorpianus, less known in Rome, driving the Gallica veneta eq. Rutilia Minervalis called Babientes. Few specialists know the chariot, but the most attentive ones remember that the same Scorpianus has, on horse Babieca, won the prestigious race organized in the frame of Ludi Conditorum last Feb.-March. True, equirria is not circenses, but one never knows.
In this first missus, after the crowd, excited to live again the wonderful Romani mood, has roared when the chariots have sprung from the gate, Vita Brevis tried to control the race and spare his horses, probably for the rest of the competition. Gnypho has taken the lead, but, dolphin after dolphin, kept a regular speed, specially turning comfortably, maybe too much. For Germanica, who passed Babientes during the last straightaways of the 3rd turn, came back a bit more lap after lap, but with the gallum chariot tailing it.
When the last lap has been dropped down, Gnypho was in the first third of the first line when he turned and looked in his back. He was apparently surprised to see Anthropophagus springing up from the curve, and being thirty paces behind him. Vita Brevis stepped aside with no apparent reason, and before the next curve, Germanica was close in contact, while Scorpianus was giving his best. According his staff, Rutilius’chariot realized its best line time there.
The last dolphin passed and the three esseda were bunched in a sixty feet pack. In the last curve, Gnypho opened the gate, probably to have Anthropophagus falling in it, but Germanica did not. It speeded up in the curve, keeping Vita Brevis onto the outside. The curve was over when both chariots were yet fighting on the middle of the track, loosing time neutralizing each other, and wasting many feets and precious seconds. What should occur occured, and the third one, Babientes, took advantage of this situation, but also of his very clever race : Scorpianus overtook both competitors, and Germanica took benefit of the better position won in the curve. Despite his efforts, Gnypho could never come back before the arrival, and ended in the worst seat. After the race, Petronius Gnypho did not make any comments to the press, specially to our C.L.C. microphone. Anthropophagus smiled and looked sincerely relieved having escaped from this bluff game and got the second qualifying position. Scorpianus just told us that he was happy for his dominus, Hon. Rutilius, and for his own family.
So, here in Circus Maximus, we have seen the first big surprise of these Ludi Romani, with the elimination of Vita brevis, the experienced team sponsored by Censorius Equitius. First Scorpianus, second Anthropophagus, third Gnypho.

2nd missus

We are living an amazing day, maybe a historical one, for the second chariot sponsored by albatus Gn. Equitius Marinus has been, after Vita brevis, eliminated in the first round of these Romani. And for the second time, one of the guilties is a gallicum essedum, Incitatus. This rig is lead by a unknown young driver, apparently born in Ephesus, Stolo, who is sponsored by russatus G. Petronius Dexter, a new owner in the race circuit, and a Gallus too.
If this day was thus Equitius’ Gergovia, there was no problem for venetus Censor Galerius equaria, which seemed so confident that the bookmakers had since several days designed Delectus consulis, running venetus, and its driver Incitator, a Syrian auriga, as the top favorites of its heat.
Still confident in the carceres, Incitator impressed to the race a high pace, and this is probably the main reason why the now well known and much popular Aoife Silurum lost this battle. For the Britanna « puella » had apparently decided to make the decision in the bends. But if this tactics is possible when the pace is not fast, it becomes harder at high stretch, specially when you have a chariot like Delectus consulis setting the race. Aoife tried first in the second turn, then in the 4th, last in the fifth one, but still unsuccessfully. And even for Biga fortunae, six violent efforts like such ones, in a curve, had to be paid. And Biga fortunae did pay them. The decision was made in the first straightaways of the last turn. Incitator has not weakened and was still leading, and Aoife, whose worrying face looked as red as her hair, was understanding that she was loosing the whole play. Biga fortunae’s horses were now blunt, and the young and handsome young Stolo was in Aoife’s back in a glance. Before the last turn, Stolo swallowed the Britanna, cutting her off before the curve. Anyway, Aoife’s horses would surely have not been strong enough to hold during the last lane.
Stolo looked in the last four hundred feet as if he was dreaming, and could not prevent himself glancing in his back several times. Incitator first, Stolo second, Aoife third: this is the 2nd heat results.
So, it is over for Aoife, and the road goes on for Incitator, who seems a good candidate for the final victory, with a good staff and equaria. But let us keep an eye on this Stolo and Dexter’s Incitatus, which may be one of the good surprises of these 10th Birthday Ludi Romani circenses.

3rd missus

The third series, was, with the 4th one, one of the most open. For we had there a new competitor, owner L. Fidelius Lusitanus from Brasil, sponsoring and himself driving a new chariot, Fulgur II. Let us care not taking this new Fulgur II with the horse mounted by Lucius and sponsored by Veneta Vestal Messallina, and called Fulgur. Additional source of confusion, Lusitanus is also backed up by Veneta factio.
This new chariot was unknown. But, after what occurred in the first missus, people were seriously wondering whether this new tiro would not eat his opponents.
The best known of both ones was Barbarufa, driving as usual Rubidea and running for russatus M. Arminius Maior. Apart the fact that Arminius lives also in Brasilia provincia, here ends every posible resemblance: Arminius is well known in the Republic and in the Circenses, and Barbarufa is an experienced driver, though this 2761 season has not been as good as the former ones, with just a 15th place best performance in the Matutini.
The third driver was Albatus Samicus driving Pilum, owned by Lacus Magni citizen Q.Cornelia Quadrata. Less known than Barbarufa, Quadrata however regularly enrols her rigs in Nova Roma circenses. She has arrived 12th in last Matutini.
In fact, this third missus was not a race, but rather a hold-up. Like in the first heat, the last chariot finally won. It was Pilum. It had an average start, managed to come back close to the two others, and made illusion til the second lap. Afterwards, he got nearly lapped by its opponennts in the 4th loop, but managed catching up, little by little. Rubidea has been ahead since the beginning, but has exchanged places with Fulgur II in the 5th and 6th. But unlike the first missus, Rubidea, from the second half of the 6th lap, looked a bit burnt, and Fidelius had no real problem to get past him. Famous Barbarufa has not drained the full cup to the dregs, for Samicus surged in his back on the last turn and deposed him without ceremony at the end of the curve. In the last straight line, Fulgur II was nibbled by Pilum, but for many spectators, the fresh Brasilian chariot has run off, as a veteran, to keep some strenght for the further races.
So Pilum 1st, Fulgur II 2nd and Rubidea third in this third heat.

4th missus

Beati qui in quarto cucurrunt ! For it was the easiest race. Not because of its entrants, or not only. For this heat has been drawn by lots as the one with two genuine competitors, and one chariot sponsored by C. Urius Levator, the good willing and modest man who takes care, for the aediles curules, of the aedilitas equaria. The aedilitas has thus a few rigs and fighters who are happy entering Ludi races and getting experience and training, but whose specificity and mission is that they are not allowed to win. They are just to bring the additional entry in a heat, in order to build a whole table that allows the organisers to qualify an even number of competitors for the next turn.
The chariot was this time Diem perdidi, the well-named, and driven by Urius himself. His sponsored contenders were Ulixes Germinus, a venetum essedum driven by Ultor and sponsored by G. Valerianus Germanicus, and russata Aurora rubra, piloted by Betelgesus and owned by M. Arminius Maior. This was thus Arminius’ second and last chance to qualify a chariot for the quarters.
Here again the rig which has taken the worse first laps finally won the race. Aurora rubra did a slow but efficient come-from-behind and, at last in the fifth lap, Ulixes Geminus and it were alongside, exchanging places in the sixth. At this time, C. Urius Levator, who looks a bit worried by Ultor’s rig performance in the first part of the race, could at last slack off so that his opponents could vie fairly. After the last dolphin has dived, the fight was still uncertain, and this is just because Aurora has better hugged its last curve than its opponent that the Russati won this fourth heat, just fifty feets ahead of Ulixex Geminus.
Both Betelgesus and Ultor must be thanked anyway, for they run honestly their race, although they were sure to be qualified. They could have run off from the moment Ultor had come close to Betelgesus, but they played fair, and have owed the applause of the Circus.

Scriba aediliciana and former praetor A. Tullia Scholastica has informed the spectators that Aedilis P. Memmius Albucius has always drawn the lots, under the eyes of the Capitolin triad, for the next turn, the quarter finals. So we already know who will run against who, for we remind you that the quarters will oppose just two chariots. Do not forget, dear Quirites, that the quarters would be run on Sept 15 (a.d. XVII Kal. Oct.), from 16 :30 to 18 :30.

The first quarters will be a full veneta one, and will see challenger first heat winner, Scorpianus on Babientes, towards Ultor on Ulixes Geminus, who had a rather quiet last heat race. Everybody thinks that Valerianus will sure need preventing Ultor on the risk undervaluing Rutilius’rig.
The second quarters will be a red one, and oppose Aurora Rubra, 1st in this last missus, and Germanica, who forbade Vita brevis longer Ludi. The race is not played for Betelgesus against Anthropophagus.

The third quarters should normally turn at Delectus consulis’ advantage, towards young Fulgur II, but here also, the tirones may have kept strength enough to create more surprises. Anyway, another venetus missus.

The last quarters will put onto the track Incitatus and Pilum, this one being slightly given favorite, even if the same observations could be made.

So, passionnating Circenses heats on these Idus Septembris, here in Circus Maximus. The sun was there all along the afternoon, the crowd too, and the Ludi circi table is yet upset : favorites have fallen, fresh young rigs and drivers have hit a big slam, and the quarters will sure fill the whole Circus.

O. Pedanius Speratus for C.L.C. (Catena Ludorum Curulium), was reporting. See you all tomorrow, from 16 :15 on, same place !

Quarter finals

Semi-Finals

Finals

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