For race enthusiasts our Irish correspondent Noel Mullins introduces us to a venerable steeplechase race in the Czech Republic, where a few Irish and English bloodstock agents, trainers, and jockeys have found good markets.
The famous Taxis Ditch on the Velka Pardubice racecourse in the Czech Republic / Noel Mullins photo
A steeplechase race in the Czech Republic, with its roots in foxhunting, is recognised as one of the three most challenging steeplechases in the world, the others being the Aintree Grand National in Liverpool and the Maryland Hunt Cup in the U.S. The 126th running of the Velka Pardubice Steeplechase took place on October 9, 2016.
The race was first run in 1874, and the current course takes horses over four miles and thirty-one obstacles, including the daunting Taxis Ditch. This year’s race produced a fourth win for Czech jockey Jan Faltejsek on Charme Look by the Irish sire Look Honey, by the Coolmore sire Sadler Wells, who was champion sire in the Czech Republic in 2010. Faltejsek is based with trainer John Charlton in the north of England and went into the race with three previous wins to his credit in the Pardubice, those on the great mare Orphee Des Blins in three successive years—2012, 2013, and 2014.
Faltejsek was a late call up, as regular rider Barbora Malkova was injured, and it was a first win for trainer Martina Ruzickova. The most successful jockey and trainer of the Pardubice, however, is Josef Vana who had second and third this year in Ange Guardian and Zarif. But deep down I am sure he was looking forward to his son Josef, Jr winning. However, Josef, Jr’s mount, Rabbit Well, a successful horse when he decides to run, has a history of occasionally digging in his heels at the start, and, disappointingly, the horse refused to go away with the field this time.
The Vana family are a racing dynasty in the Czech Republic. Josef, Sr, who has a bronze statue dedicated to him on the Agrofert Park Racecourse, holds many records in the big race. He has ridden in it twenty-eight times on thirteen different horses, winning it as a jockey eight times and as a trainer nine times, the first in 1996. He is the only trainer to win the Czech Derby and the Velka Pardubice in the same year. When he won on Tiumen in 2011 he was fifty-nine years of age, and he would have bettered that if his ride this year had not gotten injured and had to be withdrawn.
Josef, Sr’s wife Paela does the pre-training of the horses. Josef, Jr, a professional for eight years, is a leading jump jockey also in Italy and France, and has been champion Czech jockey five times. He is no stranger to big occasions and has won the Gran Primio di Merano on Alpha Beat, overcoming the might of the Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins stable and Irish champion jockey Ruby Walsh attempts to win the race. Walsh won the American Grand National last month in New Jersey on Irv Naylor’s Rawnaq. However Josef, Jr is still waiting for a breakthrough in the Pardubice having ridden in it eight times with a best finish of fourth last year, ironically on Rabbit Well.
In recent years there have been few Irish or British entries in the Pardubice. Scarteen Hounds follower Enda Bolger, a well-known specialist in cross country racing, has had runners that include Risk of Thunder, who was runner-up in 1999. Fingal Harriers Joint-Master Brian Beggan ran his Mose Harper twice, trained by Tommy O’Neill. The last winners from Britain or Ireland were Chris Collins riding Stephen Society in 1973 and Charlie Mann in 1995 on It A Snip. In 1996 Meath Foxhounds Joint-Master Norman Williamson was runner up on Irish Stamp, with Richard Dunwoody 3rd on the Charlie Mann-trained It’s A Snip.
It was both business and pleasure for South Tyrone Foxhounds honorary whipper-in Paul Kinane of Kinane Bloodstock. Kinane has been supplying horses to the Czech Republic since he opened up a market some years ago. He was joined by his fiance Amy Fitzgerald who lectures in equine science at the University of Limerick. Kinan’e principle customer, Josef Vana, a super star in the Czech Republic, has had considerable success with Gibb Beach by Galileo and Ringmaster by Montjeu, both of which have won hurdle races. The most successful horses from Kinane last year were Touch of Genius who won the Czech and Slovak Derbies, and Czech Leading Miler Tamarind Cove both by Galileo. This year, Timekeeper a full brother of Rip Van Winkle won the Slovak Derby. Kinane filled his order book while at the Pardubice, and will soon have another consignment going to the Czech Republic.
Posted October 27, 2016
Noel Mullins is a lifelong foxhunter and sporting photo/journalist. Click to visit his website and view his books and articles.