Pardubice - Popular winner and betting problem

Result of the 116th ČESKÁ POJIŠŤOVNA VELKÁ PARDUBICKÁ

1. Decent Fellow - trainer Josef Váňa snr – jockey Josef Bartoš

2. Juventus - trainer Josef Váňa snr – jockey Josef Váňa snr

3. Cieszymir – trainer Radek Holčak – jockey Radek Havelka

4. Icare du Renom – trainer Roman Vitek, rider Martin Liška

5. Klip – trainer Milan Theimer – jockey Jaroslav Myška

6. Brambusch 7. Harry the Beaver 8. Polárník Glogloglo - fell, 4th Iraklion - fell 4th Vajgara – fell Chailand -fell 4th Maskul – fell 10(a) Ner – unseated rider Hastaven – unseated rider Eliška Přemyslovna – unseated rider, 4th Juniusz – unseated rider

Distances: 6 lengths, ½ length, 4¼ lengths, 2¼ lengths, neck, distance, 9 lengths

Decent Fellow wins the 116th Ceska Pojistovna Velka Pardubicka Decent Fellow was the popular winner of the 2006 Velka Pardubicka after a dramatic race on a beautiful October afternoon. The drama began with 4 fallers at the Taxis, including well-fancied Iraklion. Last year's winner, Maskul fell/unseated his rider at Fence 10 (a), and not much later Hastaven unseated his rider. At the half way point, only Decent Fellow of the fancied horses, and Juventus and Cieszymir of the "best of the rest" were still standing. Decent Fellow and Cieszymir, both owned by Dr Jiri Charvat, pulled clear on the ploughed field after Fence 25, but Cieszymir began to tire after the 29th fence, and it was clear that Decent Fellow only had to clear the last fence to win comfortably. Legendary jockey fifty-three-year-old Josef Van'a, riding in the race for the 21st time, took Juventus into second place in the run in, and Cieszymir held on for 3rd place. The "no-hopers" fought out 4th place. Icare du Renom, ridden by his work rider Martin Liska, came fourth, and the "dark horse" Klip, who has spent six years eventing before coming back to the racecourse this year, picked up a very nice 5th prize. Dr Jiri Charvat, owner of Decent Fellow and Cieszymir, is the sponsor of this web site, so Paddock Revue is celebrating. Sadly, however, in the race before the Velka Pardubicka, Jiri Charvat’s fine chaser Bargiel collapsed and died after being beaten by the shortest of short heads. We distinguish between a short head and a nose, and Sixteen got up in the last stride to beat Bargiel by a nose after Bargiel had made all the running in the Labe Prize, over 5200 metres. Josef Van'a announced that he hopes to be able to ride for one more season, and to ride Juventus again in the 2007 Velka Pardubicka, in competition with his son Josef jnr. Josef snr hopes that 11-year-old Decent Fellow has at least one more season in him. The afternoon was a triumph for Josef Van’a who trained three winners: Jack de Traou Land, Sixteen and Decent Fellow, and for stable jockey Josef Bartos, who rode these three winners. Radek Holcak, son of Frantisek Holcak, also trained three winners: Bremen Plan, Nikodem and Niggard. Our most successful owner - trainer combination in recent years, Wrbna Racing and Cestmir Olehla had a very disappointing afternoon, with several well-fancied runners but no winners. No steeplechase meeting is without its hard knocks, but no jockeys were seriously hurt. There were several nasty looking falls in the Velka Pardubicka, with B. Matl being hurled right through the Taxis fence and into the ditch by Eliska Premyslovna, and Maskul’s jockey Dirk Fuhrmann limping way from a fall in which Maskul landed on top of him and several pairs of hooves clipped him as they went past.

Monopoly bookmaker guards monopoly Betino, monopoly organisers of betting on horse racing at Czech race courses, took over its only competitor, TOTO, at the end of last season. This season, Betino has organised fixed odds win and place betting, and totalisator betting on the Duo and Tricast, and also the Jackpot. For the Velka Pardubicka meeting, Betino refused a request to open up totalisator betting on win and place, a classical monopolist ploy, as anticipated by Marx, Lenin and myself! Totalisator betting could have been organised extremely easily, of course, by a minor software adjustment. The odds offered by Betino were a disgrace, and British and Irish fans made comments to me including, “The only thing to spoil a wonderful afternoon was the primitive betting”, “Bloody ridiculous odds” and “You’d get even better odds as opening prices on the dogs at Oxford”. Betino has spoiled the betting at Czech racing all season. A “fair” contest between punter and bookmaker is a part of the fun of going racing. Since Betino will not offer reasonable odds, it is time to have a tote monopoly at Czech racecourses.