Age of Jape takes the Czech Derby
Czech Derby day was a cool overcast but dry midsummer Sunday afternoon, and the going was on the soft side of good. Three of the four main races were won by the favourites, and all produced convincing winners. In the Derby, Polish-bred Age of Jape, by Jape (USA) out of Age of Gold (USA) (Belmez (USA)), owned by Baca Palkovice, trained by Frantisek Holcak, ridden by Jean-Pierre Lopez, won comfortably by two and a quarter lengths from Arcibaldo, with Slovak-trained Ramblin Scout five lengths away in third place. Age of Jape has now won his last 7 races, including the Czech Two Thousand Guineas. He is expected to go for the Czech St Leger at the end of August. The owner of Age of Jape, Radim Baca, is the mayor of the village of Palkovice, population 3052, which lies in the foothills of the Beskydy mountains, near the Moravian/Slovak border.
Earlier, Irish-bred Blue Coral, by Grand Lodge (USA) out of a Machiavellian mare, destroyed the field in the Autocentr Bupi Stakes (1600 m., Cat I). He won easily by 5 lengths from Sharpour, who had not gone with the early pace. Slovak-trained, Irish-bred Camill, by Monsun(GER) out of a Classic Secret mare, came with a late run to beat Determinacja by a short head in the Diners* Club Czech Gold Cup (2400, Listed, older horses). Camill has now won his last five races, the last two only after a battle with 2008 Oaks winner, Determinacja. The only surprise result was in the Oaks trial, the Napajedla Stud Stakes, sponsored by KIA Seoul, when Princess of Gracie beat Oniris and Rabbit Zamindar impressively.
Racing at Pardubice on July 27th
Pardubice racecourse holds its fifth meeting of the season on Saturday. The main race is the Gold Cup (5000 m., Listed), on the oval steeplechase course. This is the biggest oval track chase of the season in the Czech Republic, with prize money of 600 000 crowns, equivalent to about Euro 24 000. The sponsor is Chladek & Tintera. Several of our best oval-track chasers race exclusively in Italy, but a reasonably large and good field has been gathered together. The favourite will be Royal Mougins, winner of this race in 2007 and 2008. He should win, but Amber Hill, Fifty Nine and Mandarino are good enough to test him. As usual, there will be nine races, and the first race is at 1 p.m.
Racing at Velka Chuchle on July 28th
There will be one more meeting at Prague Velka Chuchle before the summer break. The main race on Sunday July 28th is a Category II handicap, which will include Dekolt, Madanpour and Hugo Kub. All of these 3-y-os were just below the line, and missed out on the Derby. Dekolt*s connections, and many others, thought their horse*s handicap rating was unfairly low and that he should have got into the Derby field. If they are right, Dekolt should be able to win this race, in which he carries only 54 kg. The first race is at 2 p.m.
Derby-winning trainer has a mixed day
Frantisek Holcak trained both the favourite and the second favourite in the Czech Derby. While the connections of the winning favourite, Age of Jape, were celebrating, Mariydi*s owner, Jiri Charvat, was not happy.
His expensive Irish purchase ran prominently but had nothing left in the finishing straight. He trailed in, taking eighth place. After the race, Mariydi was left at Velka Chuchle, where veteran trainer Tomas Satra will take charge of him. Earlier in the afternoon, Tomas Satra and Jiri Charvat had watched their Blue Coral win impressively. Blue Coral moved from Josef Vana to Tomas Satra less than two years ago, in similar circumstances, and has done pretty well since the move. Last week, German Malt, also owned by Jiri Charvat and trained by Frantisek Holcak, broke a leg in the Velka Pardubicka qualifying race at Pardubice.
http://www.palkovice.cz/pruvodce/index.php?jazyk=en. The nearest major town is Frydek-Mistek. A fair proportion of the population of the village had made the 350 km trip to file out on to the course in orange caps for the prize ceremony.