64 entries for the Velka Pardubicka

Entries for the 120th running of the Velka Pardubicka, sponsored by Ceska pojistovna, closed at midday on May 13th. Sixty-four horses are named, nine of which are trained abroad. The best known of the foreign horses is L'Ami, long established as a leading crosscountry chaser in Ireland and at Cheltenham, and winner of the Avon Ri Corporate & Leisure Resort Chase For The La Touche Cup at Punchestown in April 2010. Trainer Enda Bolger also has two other J. P. McManus-owned entries, Freney's Well and Drombeag. Three of the foreign entries ran in the 2009 Velka Pardubicka: Lucky Nellerie (trained by Ferdy Murphy), Lucky Luc (trained by Kim Bailey), and Mr Big (trained by Charlie Mann). None of them achieved much, but the horses and their connections will have learned from the experience. Battle Axe, trained by John Lennon, Lydon House, trained by Gordon Elliot, and O'Muircheartaigh, trained by Edward O'Grady, are the others. The McManus horses seem to be the main foreign threat, though horses trained by Charlie Mann and Ferdy Murphy are always a danger. Il en Reve, which came over from Ireland in 2009 and was the last of the 18 to finish the Velka Pardubicka, is now trained in the Czech Republic by Milan Theimer, owned by Architekti 75, which is a syndicate headed by Mirek Petran, president of Dostihovy spolek, organisers of events at Pardubice racecourse. The lack of entries from France and Italy is a disappointment for the organisers, who had also hoped for entries from Switzerland and Sweden. Supplementary entries can be made until late September, so it is still possible that a French contender could appear.

The foreign entries are always an unknown factor in the Velka Pardubicka, as the race is in most cases not the focal point of their season. In the case of the Czech-trained horses, on the other hand, it is known that the race is their main target for the 2010 season. Josef Vana, of course, has a very strong  hand. Past winners Sixteen (Josef Bartos' planned mount) and Tiumen (to be ridden this time by Josef Vana jnr) and Welldancer (the planned ride of Josef Vana snr) are backed up by Juventus (placed several times in the VP), Pocci (5th in 2009), Ready for Life (Derby and Oaks winner in 2005), and other horses, any of which could turn into a serious contender: Del Sole, Gont, Mastman, Kobuz, Caland and Belmont. That makes twelve!! Radek Holcak has six entries and a very strong hand. Amant Gris was first past the post in the 2008 race, but was disqualified. 7-y-o Bremen Plan has already won three times on Velka Pardubicka day, and is the best of the younger horses. Numero Due finished 4th in VP 2008 and 3rd in 2009. Nikodem, Isar and Trewir are all worth entering for the race. Wrbna racing have three entries. Baggio could be a threat, but Ignacio and Theoden would need to improve quite a lot. Dr Charvat has four entries, trained by three different trainers. Mastman and Belmont are Vana-trained, but not among the stable's greatest hopes for the race. Aspirant finished 2nd to Mr Lnd in the opening meeting of the season at Pardubice recently. Bejrut, now trained by Jiri Janda, won several top races a few years ago at Merano and Milano, but his formed has dipped in recent years and the Pardubice crosscountry course seems unlikely to suit him. Mandarino, 4th in VP 2009, won the First of May Steeplechase at Lysa nad Labem recently. The ever reliable Mr Land won a Category I race at Pardubice recently. Profil won the June qualifying race in 2009 and finished 10th in October 2009. Tomis won the May qualifying race last year. 

The four Velka Pardubicka qualifying races will continue to be the main route to the race in October for Czech-trained horses, though they can now qualify through certain races outside the country too. The first qualifying race is at Pardubice on Saturday May 22nd. The favoured entries are Mandarino, Bremen Plan, Aspirant, Pocci and Tomis.