Mandarino wins the first VP qualifying race

After plentiful rain and cool weather in recent weeks, and serious flooding in many parts of Moravia, the meeting at Pardubice on May 22nd took place on softish ground, which became definitely soft after a sharp shower just before the main race. The ploughed fields were testing in places. The feature race was the 18th running of the Town of Pardubice Grand Prix (Dick Francis Memorial), the first qualification race for the 120th Velka Pardubicka. Although Czech-trained horses can now qualify through other races than the four qualifying races at Pardubice, it is expected that the Pardubice qualifiers will continue to be the main route for Czech- and Slovak-trained runners.Sixteen horses started, and ten of them got round. Bremen Plan, the favourite, came down at the French Fence, behind the copse, and brought down Isar. Mandarino and Teviot ran prominently, and Teviot led them on to the grass track with 800 metres to go. After the last fence, Mandarino, 4th in VP 2009 and recent winner of the First of May Steeplechase at Lysa-nad-Labem, took over and won fairly comfortably from Jung, Teviot, Kobuz, Caland, Valldemoso, Marsylianka, Aspirant, Ignacio and 2009 winner of this race, Tomis. The non-finshers were Isar, Bremen Plan, Wavelight Laser, Korinka, Pocci and Il en Reve. Il en Reve, which came over from Ireland for VP 2009 and remained here after the rain, went quite well for a long way, but was pulled up after his saddle slipped. He will be entered for the second qualifying race, on June 12th.

In the other races Amant Gris, disqualified after being first past the post in VP 2008, showed that he has not lost his competitiveness by winning a Category IV race. However, he did not win at all easily or impressively. In the Category II AUTO IN cross-country chase, promising 5-y-os Chenonceau and Cabernet took each other on again. Once  more, Chenonceau prevailed. Jockey Jaroslav Myska rode 4 winners in the course of an afternoon when several of his colleagues took heavy falls.

Before the first race, a plaque commemorating Dick Francis was unveiled. Olympia publishing house had a big display at the course of its translations into Czech of most of his books.

Upcoming meetings at Pardubice: Saturday May 29th, Saturday June 12th (2nd VP qualifying race), Saturday June 26th (Gold Cup). First race at 1 pm.

Racing at Slusovice postponed

The meeting at Slusovice on Sunday, May 30th has been called off because of flooding. The meeting will be rearranged and run later in the season.