Royal Mougins still supreme

Royal Mougins, owned by Jiri Charvat, trained by Frantisek Holcak and ridden by Jiri Kousek, won the Chladek & Tintera Gold Cup yet again at Pardubice on June 26th, his seventh win in seven races at Pardubice, all of which have been Listed races on the classical steeplechase course. He has won 18 of his 27 races over hurdles and fences, and is absolutely the outstanding Czech chaser of recent years. He races mainly in Italy, where he has won 5 Graded races. Royal Mougins is still only 8 years old, and we hope he will continue at the top. On Saturday he was run fairly close by Jam-Bella and Sherento.

Two of the minor races were won by horses entered in the Velka Pardubicka. Amant Gris won the Chovservis Hradec Kralove a.s. Prize, Category III from Zulejka and Welldancer. Welldancer was ridden by Josef Vana snr, who hopes to be able to ride this horse in the Velka Pardubicka. Amant Gris was receiving plenty of weight from Welldancer and did not win easily. Nevertheless, this was a very satisfactory outing for both horses.

The Web Portal www.kudyznudy.cz CzechTourism Agency Prize Steeplechase crosscountry, Category II, 5200 m attracted a strong field, and was won by the outsider Beijrut. In 2005 and 2006, Bejrut was our outstanding novice chaser, but his more recent form had been so wretched that this was, according to his owner, his "last chance". Trained by Jiri Janda and ridden by Jiri Kousek, Bejrut made almost all the running, and showed plenty of spirit to beat Partoutatou and Mastman. He is entered for the Velka Pardubicka, and may now run in the August qualification race, together with Welldancer and Amant Gris.

Jiri Kousek rode three winners at the meeting at Pardubice on June 26th, and Josef Bartos, now recovered from breaking three vertebrae, rode two winners. The next meeting at Pardubice is on Saturday, August 27th, and will feature the third of the four Velka Pardubicka qualification races.