Argano turns a warm-up outing into a VP qualification race win
Submitted by Robin on 4. September 2023 - 16:36(Pardubice racecourse press release)
Argano turns a warm-up outing into a VP qualification race win
(Pardubice racecourse press release)
Argano turns a warm-up outing into a VP qualification race win
Two horses trained in Ireland by Peter Maher have been sent over to the Czech Republic to prepare for the Velka Pardubicka. They will both run in a Category II crosscountry steeplechase at Pardubice on Saturday, September 2nd, and the plan is that they will stay here until the Velka Pardubicka, which is on Sunday, October 8th. The two horses will spend the interim period in the care of Greg Wroblewski, whose many claims to fame include the fact that he was the trainer of triple Velka Pardubicka winner Orphée des Blins.
The main route for the Czech-trained and Slovak-trained contenders to qualify and prepare for this year’s 133rd running of the Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance takes in at least one of the four qualification races run at Pardubice racecourse. The third qualification race, the Chládek&Tintěra, Pardubice a.s. Stakes, will be run on Saturday, August 5th. The first race on Saturday will be at 1 p.m. The qualification race, the last of eight races on the card, is at 5.50 p.m.
Slavia Insurance, now in their fifth year as the main sponsor of the Velka Pardubicka, put up special sponsorship for this year’s second VP qualification race on June 24th at Pardubice racecourse. Prizemoney of one million Czech crowns (more than EUR 40 000) was a very large amount for a race over obstacles in the Czech Republic, though the Velka Pardubicka carries prizemoney of CZK 5 million this year.
Pardubice, 24 June 2023 – The second richest race of the season over fences in the Czech Republic, after the Velka Pardubicka, was the second VP Qualification race, which was run as the Slavia Insurance Cup, with prizemoney of exactly one million crowns. The race was won by 10-y-o Lodgian Whistle, which was never headed. He beat off a late run by Sacamiro, with Santa Klara, one of the fancied runners, finishing in third place. The qualification conditions were met by all nine horses that got round the course.
Four big owners have dominated Czech horseracing for the last decade, and have won almost one fifth of the prizemoney
The series of four qualification races for the 133rd running of the Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance has got under way. The hero of the first act is Chelmsford, a 7-year-old chestnut, ridden by Jan Kratochvíl and trained by Josef Váňa senior. All seven finishers fulfilled the new qualification criteria. From this year, the first five past the post qualify for the big race automatically, but there is now a time limit of 20 seconds behind the winner for any other finishers to qualify.
The following interview appeared on January 14th, 2023 in Czech language on the Fitmin & Turf Magazín website Fitmin & TURF Magazín - S prezidentem Jockey Clubu Josefem Bečvářem nejen o financování českých dostihů.