Slovak jockey, Lukáš Matuský, who was injured at the weekend in Switzerland, had been engaged to ride the outsider, Peintre Abstrait, in the Velka Pardubicka. He is to be replaced byPolish rider Dominik Pastuszka, who is based in Italy, and is no. 2 rider for top Italian jumps trainer, Paolo Favero.

Every year, Czech trainers have a nightmare in which the good jockey that they have engaged for Velka Pardubicka day gets injured at the last moment. This year it has happened in reality, but not at the last moment. Slovak jockey Lukaš Matuský, who has emerged in recent years as one of our most promising young riders over fences, was injured in a fall at Maienfeld, in Switzerland, at the weekend.

The Czech horseracing betting monopoly Betino has, as expected, installed two Váńa-trained horses as favourites for the Velka Pardubickawith Česka pojišťovna.

We announce the tragic death on September 27^th of Michal Köhl, a jockey who had been active in Czech horse racing for more than 20 years. He had ridden 7 winners on the flat and 64 in jumps races, including 4 wins at Category I level and above.