Standpoint of the Jockey Club of the Czech Republic on the results of the 134^th running of the Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance

On October 13^th, 2024 a race day was held at Pardubice racecourse which finished with the 134^th running of the Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance. After the successful running of the whole race, spectators watched an extremely close contest in the finishing straight between Jaroslav Myška on Sexy Lord and Jan Faltejsek on Godfrey. The result is that there were two joint winners after a very close finish to the race.

By way of an introduction, the Jockey Club of the Czech Republic states that the staffing of the horseracing commission and its function, and also the use and the staffing of the photofinish camera, are within the competence of the Jockey Club of the Czech Republic, and not of the racecourse. In the 134^th running of the Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance a mistake was made by the person manning the photofinish camera, such that no photofinish photograph was obtained. In the absence of a photofinish photograph, the horseracing commission had to adjudge the finishing order on the basis of all other available photographic and video materials. For this reason, the definitive approval of the result of the race was arrived at after a non-standardly long period of time.

On the basis of analyses of photographic and video materials, the horseracing commission reached the decision that the result was a dead heat. In its reasoning it was guided by paragraph § 371 of the Horseracing Regulations of the Jockey Club of the Czech Republic, which states: “If two horses pass the winning line simultaneously, and if the judge is unable to judge which of them is the winner, even with the aid of a photofinish photograph (film) she/he will declare a ‘dead heat’. The same is valid for placed horses ("placed in a dead heat”) and in the event that there are a greater number of horses finishing together. If two horses finish in first place, the next finisher behind them is placed third. If there are three finishers together, the next will be fourth, etc. The same is valid for placed horses.

The Jockey Club of the Czech Republic further states that the verdict on the finishing order of  the  134^th running of the  Velka Pardubicka  with Slavia Insurance was announced by the horseracing commission by the judge to the horseracing secretary only once and completely correctly, by the loudspeaker, including information about the dead heat between the two horses. However, this information was not at first precisely interpreted among the participants and spectators, and after a certain period of time questions were widely raised as to the real order of the finishers.

The Council of the Jockey Club of the Czech Republic is evaluating this case and will draw specific conclusions.

Jockey Club of the Czech Republic

Prague, 14. 10. 2024

(translated into English from the website of the Jockey Club of the Czech Republic)

Commentary

At the end of Sunday’s 134^th running of the Velka Pardubicka, Godfrey and Sexy Lord fought out a very dramatic and exciting finish to the race. Then there was a period of at least 15 minutes before the result – a dead heat for 1st place - was announced.

The Jockey Club of the Czech Republic announced that the reason for the delay was that no official finishing line photograph was available, due to a mistake made by the photographer appointed by the Jockey Club.

In accordance with the regulations, attempts were made to adjudicate the finish on the basis any other photographic or film evidence. However, no decision could be reached, and finally, after a completely non-standard delay, a dead heat was announced.

During the delay, as the Czech Television sports channel showed, a strong rumour ran through the owners, trainers and jockeys that the race winner was Sexy Lord, ridden by Jaroslav Myška, owned by HC-Amphora Hora and trained by Martina Růžičková Martina, and that Godfrey, ridden by Jan Faltejsek owned by Pegas (Jiří Trávniček) and trained by Dalibor Török, had finished in second place.

The Jockey Club of the Czech Republic states that the only mistake that was made was that no finishing line photograph was made, and that the mistake was made by a person appointed by the Jockey Club, and not by the racecourse.

In my opinion a) everyone at the Jockey Club and assisting the Jockey Club makes great efforts and successful efforts, often on a voluntary basis, to ensure the regularity of racing in the Czech Republic, and b) all owners, jockeys and trainers are sure that a genuine mistake was made, and that the finish was so close that a dead heat was a fair result that both teams should celebrate as a ‘win’.