At both meetings, the main race is a steeplechase. At Lysa, the Category I Eva Palyzová Memorial (3.40 pm), commemorating the famous steeplechase rider, trainer and owner/manager of Lysa racecourse, who died three years ago, is an open race.  Blesk is likely to start as the favourite, following his win at Wissembourg (Alsace) three weeks ago, but plenty of others also have a chance. The rest of the races are mainly at Category IV level.

In the Josef Váňa Cup at Karlovy Vary (3.30 pm), Gejzir’s main rivals are horses that he beat easily at Pardubice three weeks ago.

Czech television is blessed with a very good team for horseracing. Marek Svačina and Pavel Fučík are both experienced broadcasters with a deep knowledge and love of racing (though Marek also does commentaries on a number of other sports, notably tennis). Libor Šimůnek, who retired from jumps riding a couple of years ago, is developing into an excellent ‘resident expert‘, knowledgeable but not too earnest, and there are nowadays a number of trainers, jockeys and others who interview well. Josef Váňa,in particular, is an outstanding interviewee, and will surely be interviewed at some length on both days.

If you do not want to spend the anticipated warm afternoons this weekend watching television, go racing and then later watch the videos at a later day.