The coming weekend offers plenty of variety and quality for racegoers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

On Saturday, July 19^th, Most racecourse offers the Czech Oaks, the Velka Mostecka steeplechase and a Category I race over 1600 metres. None of the 14 runners in the Oaks has yet shown outstanding form, but there are probably a number of useful fillies in the field. Only four horses were entered for the Velka Mostecka, but fortunately there are two supplementary entries. The six runners include three of our leading classical steeplechasers: Sokol, Hetman Polny and All About Cossio. This will be Váňa-trained All About Cossio’s 14^th race in the last three season’s but only his second in the Czech Republic. Sokol has won 12 of his 27 races, and has already won twice in France this year, at Wissembourg and at Strasbourg. The first race at Most is at 1.30 pm, and there are 8 races on the card.

The Czech Republic will be well represented at Bratislava on Sunday, July 20^th. All the first 5 in the Czech Derby will be running in the Slovak Derby, but they will face strong opposition from Slovak and German-trained horses. Václav Janáček will be on Honzik Chipera, narrowly beaten in the Czech Derby, and they will probably start as favourites to reverse the placings with Cheeky Chappie. There are 9 races on the card. First race at 3 p.m.

On Sunday, July 20^th, there is also a meeting at Kolesa, which is the next village north from Kladruby. There will be 3 flat races, followed by 4 cross-country chases and one hurdles race. The category II Elektrovasury Prize has attracted Budapest, which is overdue for a win. Horses trained at Kolesa by Pavlína Sůrová for her father, whose company owns the racecourse, now run frequently at Wroclaw racecourse in Poland. It is good to see that four Polish-trained horses are declared to run at Kolesa on Sunday. Only one of them will be ridden by a Polish rider, Pawel Palczyński, whose first ride in the Czech Republic this will be.