After the Velka Pardubicka, the Czech horseracing season comes to an end rather abruptly, as wintry weather usually arrives at the end of October or early in November. After the long period of Indian summer weather that has continued until now, it is hard to imagine that winter is just round the corner. However, the coming weekend, followed by the national holiday on October 28th, will almost draw the curtain on the Czech 2014 horseracing season. There will only be one more meeting after that, on Saturday November 8th at Kolesa.

The meeting on Saturday at Pardubice consists of 7 races, first race at 12 midday. The main event is the Category II Final Steeplechase, which traditionally carries the name of the winner of the Velka Pardubicka, Orphée des Blins. This race normally attracts several horses that did not finish in the Velka, but this year there is only the moderate Ter Mill, and this looks like an open race.

On Sunday at Prague Velka Chuchle, the main race on the final day of this season in Prague is the 94th running of the President of the Republic’s Prize, Category I, over 3 200 metres. Mister Westminster surprisingly beat Autor narrowly over 2500 metres at Pardubice on the day before the Velka Pardubicka, and he won the President’s Prize last year. Autor, too, is expected to stay the distance, and this will be an interesting race, as there are also three useful 3-y-o stayers in the race, Aztek, Buonarroti and Dally Hit. Highly-rated Autor will be the favourite. There are nine races on the card, first race at 12 midday.

On the national holiday on Tuesday, there is an interesting programme at Slušovice, with the shortest flat race of the season, over 900 metres, and also the longest flat race of the season, over 3 900 metres. These are both Category III races. The Velká Slušovická Steeplechase, Category I, 5 200 metres, has attracted only a moderate field, and last year’s surprise winner, Mlýn, might be good enough again.