Touch of Genius won the Czech Derby comfortably by 1½ lengths from Oriental Sky, with Tamarind Cove a head behind in third place. It was a cool, overcast day, and there had been enough recent rain to make the going good, and softish in places. Ideal Approach pulled hard at the beginning of the race, but Radek Koplík soon brought him more or less under control and allowed him to set a good pace. Touch of Genius, ridden by Jaromír Šafář, was held back in second-last place for the first half of the race, but as they entered the final straight he moved up in the centre of the course. As the non-stayers fell back, Touch of Genius won comfortably enough. Odds-on favourite Alzarb was given every chance, but seemed not to stay the distance, and finished fourth.

Touch of Genius is owned by Statek Blata Český Ráj, a quite new name among leading Czech owners. Josef Dufek’s name has until now been mainly linked with Mlada Boleslav football club, which has this year qualified for the Europa League. His wife, Jana Dufková runs Statek Blata Český Ráj, http://www.statekblata.cz/kone/kone-ustajene-statku-blata/, which appears be a pleasant ranch in the beautiful Czech Paradise countryside, near Jičín. Josef says that it is Jana who is the driving force behind the racehorses, though he, too, will have been captured by the thrill of owning a Derby winner.

The first and third horses were trained by J Váňa. After he failed in his efforts to get the favourite, Aldar, and his stablemate, Aldzarb, disqualified from the race, on the grounds of ineligibility of their foreign owner, Váňa’s horses beat them both on the racecourse, which is where races should take place.

This was jockey Jaromír Šafář’s first classic win. Unfortunately, he detracted from his achievement by being fined, yet again, for overuse of the whip