The highpoint of the race meeting at Pardubice on Saturday, June 24^th will be the second qualification race for the 2016 Velka Pardubicka, which will be run on Sunday, October 9^th.

The highpoint of the race, for the mainstream media and their photographers at least, will be the reappearance in the saddle of Josef Váňa, snr., whose last appearance on the racecourse was on Tiumen in the 2014 Velka Pardubicka. He will ride Rabbit Hawk Wing, which he trains and which he has for some time been mentioning as a suitable horse for him to ride on October 9th.

Riders in the Velka are required to have completed at least one steeplechase within the last year. No doubt an exception would be made for Váňa, but he wants to check that his own preparations for October are going satisfactorily. This will be a trial race not only for the horse but also for the rider.

There are 17 declared runners for the qualification race, including last year’s VP winner, Ribelino, which has been pulled up in both of his starts this year. Trainer Čestmir Olehla has three runners, Hegnus, Reaper and Klaus.Please note that the first race at Pardubice on Saturday is at 12 midday. There are 8 races on the card, and plenty of horses have been declared to run.