As so often in recent years, a VP qualification race was held on the hottest day of the year so far. The ground staff had made a considerable effort to present the course in good condition, but unseasonably hot, dry weather in the week before the race thwarted their efforts. The going was good to firm, and on the ploughed fields only the leaders were not enveloped in dust.

Sixteen horses lined up for the race, including last year’s VP winner, Charme Look, which started as a hot favourite. Bára Málková was again unable to ride him, as she has picked up another injury. Jan Faltejsek was happy to be in Charme Look’s saddle again. Jan Kratochvíl was injured in a fall at Auteuil on Friday (broken rib). His ride on No Time to Lose went to Petr Tůma, but then Tůma was injured early on Saturday afternoon, and the ride finally went to Czech-based Bulgarian rider Sertash Ferhanov.

The Czech television commentator had a bad day in the office, and as the race developed, and more and more horses appeared riderless, he was as confused as the viewers as to which horses still had their jockeys on board and which had parted company, and in what circumstances.

I have now pieced together the following: Niklas Lovén came off Hegnus some way after the third obstacle, the Small Water Jump. Rabbit Hawk Wing became separated from Jiří Kousek out of the television picture and out of the commentator’s awareness. The Snake Ditch, No. 17, saw a nasty pile-up. As the commentator spotted, Puntarenas came down heavily, and so did two others. One of these was later correctly identified as Universe of Gracie, and the unidentified faller was Templař. As the race entered its second half, the prominent runners were Zarif, Charme Look and Ter Mill. Ter Mill got into big trouble at the fifth from home. Jan Odložil did well to remain on board, but Jan Faltejsek came off the favourite as Charme Look took evasive action. At about that stage, Slovak challenger Vive Paolo, ridden by Martin Cagáň, fell. This happened excusably off camera and the commentator’s failure to spot it was understandable. The horse had been tailed off for a long time, and should have been pulled up long before.

Now there were only nine horses left in the field, and the commentator was suddenly up to the task. Zarif was in the lead for the last 1500 metres, and as they entered the grass track with 600 metres to run, the only challengers to him were stablemate No Time to Lose and Reaper, with Kasim and Eldorado also more or less in contact, The others, Nikas, Maugli, Sixty Seven and Ter Mill were already well beaten and would have been pulled up if it were not that completing the race would qualify the horse for the Velka Pardubicka on Sunday, October 8th.

Zarif won by one and a quarter lengths from No Time To Lose, with Reaper (Registana’s son) four and a half lengths behind in third place. Kasim and Eldorado struggled home in 4th and 5th place, and the rest were still barely half way down the finishing straight.

Puntarenas sadly had to be put down. I hope the jockeys and the other horses are OK. Jan Faltejsek was fine after his unseating, and Charme Look appeared to be unhurt.

Zarif, owned by KöiDent, trained by Josef Váňa snr and ridden by Josef Bartoš, had a quite good outing. 8-y-o No Time to Lose, trained by Josef Váňa snr and ridden by Sertash Fertanov, dealt with the 5 800 metres distance well, and looks like a Velka horse.

Two things to celebrate at Pardubice on Saturday were, firstly, that Patrick Boekhout finally had his first winner in his 33rd ride, on Váňa-trained  Koenigin Mum. Patrick works at the Váňa stable, and may get some rides while the stable’s first two jockeys are struggling with injury. Secondly, Martin Liška rode his 49th winner, on Četař. This is his 25th season as a race rider, and when he wins his jockey title with his next winner there will be big celebrations.