They really take an interest in the work that they are training for. They regularly appear in races for apprentices, and then, quite often, they attract the attention of other trainers and owners than those they do internships with. Some apprentices from the Middle School for Horseracing and Riding offer their tips for this year’s Derby.

Aneta Trnková is a second-year apprentice who turned her first ever opportunity into a winning ride. Since that time, she has had just eight more rides, but she has now had two winners and finished in the prize money in all but three of her races. Her professional dream is to ride as many races as possible, and she would like to try jumps racing at least once. Her professional model is Jan Rája, and her favourite foreign jockey is Cristian Demuro.

“My favourite for the Derby? It is hard to come down to just one. I have two favourites, Stellar Speed and Black Canyon. It’s hard to say which is better. Stellar Speed hasn’t run yet in the Czech Republic, but I’ve heard that he should be an excellent horse. There’s no need to make a case for Black Canyon – he’s a splendid animal with excellent results. At the same time, there will be some other very good horses in the Derby that we haven’t come across yet. Sir Sun is one that I certainly don’t underrate. In my opinion the race surely won’t be run at a slow pace. There are some horses there that need a good gallop. Myself, I’ll be cheering for Black Canyon, since he caught my attention a long time ago. For me, the dark horses are Aeneas and Felix.”

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This interview by Jana Šejnohová first appeared on the Czech-language pages of Dostihový svět. Translated by Robin Healey