The Czech Derby was run at Prague Velká Chuchle racecourse on Saturday 22 June, which was a mild, rainy day. The going, given as good earlier in the day, will have been good to soft in places when the Derby was run. A maximum-size field of sixteen horses set off. Only Amazing Gangster wanted to set the pace, and he fought a fruitless battle over this with his jockey, Radek Koplík. As they entered the first bend at a moderate pace, Ferdinand Minarík sent the favourite, Angkor Wat, into the lead. Second-favourite Pacific Hill, ridden by Jiří Palík, took second place on the first turn. These two led down the back straight and then went 8 lengths clear on the last bend. Pacific Hill took the lead in the finishing straight and held on to win by fairly comfortably by one and a quarter lengths. Angkor Wat was challenged in the last 200 metres by Ignacius Reilly, but held on for second place.  

The winner, German-bred Pacific Hill (Nathaniel(IRE)-Paulaya(Ger) (Peintre Celebre(USA)), had finished second behind Angkor Wat in the main Derby trial. He is owned by Monte Negro and is trained by Radek Holčák. British-bred Angkor Wat, trained by Josef Váňa senior, is also by Nathaniel. British-bred Ignacious Reilly, is by Worthadd. He is owned by the V3J syndicate, trained by Václav Luka and was ridden by Bauyrzhan Murzabayev.

The V3J syndicate, which owns just seven horses, all trained by Václav Luka junior, had a remarkable Saturday afternoon. Nagano Gold took second place in the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot, Premier Lion won the Radio Impuls Gold Cup at Velká Chuchle, and Ignacius Reilly finished third in the Czech Derby, all within a period of about one hour.  

Photo: trainer Radek Holčák. Photo by Petr Guth.99th running of the Czech Derby 2206/2019