The Wielka Wroclawska, the Gran Premio di Merano and the Velka Pardubicka - Central European crosscountry steeplechase festivals in September/October

The three main events in central European steeplechasing, marking the highpoint of our 2019 season, all take place within a five-week period between September 8th and October 13th. Each of the three meetings, at Wroclaw in Poland, at Merano, in the northernmost part of Italy, and at Pardubice, 100 km east of Prague in the Czech Republic, celebrates the varieties of crosscountry steeplechasing in the central European region. Nowadays, Czech-trained horses and Czech jockeys are leading contenders in steeplechases throughout the season at Wroclaw and in Italy, and good Czech-trained runners have been specially prepared and targeted at the Wielka Wroclawska, the Gran Premio and the Velka Pardubicka.

Wielka Wroclawska (September 8th)

It is still not easy to find the most basic information about this race in English on the internet. The race will be run on Sunday 8 September, with the first race at 1 p.m. I deduce that it will be a one-day meeting this year, and that the Wielka Partynicka, over hurdles, will be run on the same day. Wroclaw is a fine historical city, and a weekend trip with sightseeing and racing sounds good. The racecourse is in the southern suburbs of Wroclaw, within the city boundaries, and is easily reached by public transport. Wroclaw airport receives flights from a number of airports. For a day trip from the Czech Republic, travel by car is the only real option. I am pretty sure that it will be possible to get into the course without buying a ticket in advance. I would be more than happy to post more detailed information in English about the Wielka Wroclawska. Please contact me at Robin.Arthur.Healey@cvut.cz

Gran Premio di Merano (September 29th)

The following is downloaded from the http://www.ippodromomerano.it/ website: Meeting Grand Prix Merano South Tyrol – edition 2019 September, 28th-29th On the occasion of the “Meran Southtyrol Gran Prix” , that goes on stage every year during the last weekend of September in the racetrack of the city of Meran, the attention of Italian and international horseracing shifts away onto Meran. The flat and jump race meeting takes place during two days: on Saturday, when the prestigious Nation Prix - Crystal Cup international track and the Grand Hedges Prix take place, and on Sunday, when all of the spotlights are on the Meran Southtyrol Grand Prix, the most prestigious European jump race.It’s a high level horseracing project that every year drawns to Meran horse lovers, the press and media from all over Europe.The galleries and the box, elegantly prepared for the occasion, can contain almost 12.000 guests; it all turns into an old-time fairy world, where elegance and worldliness are the main characters.On both of those days, in the late morning, the racetrack opens its gates to the public, welcomed by red carpets and hostess, with high level gastronomy service and the preview of Merano WineFestival.

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Merano lies south of the Brenner pass, in the South Tirol region, in a south-facing valley cut off from the north by the mighty Dolomites. The racecourse, the town and the region are stunning, and late September is a really good time for a visit. The Gran Premio will be run on the Sunday, and the previous day features the Merano leg of the Crystal Cup crosscoutry series. Merano is quite a small town, and the racecourse is within walking distance of the centre.

Velka Pardubicka (October 13th)

Austro-Hungarian aristocrats visited Liverpool in the 1830s, and were inspired to set up a racecourse like Aintree and races like English steeplechases. Races have been run at Pardubice since 1841, and the first Velka Pardubicka was held in 1874. The race has been held every year since then, except when weather events, two world wars and one invasion intervened. It is the oldest annual sports event in the Czech Republic, and in the latest era in Czech history it has gained the position of a major national event. This year’s Velka will be run on Sunday, October 13th. The first race will be at about 11.20 a.m., and the Velka will run at about 4.40 p.m. On the previous day, there will also be jumps racing at Pardubice. It will be a much smaller occasion, just an ordinary day of racing over obstacles at Pardubice.

Flights to Prague are the normal option, though Brno and Ostrava airports are also possibilities. If you want to spend nights in Pardubice, it will be necessary to make a hotel reservation well in advance. In Prague, Brno or Ostrava, you should be able in mid October to get a favourable rate in a city centre hotel near the railway station. There are frequent very inexpensive fast trains between Prague and Pardubice, and the journey takes less than an hour. There are good rail services between Pardubice and Brno or Ostrava. There is a shuttle bus service between the railway station and the racecourse on Velka day. Try to avoid travelling to Pardubice by road on Velka day. Grandstand seats are scarce on Velka day, and need to be bought in advance. However, entry to the racecourse without a seat will be available on the day of the race.