Lombargini wins the 3rd VP qualification race

The third of the four qualification races for the 131st running of the Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance attracted 12 runners on August 7th. Most Czech-trained horses that are intended to run in the VP had already qualified safely for the big race. Owners and trainers know that there is always a high risk of a very hot afternoon and rock-hard ground at Pardubice in August. This time, it was a hot day, though some heavy recent rain in east Bohemia had softened the ground. The going was good, but the surface was slippery in places.

Most of the 12 runners had nothing in their past records to suggest they might be serious contenders for the VP. The favourite was 8-y-o Lodgian Whistle, winner of the 3rd qualification race in 2020.  Lodgian Whistle has changed owners since last year, and he is now trained by Josef Váňa senior. In May, he took 2nd place in the Grande Steeple Chase Di Milano, but since then he has twice failed to get round. The other well-backed runner was 13-y-o Vandual, which had surprisingly finished in a close 3rd place in last year’s Velka Pardubicka.

An interesting runner was 7-y-o Aeneas, by Galileo, trained by Josef Váňa senior and winner of three Category I steeplechases at Lysá nad Labem. 10-y-o Lombargini had finished a close 2nd in the Labe Stakes in 2019 and again in 2020, but he has mainly tended to get beaten even in lower-category races. It was, of course, possible that one of the less fancied horses might turn in a good run.

Imphal and Vandual set a gentle pace, which one or two at the back of the field seemed to find challenging enough. Nothing much happened before the middle of the race. After the Drop, when the horses passed in front of the grandstand, Lodgian Whistle went into the lead. Three horses slipped in separate incidents on treacherous ground between the Snake Ditch and the Big Water Jump. Josef Bartoš, in the lead on Lodgian Whistle, managed to hold on and he even retained the lead, but the incident seemed to cost the horse a lot of effort and perhaps some motivation. Two of the Slovak-trained horses, Kaiserwalzer and Paris Eiffel, slipped up and lost their riders. Five fences from home, four horses went away from the others: Direct Lagrange, Vandual, Lombargini and Lodgian Whistle. Direct Lagrange led from the fourth from home until the run in, at which point he was overtaken by Lombargini. Lombargini pulled away from Direct Lagrange after the last fence. Vandual finished third and Lodgian Whistle was fourth. The rest were very well beaten.

It was a good performance by Lombargini, but he probably did not beat much. 8-year-old Direct Lagrange, trained by Radek Holčák and ridden by Lukáš Matuský, ran an honest race, as did Slovak-trained 13-y-o Vandual. Lodgian Whistle can probably do better than he did on August 7th, but a big improvement is needed if he is to be a contender for the Velka Pardubicka.

This was Lombargini’s first race of the season, and according to his owner and his trainer, he will probably not run again until October 10th.

The last of the four VP qualification races at Pardubice will be on Saturday, September 4th.

 

 Chládek & Tintěra, Pardubice a.s. Stakes – Third qualification race for the 131st running of the Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance
Steeplechase crosscountry National Listed - 5800 metres, Stakes, 5-y-o+í
CZK 200.000 (100000 - 46000 - 30000 - 14000 - 10000)
going: 3.3 (good)

   

Weight

 rider

verdict

time

trainer

evq

1.

LOMBARGINI(GER*), 10

70,0

ž. Jan Odložil

Very easily.

07:35,83

Popelka Stanislav

 

2.

DIRECT LAGRANGE(FR), 8 A 1/2

70,0

ž. Lukáš Matuský

6

07:36,91

Holčák Radek

 

3.

VANDUAL(SVK), 13

70,0

ž. Romain Julliot

3 3/4

07:37,63

Štangel Marián

 

4.

LODGIAN WHISTLE, 8

70,0

ž. Josef Bartoš

2 3/4

07:38,17

Váňa st. Josef

 

5.

IMPHAL(POL), 8 b

70,0

ž. Ondřej Velek

11

07:40,58

Popelka Stanislav

 

6.

RUI FALEIRO(USA), 10

71,0

ž. Jaroslav Brečka

1/2

07:40,71

Brečka Jaroslav

 

7.

MR SPEX(GER), 7 b

70,0

ž. Jan Kratochvíl

1/2

07:40,82

Urbánek Luboš

 

8.

AENEAS(IRE), 7 j

70,0

Jakub Kocman

daleko

07:51,99

Váňa st. Josef

 

Z

BEAU ROCHELAIS(FR), 10 A 1/2

70,0

ž. Martin Liška

 

 

Křídlová Tamara

 

Z

SAINT JOSEPH(FR), 8 b

70,0

ž. Marek Stromský

 

 

Tůma Pavel

 

ZN

KAISERWALZER(GER), 8

70,0

ž. Jaroslav Myška

 

 

Brečka Jaroslav

 

PN

PARIS EIFFEL(IRE), 8

70,0

ž. Martin Cagáň

 

 

Cagáň Ján

 

Non runner: FLY FILO FLY(ITY)
Time: 07:35.83:
Verdict: Very easily-6 lengths-3 ¾ lengths -2 ¾ lengths -11 lengths -1/2 length -1/2 length - distance

Owner: EŽ Praha a.s., Trainer: Popelka Stanislav, Breeder: Popelka Stanislav