It has been clear for several years that the number of Czech jumps jockeys has been dwindling. This has led to a growing problem of finding a good race rider, or any rider at all. Another problem, no less acute, is the problem of finding a work rider who is able to teach horses to jump effectively. Poorly-schooled and almost unschooled novices are a common sight. Only a few yards consistently turn out well-prepared young jumpers. Plenty of smaller trainers are poorly equipped and poorly staffed for this job.

Betino, Czech racing’s monopoly bookmaker, has not yet changed its odds substantially. What changes have been made have been slight shortenings of their odds. This presumably reflects some medium-size bets on certain horses. Orphee des Blins remains the 6 to 4 favourite, with Trezor at 5 to 2. Tiumen has come in slightly to 3 to 1, and both Klaus and Budapest are currently at 9 to 1.

Saturday flat race meeting, first race at 12 midday

When a British princess came to the Velka Pardubicka not many years ago, those wives and mistresses of the Czech elite who were invited to the Town Stand spent a fortune (or what we little people think of as a fortune) on millinery and on high-heeled shoes. The princess, being a horsewoman, dressed warmly, wore no hat and had sensible shoes on.

This interview conducted by Petr Guth first appeared in the Czech language pages of the Dostihovy Svet webpages

Two-day Velka Pardubicka meeting, Pardubice Racecourse, October 12^th/13th

16:30 - 8th race
123. Velká pardubická with Česká pojišťovna
Stcc - Listed - 6+ - 6900 m - 5 000 000 Kč

As expected, Meandre's disqualification from first place in the Preis von Europa has been overruled. The horse, owned by Ramzan Kadyrov and trained by Arslangirej Savujev at Krabcice, is now to be supplemented for next Sunday's Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, in which he will be among the outsiders.