Player wins the August VP qualification race

 
Chládek&Tintěra, Pardubice a.s. Stakes – 3rd qualification race for the 132nd running of the Velka Pardubicka Slavia Insurance
Steeplechase crosscountry National Listed - 5800 metres, Stakes, 5-y-o +
CZK 400 000 (200000 - 92000 - 60000 - 28000 - 20000)
Entry and declaration: CZK 4000 + 8000
going: 3.6 (good)

 

Horse’s name

weight

rider

verdict

time

trainer

SP

1.

PLAYER, 10

70,0

ž. Marcel Novák

BOJ

07:41,53

Kvapilová Lenka

70

2.

CHICNAME DE COTTE(FR), 10 A 1/2bj

70,0

ž. Ludovic Solignac

1 1/4

07:41,72

Vítek Pavel

300

3.

ARGANO, 8

70,0

ž. Martin Liška

3/4

07:41,86

Liška Martin

160

4.

MR SPEX(GER), 8

70,0

ž. Jan Kratochvíl

2 1/4

07:42,25

Urbánek Luboš

85

5.

ZATARO, 9

70,0

ž. Jaroslav Myška

2

07:42,58

Popelka Stanislav

140

6.

SACAMIRO, 9

70,0

ž. Jan Faltejsek

1/2

07:42,68

Petříková Eva

45

7.

DUSIGROSZ(FR), 9 s

70,0

ž. Ondřej Velek

distance

07:46,73

Váňa Josef, snr

78

8.

AENEAS(IRE), 8 j

70,0

ž. Lukáš Matuský

4 1/2

07:47,64

Váňa Josef, snr

90

9.

FLY FILO FLY(ITY), 8

70,0

ž. Marek Stromský

6

07:48,88

Váňa Josef, snr

130

10.

DULCAR DE SIVOLA(FR), 9

70,0

Josef Borč

14

07:52,28

Jirčáková Vendula

330

p.u.

ANGOSTURA(FR), 9

70,0

ž. Pavel Kašný

 

 

Brož Jiří

1250

p.u.

THREE IS COMPANY(IRE), 8

70,0

ž. Rostislav Benš

 

 

Enström Lars-Åke

250

fell

LOMBARGINI(GER)*, 11

70,0

ž. Jan Odložil

 

 

Popelka Stanislav

60

Owner: Nýznerov, Trainer: Kvapilová Lenka, Breeder: Vocásek F.

The third of this year’s four Velka Pardubicka qualification races was run on Saturday, August 6th. This raceday was preceded by a period of hot, dry weather, and the forecast for at least the next week after the race is for more hot, dry weather. It was therefore extremely fortunate that Pardubice racecourse had very steady rain in the night before the race and again on the Saturday morning, followed by a comparatively cool, dry afternoon. The whole racecourse area was remarkably green, the going was 3.6 (good), the ploughed fields were dust-free, and the sharp turns that are a feature of crosscountry steeplechasing at Pardubice were not slippery. The ground staff had again done a good job, and the course was at its best.

 

The runners were an interesting set of horses. None of them stood out with a series of consistent  good performances in long and tough crosscountry steeplechases, but several had run well once or twice, but some time ago, or had shown good ability in shorter races over easier fences. Josef Váňa senior had three runners: Dusigros had won 11 races, but had little experience of crosscountry racing at Pardubice; Aeneas was the easy winner of the Labe Stakes on VP day 2021, but only because Born to be a Queen fell at the last fence with the race seemingly won. Aeneas had also won three Category I races over easy fences at Lysá-nad-Labem. Fly Filo Fly had won 5 times in Italy, but over short distances.

 

The bookmaker’s favourite was Sacamiro, on the basis of his 2nd place not far behind Talent in the 2022 June 2022 qualification race. Second favourite was Lombargini, which won the August 2021 qualification race but then fell at the 7th obstacle in the 2021 VP. Player was also well supported. He finished in 2nd place behind Hegnus in VP 2020, but he fell at the Taxis in VP 2021 and had disappointed recently in the May 2022 qualification race when finishing 5th behind Del Rey. Mr Spex unexpectedly finished 3rd in VP 2021, but was beaten into 8th place the May 2022 qualification race.

 

Thirteen horses started in the August qualification race. Outsider Angostura set a reasonable pace, and the others followed him round for the first part of the race. Lombargini fell at the rear of the field at the 4th obstacle. Apart from that, the first part of the race was uneventful. Player took over the lead between the Drop and the Wall, and led the field over the water jumps and behind the copse, followed closely by Zataro, Chicname de Cotte, the Váňa-trained horses and the rest. When they came out from behind the copse and approached the Hangar Fence, Angostura and Three is Company had had enough and were pulled up. By the time they reached Havel’s Fence, 4th from home, the three Váňa-trained horses and Dulcar de Sivola, were dropping back and the leading six had started to pull away. Player was still in the lead, but Chicname de Cotte and Mr Spex, Zataro and Sacamiro were in pursuit. Argano, which had been tucked in at the back of the field, was moved forward, and by the last fence, Player was under threat from outsiders Chicname de Cotte and Argano. Player stayed on best, and won by one and a quarter lengths from Chicname de Cotte, ridden by French jockey Ludovic Solignac, with Argano, given an excellent waiting ride by his trainer, Martin Liška, three quarters of a length behind in third place. Mr Spex finished 4th, ahead of Zataro and Sacamiro.

 

Dusigros, Aeneas, Fly Filo Fly and finally Dulcar de Sivola completed the race and qualified for the 132nd Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance, which will be run at Pardubice racecourse on Sunday, October 9th.

 

The August qualification race, nine weeks before the big day, was a good opportunity to meet the qualification requirements, to give the horse a serious preparatory race, and to go for a share of the prizemoney of CZK 400 000 for the race, sponsored by Chládek & Tintěra, a.s. Pardubice, a local construction company. Player, owned by Nyžnerov, trained by Lenka Kvapilová and ridden by Marcel Novák, confirmed that he is a very serious contender for the big race. Chicname de Cotte sprung a surprise when he finished in third place, not far behind Theophilos in VP 2019. After that, he was off the course for two years and had shown signs of being past his best – but his connections can now look forward to October 9th. Trainer Pavel Vítek is hoping forr soft ground. 8-y-o Argano’s performance was a big improvement over anything he has achieved in the past. His dam, Arganta, won the Czech One Thousand Guineas, the Czech Oaks and other major races before winning the Slovak St Leger by 18 lengths in 2004.   

 

The September VP qualification race at Pardubice will be run on Saturday, September 3rd.