The Chládek&Tintěra, Pardubice a.s. Stakes, the third of the four Velka Pardubicka qualification races run at Pardubice racecourse in 2023, was the eighth and final race of the afternoon on Saturday, August 5^th. It had rained persistently all day before the 11 brave runners and riders set out at 5.50 p.m.

To the credit of the ground staff, the course was in remarkably good order, and experienced horses and riders appeared to get round without slipping. Indeed, the horses seemed to enjoy their afternoon out in the rain. Star, which was allowed to run along in last place ten lengths behind the rest, right from the beginning of the race, looked particularly relaxed.

They set off at a sensible pace, with Player, Aeneas and Zataro the most prominent. Talent was never far behind. For a long way, all the horses remained in a bunch, with the exception of Star. They all did well at the potentially most problematic 5^th and 6^th obstacles - the Irish Bank and the Popkovice Turn. The Drop also usually poses some problems, but not this time.

All went well for the first two thirds of the race. Then Stuke got stranded between the two parts of the Big Gardens double fence. As they emerged from behind the copse with seven obstacles to go, Player, Talent and Aeneas moved forward. Royal Gino dislodged his rider at the English Fence. Before the third from home (Havel’s Fence), Mr Spex had begun to drop back, and the grey that swept past him was Star! Between the second last fence and the last fence, Talent went past Player, and Sacamiro began to look threatening. In the run in, Sacamiro was too fast for Talent and scored a really good victory.

Star moved up into third place, and for a brief moment it even looked as if he just might win. However, he tired in the last 100 metres. Player finished fourth, Zataro fifth and Lombargini sixth. Lombargini performed quite well against good opposition, and finished only 10 lengths behind the winner, without ever drawing attention to himself.

Aeneas, in 7^th place, again appeared not to stay, and the connections will have to consider whether the Velka is the right race for him. His trainer is Josef Váňa senior, who trained the winner of the May qualification race (Chelmsford – currently off the track) and the June qualification race (Lodgian Whistle).

2022 Velka Pardubicka winner Mr Spex finished 8th. He had not run since last October, and no doubt needed the race. However, he was already beginning to drop back a long way from home. The plan is to give him another race at Pardubice in September. Derby Plus, a big outsider, got round safely in 9^th place and qualified for the VP. He ran and jumped OK, but he  would appear to have no chance in the VP.

Stuke and Royal Gino failed to get round and therefore failed to qualify for the Velka, which will be run at Pardubice on Sunday, October 9th. They can try again in the 4th qualification race, at Pardubice on Saturday, September 2nd.

Sacamiro, his trainer, Eva Petříková, and his other connections had their big day. Ten months ago, in the week before last year’s VP, I translated an interview by Jana Šejnohová about Eva Petříková. Eva Petříková: What is the dark horse for the Velka? It’s our Sacamiro! | Dostihový svět (dostihovy-svet.cz). She has every chance of training and part-owning the winner of the 2023 Velka Pardubicka, and I hope she does.