Dostihový spolek Pardubice press release

10-y-o bay gelding Sacamiro, owned by the Beňov Riding Section, justified his role as favourite and won the 133rd running of the Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance. His jockey, Jan Faltejsek, raised his number of winning rides in the race to six.

Eighteen horses ran in the race, and the best-backed were Sacamiro, Argano, last year’s winner Mr Spex, and 2021 winner Talent. There was a major collision at the Taxis, which put seven horses out of the race. 9-y-o gelding Stuke suffered a fatal injury.

The pace was set by Ondřej Velek on Lodgian Whistle, followed by Kaiserwalzer, ridden by Jaroslav Myška. Sacamiro and Jan Faltejsek were tucked in behind. Loose horses were a problem for the jockeys, but they did not cause the fall of Imphal and his French jockey Solignac at the plain fence with a ditch. At the Drop, Lodgian Whistle took over the lead from Slovak-trained Kaiserwalzer, and Jet Fighter and his Irish jockey O´Keeffe were at the rear of a  well stretched-out field.

Myška set out on a bold solo ride, and broke up the rest of the field. The last big mistake came at Havel’s fence. It was made by Santa Klara, the only mare in the race, and her jockey Jan Kratochvíl parted company from the saddle. When the horses came onto the grass track, the remaining favourites lined up. The first to take the last fence was Star, and it seemed that his jockey, Marek Stromský, was near to achieving his dream of winning the race - on the back of a white horse! On the rail, however, the favourite, Sacamiro, raised his pace, and Jan Faltejsek delivered him victorious to the winning post. Talent, ridden by Pavel Složil, also sprinted past Star. The places for the remaining shares of the prizemoney went to Lombargini (Best), Kaiserwalzer, (Myška), Lodgian Whistle (Velek) and Dulcar De Sivola (Borč). Irish-trained Jet Fighter got round in eighth place.

“I concentrated on myself: I wasn’t feeling too good, but the raceday motivated me. There was a big problem at the Taxis. It didn‘t involve me, but we landed on the edge. However, we got by. I tried to save some metres. I knew that the horse has a good finish,“ said Jan Faltejsek, who has now won the Velka Pardubicka six times. It seems he does not have much in the way of dreams. After the race, he told Czech Television viewers,“I try to work hard, no matter where it is or who it is for. Records don’t worry me.“