For several years I ran an unofficial Velka Pardubicka website on the old Freewebs platform. Sadly the site disappeared a couple of years ago and my love affair with the worlds "second greatest" steeplechase was officially at an end. I do still follow Czech jump racing during the summer months and this year have decided to resurrect my old Velka Form Guide (which has been quoted in the past by Mark Johnson when he provided commentary on the race for Racing TV). 

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There is definitely a sense that some of the big players in Czech cross country steeplechasing are missing. Last years winner Sacimiro has not been seen out this season and the impressive winner of the August qualifier (and in my view the best of the Czechs) Chelmsford is missing through injury. The winner two years ago Mr Spex wasn't entered after failing to impress this season and Aeneas, who won the September qualifier opts for the calmer waters of the Labe Prize earlier on the  card

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Of the eighteen entrants sixteen have been declared. ​​

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 1   312-103   COKO BEACH (7wins/35 starts over  jumps) - Irish challenger from the powerful Gordon Elliott stable. The class horse in the race and his victory in the Troytown Chase at Navan last November is by far the best form in the race. He should adapt to these cross country fences as he has won over the Banks course at Punchestown and finished third in the La Touche Cup at the Punchestown Festival on his last start. However there are stamina doubts. He has run in the last three Grand Nationals, led or disputed the lead for most of the way in two of them but each time has faded dramatically in the final furlongs. If he can last home he is the one to beat. Jockey Keith Donoghue will be well known to British and Irish racegoers but this will be his first ride in the Czech Republic.

 2   22-4p11   JEREMY PASS (3/15) - The first US challenger since the 1970s although until recently he was trained in Ireland. He also passed through Paul Nicholls hands for whom he won a novice chase at Ascot in November 2021. During his stay in Ireland he  won a point to point in May and made all the running to take a hunter chase at Listowel on his last start in June. That was a good performance but how he will adapt to this challenge is anyones guess.​ He will be ridden by Mr Teddy Davies.

 3   -uu4000   STREETS OF DOYEN (6/20) - Irish challenger who has only won once over fences and that was at Galway three years ago. Unseated in the La Touche at Punchestown in April. Untested and unlikely to feature. Ben Harvey has ridden seventy six winners in the UK and Ireland and is another having his first ride in the Czech Republic

 4   /331u-00  ARGANO (1/19) - Course winner - Finished fifth in this in 2022 and won a qualifier in September 2023. Unseated at the Taxis last year and hunted round in two qualifiers this year without getting competitive. Others make more appeal. Martin Liska will be riding in sixteenth Velka. Fourth has been his best placing

 5  /3u0u2-0   ZATARO (1/17) C - Only won once and that was six years ago. Unseated at the Taxis last year. Ran credibly in June qualifier before fading in the closing stages. No realistic chance. James Best has had a few rides in the Czech Republic this summer. This will be his fourth Velka.

 6  111-443     SEXY LORD (4/23) - 3C - Was in stunning form last year winning three times at Pardubice including the valuable Labe Prize at this meeting. He has not managed to win this season but has run competitively in two qualifiers and I prefer him to Godfrey. Jaroslav Myska has ridden in more Velkas than anyone else without winning - twenty two. He came so close in 2021 on Evzen but was caught close home.

 7  2341/f4    DEL REY (4/19) - 4C - Won a qualifier in May 2022 but was then off the course for over two years. Fell on reappearance but ran credibly in the closing stages to finish fourth in the September qualifier. That wasn’t a Velka winning performance though. Jacob Kocman will be having his fifth Velka ride. He has twice finished third. 

 8  p1/22f-1   GODFREY (2/19) - 2C  - Lost his maiden tag at this meeting in 2022 but did not get high enough at the Taxis last year and his race was over. Came from no-where to take the May qualifier in a blanket finish on his sole start this season. As the only qualifier winner lining up this year he has to come into the reckoning but he will need to clear the Taxis first. I am told by my Czech connection that he is likely to start favourite. Jan Faltejesek is a legend and has ridden with success throughout Europe including in France and the UK where he will be remembered for his partnership with the popular Knockara Beau. He remains the only Czech rider to have ridden in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He has won the Velka six times since 2012, three times on Orphee des Blins (2012-14), Charme Look in 2016, Tzigane du Berlais in 2018 and Sacimiro last year.

 9  41-0004  HER HIM (9/31) - Interesting runner making Velka debut. Has been campaigned extensively in Poland winning their premier steeplechase at Wroclaw last year together with another valuable cross country event there. He also won the Swedish Grand National in 2023 and another Swedish chase at Bro Park. Has been campaigned exclusively at Pardubice this year and in my opinion has not been given a hard time. Could enter into the reckoning. The dark horse of th race. Lenka Neprasova has been riding for the past two seasons throughout Europe and has won thirty one races. This will be her first Velka.

10  2/02u2-0  TALENT (8/33) CD, 6C - Now at the veteran stage. Winner of this in 2021 and second for the last two years. This will be his sixth Velka and he has got round each time.  As dependable as they come but he is now thirteen and has only had one run this season when not given a hard time finishing ninth in the May qualifier. As the only previous Velka winner in the field he must be respected. Jan Kratochvil won the Velka in 2017 on No Time To Lose. This will be his sixth Velka.

11  /0323-30   STAR (3/22) - Headstrong sort who often has to be restrained and held up early. Ran a blinder to finish third in this last year but he fell at the Taxis the year before. Got round in 2021. He is another old timer and hasn’t won for four years but he held a clear lead going to the last in the May qualifier before finishing third but he never got into the June one. If you want an outsider for a place this may be the one for you. Ondrej Velek will be riding in his ninth Velka with little success so far.​

​12  31-4042  HIGH IN THE SKY (2/23) - Ex-French who has been in the Czech Republic for just over two years. Won at this meeting last year and has run credibly in two qualifiers finishing second in September. May sneak a place. Daniel Vyhnalek will be having his third ride. He has not had much luck so far.

13  /0400-01  DULCAR DE SIVOLA (1/27) - C - This one is as dependable as they come but slow and the one sure fire thing I would have said about him is that he would complete the course in this own time. This will be his sixth Velka and he has finished 9th, 11th, 9th, 7th & 7th. However, he has recently changed hands and now runs for connections who won this with Ribellino in 2015 & Mr Spex in 2022. Then he went and actually won a race at Pardubice in September...by fifteen lengths and in a Cat 2 race. It could be argued that he did not beat much and the favourite unseated late on but he was still impressive. I cannot explain the dramatic improvement in form and he now comes into the reckoning for a place. ​Thomas Beurain is a very experienced French rider but this will be his first visit to Pardubice.

14    u2-2131    SANTA KLARA (10/31) - Until he won Wroclaws Grand Steeplechase in Poland on his last start (impressively) all her wins had come in Italy and her one attempt at the Velka last year ended at the last cross country obstacle four from home when I felt she was beaten. She comes from the very powerful Josef Vana Junior stable and must come into the reckoning. Josef Bartos is a top jockey who having won everything in the Czech Republic rides mostly now in Italy. He has won the Velka three times in 2006 on Decent Fellow, 2008 on Sixteen and 2019 on Theophilus. This is his twentieth ride.  

15    f4p-000    PLAYER (5/35) - 5C - This will be his sixth Velka, last year he pulled up early after his rider lost his irons at the Taxis. He was second in 2020 and fourth in 2022 but to be honest he is nowhere near as good as he was. He likes to be up with the pace but nowadays usually fades in the closing stages which is what he has done this season and he is unlikely to feature in the finish. Marcel Novak will be riding in his fifteenth Velka. 

16   0/u04-00  LOMBARGINI (4/43) - 4C - Making his fifth appearance in the race the best he has managed has been fourth last year. Staged a late surge in the May qualifier and led four our before fading in the straight. I just cannot see this one featuring in the finish. Jan Odlozil will be having his third ride in the Velka. No luck so far.​
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CONCLUSION : I have been writing this form guide for twenty years and this has been the hardest to unpick. ZATARO, LOMBARGINI and PLAYER can safely be ruled out. As can STAR who whilst capable of a place is too old and too quirky. ARGANO could reach a place on his best form but not this year. The Irish challenger STREETS OF DOYEN looks to be out of his depth and to be frank the now American challenger JEREMY PASS could be anything but he has not faced anything like this before so I think we can rule him out. DEL REY is talented but has had his problems and this will be a big ask. He did not look like a Velka winner to me when he completed the course in September. I always like to pick out a lively outsider for a place and bizarrely this year I am going to choose DULCAR DE SIVOLA but that is based solely on his last start. HIGH IN THE SKY might just reach a place and TALENT will run another solid and dependable race but I just cannot seeing him repeating his win of four years ago. GODFREY is fancied and is the sole Qualifier winner in the field but I prefer SEXY LORD, HER HIM and SANTA KLARA over him. COKO BEACH is a class act and is head and shoulders above these and if he takes to the course and stays he should win this easily. However there are two big negatives - firstly I am not convinced he stays, remember how he has folded in three Nationals and secondly the Irish have a terrible record at Pardubice. Apart from Risk Of Thunders heroics in finishing second in 1998 none of the other fifteen runners since 1996 managed a place and only three finished. The stats are definitely against him. So what about the best of the Czechs ? HER HIM and SANTA KLARA both  have solid form over cross country courses in Europe but neither have won at Pardubice and whilst they are clearly very talented animals it must be remembered that in the modern era (from 1994 when the fences were modified) ony one horse has won the Velka without previously having won here. That was the British trained It's A Snip (who triumphed in 1995 but he had finished second a year earlier). I also have to take into account that HER HIM does have a relatively inexperienced rider who is making her Velka debut. So whilst I should be tipping COKO BEACH my selection for this years Velka is SEXY LORD - he has form over the course, he has run solidly enough in qualifiers and how great would it be to cheer Jaroslav Myska to his first Velka win on his twenty fourth ride.

SELECTION : SEXY LORD To win Santa Klara, Coko Beach and Dulcar de Sivola to chase him home.​