AL JAZ – One of the revelations of the 2013 season, he has made a place for himself on the edges of the group of leading Czech crosscountry chasers. At the end of last season, he won a Category IV race at Pardubice, and this year he began with a win here at Category III. Then he twice failed to get round, but at the end of July he won again at Category III, finishing ahead of Thallium and Broker. In the September qualification race, he finished 2nd behind Silver Regent, finishing ahead of Moula, Speranza and others.

            Josef Sovka has ridden in the VP three times. His best finish was in 4th place on Flambion in 2011.

BODYGUARD(POL) – Last year he began the season by winning the Petržalka Spring Prize at Bratislava, then he did not finish at Pardubice and came 6th in the Final Steeplechase at Pardubice. This year he finished 12th in the May qualification race here, and in August he failed to finish in a minor race.

            Jaroslav Brečka has ridden in the VP seven times, winning the race in 1992 on Quirinus.

BROKER( GER) – Won twice over hurdles in Italy as a 3-y-o. In 2011 he began to specialize in racing at Pardubice, and was placed a few times. He missed last year through injury. This year he was placed three times in low-category races. Then he lined up for the August qualification race, where he put in a very good performance, finishing 2nd behind Trezor but ahead of Budapest, Kasim and others.

            In his two rides in the VP, Thomas Boyer has not yet been placed

BUDAPEST(IRE) – One of our best present-day steeplechasers. Until 2012, he ran mainly in Italy, in top-class races, in which he achieved notable success, winning once over hurdles and 6 times in chases. In 2010 he finished 2nd in the Gran Premio at Merano, in 2011 he finished 3rd, and in 2012 5th in this top race. In 2011 he finished 2nd in a tight finish behind Rabbit Well in the Gold Cup at Pardubice, and in July 2012 he won the Velká Mostecká at Most. This year, his target has been Pardubice. In the May qualification race he finished 3rd behind Bremen Plan and Klaus, and at the end of July he came 6th in a classical steeplechase in the Josef Váňa Cup series. In the August qualification race he again finished 3rd, this time behind Trezor and Broker.

            Josef Váňa junior has already ridden 5 times in the VP, twice finishing in 5th place, on Juventus and on Decent Fellow.

CANTRIDARA(SLO) – Won a Category III classical steeplechase at Pardubice in 2012, and in the autumn she finished 7th in the Labe Prize. In 2013 she finished 4th in a Category II race here behind Silver Regent, Marinus and Moula, and in August she did not get round. She finished 5th here in the September qualification race.

            This is amateur rider Freddie Mitchell’s first ride in the VP.

FRENEYS WELL(GB) – In 2012 he finished 4th and then won in point-to-points in Ireland. Has run seven times this year, finishing 7th in a steeplechase and then twice finishing in 3rd place in point-to-points. In March and in April he was unplaced in steeplechases, and in the summer he was twice unplaced over hurdles.

            This is Martin Ferris’s first ride in the VP.

KASIM – Has twice won Category IV crosscountry races at Pardubice, including a win here in August 2012. In October 2012 he finished 6th here in the Labe Prize. At the beginning of the 2013 season, he failed to finish in a Category III race, and at the beginning of June he appeared here in the Gold Cup. He put in a brave performance, but could not stay with higher class horses in the run in, finishing 6th. At the end of June he failed to get round in the qualification race, and in July he won the Category I Eva Palyzová Memorial Chase at Lysa-nad-Labem. In the August qualification race he finished 4th behind Trezor, Broker and Budapest.

            Marcel Novák has ridden three times in the VP, without yet being placed.

KLAUS(POL) – For the last two years, he has been one of the elite Czech crosscountry chasers. In 2011 he won a Category III race here, and then he won a Category II race over the course of the Labe Prize. He then finished 2nd in the August qualification race behind Tiumen, failed to finish in the VP, and then came 2nd behind Godea in the Velká Slušovická at Slušovice. In 2012 he ran three times, finishing 4th in the June qualification race. In the August qualification race he came in 2nd behind Trezor, and was then 9th in the VP. In 2013 he has run twice, finishing 2nd to Bremen Plan in the May qualification race, and again 2nd in July at his home track at Světlá Hora, where he was beaten by the promising Moula.

            Jaroslav Myška has ridden in the VP ten times. His best placings have been 4th three times, on Torpille and twice on Mandarino, and 5th three times, on Modřenka, Narrator and Klip.

MOUNT SION(IRE) – Won one steeplechase in Ireland in 2012, and in 2013 he has won twice in six races. In August he finished 5th in a steeplechase over 5000 metres, and his most recent race was at the end of September, when he did not finish.

            Richard McLernon rode in the VP for the first time a year ago, finishing 7th on Doctor Pat.

NIKAS – Is on the edges of the Czech crosscountry steeplechasing elite, and has specialized in races at Pardubice. Since 2010, apart from a single race at Slušovice, he has not raced anywhere else. In 2011, he began by winning a Category IV crosscountry race, and in October he achieved his best result so far, springing a surprise by winning the Labe Prize with a good performance. In 2012 he twice finished in 7th place, the second occasion being in the May qualification race. In August he won the Peruán Crosscountry Steeplechase over the course of the Labe Prize. In September he finished 2nd in a Category III race, and in October he was going well when he sank into a deep ploughed field in the VP and unseated his rider. In 2013 he has run three times, coming 8th in the May qualification race, 4th in the Peruán Crosscountry Steeplechase here at the end of August, and then 6th in a Category III race.

            Dušan Andrés has ridden 18 times in the VP, winning on Sixteen in 2007, finishing 2nd on Decent Fellow, twice 3rd, on Czanka and on Valldemoso, 4th on Maskul, and twice 5th, on Gemer and on Valldemoso.

ORPHEE DES BLINS(FR) – In 2012 she began by winning two minor races at Pardubice, and she then finished 3rd in the August qualification race, behind Trezor and Klaus. In October she sprung a big surprise, winning the VP easily and in great style. In 2013 she has again won her races easily and in great style, first winning the Válečník Crosscountry Steeplechase and beating the cream of our crosscountry sprint specialists, headed by Slovak-trained Cardam, and in August winning the Peruán Crosscountry Steeplechase over 5200 metres. She will be very strongly fancied today.

            Jan Faltejsek has ridden in the VP seven times, winning last year on Orphée des Blins. Before that he had not been placed.

PEINTRE ABSTRAIT(IRE) – Specialized in crosscountry races at Pardubice in 2012. Won a Category IV race over 4500 metres in May, then finished 4th and 7th in Category III races. In October, he took 5th place in the Vltava Prize here. In 2013 he ran in the Korok Opening Crosscountry Steeplechase, and put in a good performance, coming 4th in a tight finish behind Zarif, Hipo Jape and Cherwick. In the May qualification race he finished 9th, and in August he came 3rd in a Category IV race.

            This is Lukáš Matuský’s first ride in the VP.

SEŠLOST – Ran three times at Pardubice in 2012, finishing 7th in a Category III crosscountry race in June, and in August she put in a good and promising performance, being 4th past the post in the trial race for the Labe Prize, before being disqualified for missing a problematically-placed marker. She confirmed her improvement by finishing 2nd behind Cherwick in the Labe Prize on VP day. This year she has finished 13th in the May qualification race and 6th in the Peruán Crosscountry Steeplechase.

            Liam Treadwell won the Aintree Grand National on Mon Mome, and rode in the VP for the first time in 2012 on Trezor. This pair had earlier won two qualification races together, but they were unplaced in the VP.

SHALIMAR FROMENTRO(FR) – Was placed several times in the UK in 2012, and finished 3rd in a crosscountry chase at Merano at the end of September. In November he finished 2nd in a crosscountry chase over 5400 metres that was won by Sarika, a runner in the Labe Prize here today. In 2013 he has run four times, getting round on each occasion. First he finished 6th, and then he was twice 4th. His most recent race was at the beginning of August at Craon, France, where he finished 5th in a Crystal Cup series race over 6000 metres.

            This will be Alain De Chitray’s first ride in the VP.

SPERANZA – This is a very dependable gelding, finishing in 5th place four times in 2012, at Pardubice and at Kolesa, and he ended the season by coming 3rd in the Labe Prize, behind Cherwick and Sešlost, with Amaragon, Rubín, Kasim, Cantridara and others in the rear. In 2013 he finished 5th in a Category II race here at the end of May, against strong competition. The race was won by Charme Look. In the Eva Palyzová Memorial Steeplechase at Lysa-nad-Labem in July he again finished 5th, behind Kasim, and at the end of August he came 5th at Most behind some good horses: Rabbit Well, Hetman Polny and Alberto. He came 4th again in the Sepember qualification race here, behind Silver Regent, Al Jaz and Moula.

            Pavel Kašný has ridden in the VP ten times. His best finish was in 3rd place on Eliška Přemyslovna, and he has finished 5th twice, on Hřivna and on Mandarino.

STATUS QUO – He has not won any of his 13 races over fences. In the last two years he has run mainly in Category III races. In 2012 he began by finishing in 6th place at Brno, and then he failed to finish at Pardubice. However, he took 4th place in a Category III race here in September, and then finished 3rd here in the Vltava Prize, behind Sheron and Zarif. In 2013 he finished 4th in the May qualification race here, behind Bremen Plan, Klaus and Budapest, and then he twice finished 7th here, at the end of July and again in September.

            Marek Stromský has ridden in the VP 11 times. In 2010 he finished 2nd on Amant Gris. The same pair had been disqualified from 1st place in the previous year’s race for missing a marker.

TIUMEN(POL) – Our biggest steeplechasing star in recent years, a three-time winner of the VP, in 2009-2011. In 2012, he ran just twice. In the September qualification race he finished 3rd behind Ronino and Valldemoso, and in the VP he again finished 3rd, behind Orphée des Blins and Ronino. In 2013 he first appeared in the June qualification race, finishing 2nd behind Trezor, and then in the August qualification race he made a mistake at the Big English Jump and did not finish the race. He is now attempting to win the race for the 4th time, and to equal the record of the legendary Železník.

            Josef Váňa senior holds almost all records for the race: he has ridden in the race 26 times, winning it 8 times, beginning with 4 wins on Železnik. Then he won on Vronsky and 3 times on his partner today, Tiumen. He has finished 2nd three times, on Paramon, Retriever and Juventus, and 3rd four times, on Kedon, Decent Fellow, Juventus and Tiumen, as well as coming in 4th twice, on Matia Mou and on Kedon.

TOMIS – The biggest successes in his career have been his wins in the Labe Prize in 2008 and in the May qualification here in 2009. In 2011 he won the Albertovec Crosscountry Steeplechase, beating Valldemoso, which had won the previous two renewals of that race. He then failed to get round in the VP. In 2012 he finished 3rd in the May qualification race, behind Trezor and Valldemoso, and then 2nd in the Albertovec Crosscountry Steeplechase, before being pulled up in the VP. In 2013 he took a good 4th place in the Sagara Crosscountry Steeplechase, behind Charme Look, Frasini and Silver Regent, and finished 3rd in the June qualification race, behind Trezor and Tiumen.

            Ondřej Velek rode in the VP for the first time in 2012, finishing unplaced.

TREZOR(POL) – In 2010, he finished 2nd in the Labe Prize here, and then he spent the 2011 season running mainly abroad, twice finishing 2nd at Merano and finishing 4th in France. He then failed to get round in the VP. In 2012 he shone together with his jockey, Liam Treadwell, when the pair won two qualification races. They were well fancied for the VP, but like the others that were active early in the race, they were well beaten in the end. Trezor finished in 8th place. In 2013 he has run twice, winning the June qualification race from Tiumen and Tomis, and winning yet another qualification race in August, finishing ahead of Broker and Budapest.

            Josef Bartoš has ridden in the VP ten times, winning the race twice, on Decent Fellow and on Sixteen. He has finished 2nd three times, once on Decent Fellow and twice on Sixteen. He also once finished 3rd on Sixteen.

TROPIC DE BRION(FR) – Won twice over 4500 metres at Argentan, in France, in 2012. In 2013 he ran again at Argentan and again won a similar kind of race, having twice been placed before that. At the beginning of April, he came 6th in a race in France over 5400 metres, and in May he finished 6th over 5800 metres. His most recent run was over 4500 metres in July, when he finished 3rd.

            This is Marc-Antoine Dragon’s first ride in the VP.

ZEST FOR LIFE(IRE) – Was placed several times in Ireland in 2012. In 2013, he ran twice at the end of April at the Punchestown festival meeting, winning a steeplechase over 4800 metres and the finishing 2nd in the same kind of race a couple of days later. He ran twice in hurdles races in August and September in Ireland, finishing down the field.

            British amateur rider Sam Waley-Cohen won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Long Run. This is his first ride in the VP.

**

This is a translation of a press release from Agrofert Park, formerly Synthesia Park, which will continue to be called Pardubice racecourse on this site.

These notes really are not controversial. On past form, it is clear that Orphee des Blins, Trezor and Tiumen, in that order, are the best, and all three are excellent by our standards and would be a very worthy winner of this year's race. Quite good cases can be made for Budapest and Klaus. Broker produced a very good performance last time out, when finishing 2nd to Trezor in the August qualifcation race. The horses from Ireland, the UK and France are probably not quite good enough to take on the best Czech crosscountry chasers in their own back yard, but may well pick up some prize money - there are prizes down to 7th place. It will be a surprise if any of the other Czech- and Slovak-trained horses is able to beat all of the five named above. Not one of the outsiders appeals to me - the writer of these notes seems to me to say some excessively kind things about certain no-hopers.

You may be interested to read Chris Simpson's notes on the runners in his website http://www.freewebs.com/becher123/123rdvelkapardubicka2013.htm. You will note that all experts agree very closely with each other, on an apparently well-argued basis. It has been observed, however, that experts live in their own world, and tend to agree with each other's predictions, but that reality often turns out to be quite different from what they predict.