Marcus Armytage's preview of this year's Velka Pardubicka concentrates on Sam Waley Cohen, who will ride Zest for Life in Sunday's race. Sam Waley Cohen is not just the best and most famous amateur jockey in the UK, having ridden Long Run to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and having been placed twice in the Aintree Grand National. He also famously gained the nation's gratitutde by being the friend of Kate Middleton who brought her and William back together again after a period of estrangement. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/10361772/Sam-Waley-Cohen-breaks-new-ground-by-riding-in-the-infamous-Velka-Pardubicka.html

Marcus Armytage also has claims to fame as the leading British amateur rider of an earlier generation and as the author of some collections of amusing and witty horeracing anecdotes. He rode Mr Frisk to victory in the Grand National, and he rode in the Velka Pardubicka, in 1990. You may have looked at the history of the race, and seen that Zeleznik and Josef Vana won the race 4 times in 5 years between 1987 and 1991. What stopped them winning in 1990 is that they were brought down by Marcus Armytage.