The last full weekend of the horseracing season was held in mild, pleasant weather at Pardubice, Velka Chuchle and Slusovice. At all three courses, the odds-on favourite was beaten in the main race.
On Saturday at Pardubice, Budapest was confidently expected to win the Orphee des Blins Final Steeplechase, but he failed to produce a run. The race went to Speranza, ridden by Thomas Boyer, which like Budapest had unseated his rider at the Popkovice Turn in the Velka Pardubicka two weeks earlier. Speranza won by a short head in a desperate finish ahead of Liesbrief, and Budapest could only manage 4th place.
On Sunday, Trip to Rhodos, which had won the Pardubice St Leger two weeks earlier, was expected to win the President of the Republic’s Prize over 3200 metres, but he was well beaten into 3rd place by Mister Wesminster and Wallisto.
At the holiday meeting on a warm sunny afternoon at Slusovice, in front of a large crowd, it was confidently expected that Demon Magic would win the Velka Slusovicka. However, he got beaten too, although Jaroslav Myska gave him every chance. The outsider Mlyn, trained and ridden by Frantisek Kovacik, made all the running and the hot favourite never put in a challenge.
In each of the last three renewals of the Velka Slusovicka, second place has gone to an odds-on favourite trained by Cestmir Olehla and ridden by Jaroslav Myska.
There will be just one more race meeting this season, at Kolesa on Saturday, November 9th. Josef Vana junior will be odds-on favorite to win the jumps jockeys championship. There will be five races over fences at Kolesa. Josef junior has ridden one more winner than Dusan Andres – but Dusan has had one more 2nd place than Josef junior – if it is all decided on 3rd places, Josef Junior will be the winner. Theoretically, Josef Bartos, Josef Sovka and Thomas Boyer could all still win the championship if they win all the races at Kolesa.