(Press release from Pardubice racecourse)

 Pardubice, April 9^th, 2014 – The 21^st renewal of the classical steeplechase will carry a new name. This year’s race in June has been taken under the auspices of Jan Hamáček, Speaker of the lower house of the Czech parliament, setting up a new tradition together with Dostihový spolek a.s., organizers of events at Pardubice racecourse. Support for this race was negotiated by Jiří Skalický, president of Dostihový klub [the members club for supporters of Pardubice racing].

 The Gold Cup was first run in 1994, and for the first ten years it was called the Paramo Gold Cup. Later, it took on the name Chládek&Tintěra Pardubice a.s. Gold Cup. From this year, the race will be run as the Speaker of the Czech Parliament’s Gold Cup. “In the Czech racing calendar, we know the President of the Republic’s Prize as a top category flat race, so why should we at Pardubice not have our most prestigious classical [oval track] steeplechase under the auspices of the chairman of the Czech parliament? I’m pleased that this proposal was taken up both by the organizers of horseracing and by the speaker of the Czech parliament. I think it can raise the prestige of horseracing a little higher,” explains Jiří Skalický, president of Dostihový klub and the initiator of all the negotiations.

The Speaker of the Czech Parliament’s Gold Cup will be run for prizemoney of CzK 300 000 over a distance of 4 400 metres. The race is for 5-y-os and upwards, and for riders who have been placed at least ten times over fences. “This is one of the top races of the first half of the season, and it is something unique in the Czech Republic. We are pleased to have the support of the speaker of the Czech parliament. I believe that our collaboration will continue into future years at Pardubice, and that a new tradition will emerge,” says Michael Skalický, manager of Dostihový spolek a.s., organizers, who shares the same family name with the president of Dostihový klub.

The Speaker of the Czech Parliament’s Gold Cup will be run on Saturday, June 14th. A total of ten races have been announced for that day, and this classical steeplechase will be the high point of the meeting.

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The new speaker of the lower house of the Czech Parliament is the 35-year-old Jan Hamáček, who represents the Central Bohemian region as a member of parliament for the Social Democratic party, which is the largest party in the coalition government.