The 126^th renewal of the Velka Pardubicka was in the end won comfortably by Charme Look, owned by Orling, trained by Martina Růžičková and ridden by Jan Faltejsek, which finished 10 lengths ahead of Ange Guardian, trained by Josef Váňa senior, and a further 6 lengths ahead of 3^rd placed Zarif, trained by Josef Váňa senior and ridden by Josef Bartoš. These were followed home by Puntarenas, Hegnus, Ter Mill, Templář, Pareto and, tailed off, the rank outsiders Rendez Vous, Amaragon and Peintre Abstrait. 

On the day of the race, there was a lot of money for Nikas, which had been disqualified after being first past the post last year. This was perhaps partly because the overnight rain had softened the ground a little, but mainly it was due to support from those who bet once a year and hoped that Nikas, his trainer Stanislav Popelka and above all his jockey, Marek Stromský, could this year get the victory that had been cruelly denied to them 12 months before. Nikas started as 2:1 favourite.

At the beginning of the race, all eyes were on Rabbit Well. Would he fail to start again, would he get away slowly and reluctantly, or would he start eagerly and participate wholeheartedly in the race? To the frustration of his jockey, Josef Váňa junior senior, his trainer Josef Váňa senior, the staff of Rabbit Trhový Štěpánov and those of us who had relied on him to make good our losses at the end of a long afternoon of betting, Rabbit Well decided to ignore the starter, his jockey and the fact that the others were heading for the first fence. It was the 8th time in an otherwise distinguished career that Rabbit Well has refused to join in a race.

Ter Mill, Charme Look and Nikas went off in front. At the Taxis (4th fence), Reaper and young Jakub Spačil had a nasty looking fall at the rear of the field. Reaper appeared to be OK, though Jakub Spačil was taken to hospital. Some way after the fence, Marek Stromský became separated from Nikas. It was not clear, even from television replays, what had caused it.

Ter Mill and Charme Look continued in the lead, but they were visibly not setting much of a pace. Nothing much happened in the middle part of the race. As they began the often crucial run across the course before going on to the grass track, Vlastislav Korytář parted company from Universe of Gracie, also for no apparent reason. Due to the slow pace, all the remaining horses appeared to be in with a chance as they approached the 4th from home (Havel’s Jump). When they came on to the grass track with 600 metres to run, Charme Look was going well, but Ange Guardian, ridden by Jan Kratochvíl, seemed to be a threat, especially when Charme Look put in a poor jump at the 2nd last.

However, after the last, Charme Look went away and won very comfortably, in a time of 9 minutes, 42,86 seconds, the slowest time for the race in recent years. This was 33-year-old Jan Faltejsek’s 4^th winning ride in the race, following his 3 wins on Orphée des Blins in 2012-2014. He explained that it was a comfortable ride for him, and he basically let the horse run his own race. The horse is in the special care of Barbora Málková, who would have ridden him in the race if she had not suffered a spinal injury in a fall at Pardubice in August. She led the horse round in the parade ring and in the award ceremony.

The winning trainer,Martina Růžičková, is only the second woman ever to have trained the winner of the Velka Pardubicka. Until two years ago, Martina was our bravest female rider over fences. She rode 5 times in the Velka, and delayed her retirement from the saddle until she achieved her ambition of completing the race, on Rubín, in 15th place, in 2014. Her success with Charme Look is well deserved and very popular.