Trainer Radim Bodlák has stated that he is preparing to send two horses to run at Cheltenham on Friday, December 9th. Delight My Fire will run in the Crystal Cup race, and Taurito will run in a race over hurdles.

Delight My Fire is our most promising young Velka Pardubicka prospect. The 6-y-o mare won the Labe Stakes impressively in a close finish against Arcione on Velka Pardubicka day this year, and then went on to win the Velká Slušovická at Slušovice three weeks later, in even greater style. Stablemate Taurito is not travelling just to make up the numbers. This gelding has won three races at Wroclaw this year.

Swedish jockey Niklas Lovén has made extraordinary efforts to stake his claim to ride Delight My Fire. On Velka Pardubicka day, he travelled from Sweden to Pardubice for two rides, including the Labe Stakes on the mare. Three weeks later, he travelled from Sweden to Slušovice, which is in the far east of the Czech Republic, for the winning ride in the Velká Slušovická. He was due to ride at Göteborg on the following day.

Taurito is one of the Swedish-owned horses trained by Radim Bodlák at Staré Město u Uherského Hradiště.

It is four years since a Czech-trained horse, Orphée des Blins, trained by Greg Wroblewski, ran at Cheltenham. The organizers at Cheltenham have shown great interest in having good Czech-trained contenders, with Swedish connections, at their December meeting.