Six Czech-trained chasers and hurdlers will line up for races on Swedish Grand National day at Strömsholm on Saturday. Three are trained by Stanislav Popelka, and the other three by Radim Bodlák. Both of these trainers have made the long journey to central Sweden before, as have most of the horses. Two of the horses, Taurito and Rockinger, have a Swedish owner, Hvitas Stjerna ČR. I think the other owners also have some close Czech-Swedish connection

Both runners in the Swedish Champion Hurdle, Taurito (tr. Bodlák, jockey Josef Bartoš) and Vicody (tr. Popelka, jockey Dušan Andrés), ran in the 2016 renewal of the race, finishing 5th and 6th out of 6.

All of the Czech-trained runners in the famous Swedish Grand National have run at Strömsholm before. Rockinger used to be trained at Strömsholm, by Dennis Persson, and finished third in last year’s Grand National. He will again be ridden in the race by Swedish jockey Niklas Lovén, who has ridden several times, with good success, at Pardubice and at Wroclaw in the last couple of years, and has also made his way to Slušovice and Lysá nad Labem. Al Bustan finished in second place, ahead of Rockinger, in last year’s race. He was also one place behind Al Bustan when they finished 3rd and 4th in the First of May Steeplechase at Lysá-nad-Labem earlier this year. Al Bustan will be ridden by Josef Bartoš. The third Czech runner in the Grand National will be Marcus Aurelius (trainer Popelka, jockey Dušan Andrés). He won one of the smaller races on Swedish Grand National day last year, and also won the same race in 2015.

The other Czech-trained runner is Thirteen Diamonds (tr. Popelka, jockey Josef Bartoš). He was first past the post in a small race at Brno in April this year, but was disqualified for going out of bounds, and then he won another small race at Brno three weeks ago.

Passionate Swedish steeplechase fans have been making huge efforts to sustain steeplechasing in their country, after the steeplechase course at Täby was closed down, and the new Bro Park course, which replaces it, was opened without a steeplechase course. I understand that there should be steeplechasing at Bro Park next year.

Grand National day at Strömsholm is a big day - the biggest picnic of the year in Sweden - and large numbers of volunteers help to make it happen. I hope the sun will shine on this major steeplechasing event.

Click on to the Swedish Grand National raceday programme.https://www.svenskgalopp.se/polopoly_fs/1.622127!/menu/standard/file/banprogram%20stroms%20170617%20sid%2034-72%20mindre.pdf