The gap in entries on this website between November 7^th and December 27^th will have been noted by some readers. One or two of you have even written to ask if I am OK – the answer is that I am fine. It is just that I have lost the discipline that for many years made me write monthly newsletters regularly and more or less on time, and also other articles and translations from time to time. I might add that I have been busy, and simply failed to make time for Dostihový svět. That’s bad, I suppose. On the other hand, our racing season ended early in November and our next race meeting is still more than three months away, even now. It is on Easter Monday, as a matter of fact, at Lysá nad Labem. As far as I can see, not much happened in Czech horseracing in November and in the first half of December. The reader was at that time deprived of very little, and may even thank me for not wasting her/his time with needless articles.

Suddenly, in the second half of December, things began to happen. At that point that it clearly became high time for me to spend several hours catching up on the Czech horseracing websites, so that I could find out for myself what has been going on. I have translated some important items, and have noted some other articles that I will endeavour to translate in this very quiet week between Christmas and the new year. And now I am ready to pass information about the last two months in Czech racing on to you.

First, it was announced that our champion trainer on the flat, Ludvík Haris, has had his trainer’s licence withdrawn for ten months because he was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation why, when his stable was inspected in July, one of his horses that was randomly tested was found to be positive for ritalin (methylphenidate). I have already translated something about this unhappy incident http://www.dostihovy-svet.cz/en/node/7743

At about the same time, the death was announced at the age of 79 of former jumps jockey and trainer František Grassl. He was maybe the unluckiest jockey in the history of the Velka Pardubicka. In 1975, he was well clear of the field on Flang in the finishing straight and cruising to victory, when a loose horse crashed into them. Grassl said that he did not see the loose horse coming, but that even if he had, he would not have been able to take evasive action. I have also translated an article about František Grassl http://www.dostihovy-svet.cz/en/node/7747

Then it was announced that Prague Velká Chuchle racecourse has been sold. The purchaser is Radovan Vítek, who is a billionaire developer and real estate magnate. His wife and young daughters are showjumping people, and the Víteks state that there is no threat to horseracing, and that they want to develop the area for showjumping alongside horseracing. On the one hand, showjumping and horseracing should be quite compatible, and Velká Chuchle racecourse certainly needs some investment in refurbishment and, perhaps some redevelopment. On the other hand, a billionaire developer might reasonably look at Velká Chuchle racecourse and dream of turning it more profitably into a country club or a golf course. Fortunately, however, it seems most unlikely that a racecourse that has twice been totally under water in 21st century summer floods (in 2002 and 2013) would be converted into a massive housing estate.

A group of racing people set up an association in 2001 to purchase the racecourse from its bankrupt previous owner, and to save it from the threat of being purchased by someone who would want to use it for non-racing purposes. It was well known that some members of this association have fallen out of love with owning the racecourse and, through daughter companies, organizing events at the course and owning Betino, the only on-course betting company in Czech racing. Some of them are no doubt happy to be able to cash in their investment and hand over their responsibilities to a younger generation.

Rather than make more of my own comments at the present time on this matter, I have translated the press release from the Víteks and posted it on this website. http://www.dostihovy-svet.cz/en/node/7746, together with a short article on the topic http://www.dostihovy-svet.cz/en/node/7745. Let us hope that Radovan Vítek and family have simply decided, as they suggest, to put a modest part of their fortune into making the racecourse a place of delight for themselves and their daughters, for the showjumping community and, incidentally, for the horseracing community!

I saw a proposal fairly recently that Park+Drive might be set up around Praha Velká Chuchle suburban railway station. The outstanding Prague integrated transport system seeks ways of limiting the number of cars entering central Prague. It seems to me to make a lot of sense to integrate (and perhaps extend) the racecourse car park, which is right next to the railway station, and is used, as far as I know, mainly on Sundays in spring and autumn. For Park+Drive, it would be in use basically on weekdays. It would be desirable to put in more train links, and to improve the narrow roads around the racecourse… but a billionaire developer will not need my advice on this!

As the end of the year approaches, the successes of Czech jockeys and trainers abroad have been highlighted. Filip Minarík has retained the German flat jockeys’ championship, sharing the title this year with Alexander Pietsch. He has now won the German title four times, in 2005, 2011, 2016 and 2017. Minarík rode in the Japan Cup in November, and has fulfilled an ambition to get a short-term licence to ride in Japan in February and March 2018. Bauyrzhan Murzabayev has also had a good first season in Germany, finishing in 12^th place in their jockeys’ championship. It is no surprise at all to our racing community that this modest and talented jockey from Kazakhstan is making an impression in Germany, and we hope he will not only continue to do well there, but will also continue to come to the Czech Republic and ride at least in our big races.

 In Spain, Václav Janáček has won his fifth jockeys’ championship. He has been riding and winning in Qatar recently, following in the footsteps of Tomás Lukášek, who has established himself in recent months as a top rider in Doha.

In Italy, Josef Váňa junior has won the jumps jockeys’ championship, and his father has won the jumps trainers’ championship. This is the first time for both of them to win these championships. Jumps racing in Italy continues to be in major trouble, with prize money slashed at Pisa and local trainers going on strike.

In the days before Christmas, the Czech racing calendar was for 2018 was published. The total number of announced racedays is 61, which is four more than took place in 2017. There has been a gradual decline in the number of racedays, and in the number of 2-y-os in training in recent years, and this upwards move in the number of proposed racedays is welcome.

One of the most uncertain elements in our racing calendar has always been Slušovice racecourse, in east Moravia. Uncertainties over land ownership were a problem for a long time, and the local authorities have blown hot and cold over their support for the course. Now there are as many as six racedays at Slušovice planned for the 2018 season, which is the largest number there since 2002.

Prague Velká Chuchle has two extra days, and is expected to put on 18 racedays in 2018. However, this was announced at the same time as the change in ownership. Pardubice has announced 9 racedays, which is one fewer than last year. The July racing day, which was introduced only two or three years ago, has been removed. July is often too hot and too dry for steeplechasing here, and we are told that the loss of this day is likely to be compensated by having a ninth race on the card on some of the remaining racedays. There are six planned racedays at Most, as against seven in 2017. This year, there were three meetings at Most in late October and early November, and one of them was on a memorably cold and windy afternoon at a racecourse that offered shelter from the rain and sleet, yes, but not from the wind and chill. The course at Most now belongs to the company of the president of the Jockey Club.

Karlovy Vary, Lysá nad Labem, Kolesa, Brno will each hold three race days. Nowadays we are down to two racecourses that offer just a single day of racing in midsummer each year: Světlá Hora and Netolice. These are both wonderful race days. My new year’s resolution is to go to both Světlá Hora and Netolice in 2018.

Derby Day at Prague Velká Chuchle is on Sunday, June 24th. The prize money for the Czech Derby will be CzK 2 500 000, which is more or less EUR 100 000. All the other classics will be run for CzK 550 000, which is not much more than EUR 20 000. All will be run at Prague Velká Chuchle, with the exception of the Oaks, which will again be run at Karlovy Vary. The dates are: One Thousand Guineas, Sunday, May 6th; Two Thousand Gineas, Sunday May 13th; Oaks, at Karlovy Vary, Sunday, July 22nd; St Leger, Sunday, September 2nd.

The European Jockeys Cup day will be held at Prague Velká Chuchle on Saturday, September 22nd. PMU will be covering 4 racedays, which is one more than last year. These weekday race meetings were enjoyable last year, and were not badly attended.

Velka Pardubicka day is the second Sunday in October, as usual. This year, that means Sunday, October 14th. While we are mentioning the Velka Pardubicka, you may be asking what has happened to Ribelino, which was promoted to first place in the 2015 VP, when Nikas was disqualified. In 2016, he began the season with three “did not finishes”. He then finished in a reasonably good 4th place in the August qualification race at Pardubice, behind Charme Look. However, he did not appear in the Velka Pardubicka in 2016, and he was absent for the whole 2017 season. In a recent interview in Dostihový svět, his owner says Ribelino, who will be a 10-y-o in 2018, is now hopefully fit and will be aimed at the Velka, if all goes well. If not, he will be retired. I aim to translate this article in the next few days.

Other articles that are worth translating are about trainer Václav Luka, junior, who has had a second successive very successful season, mainly in France, though he also sent Nagano Gold out to win the Czech St Leger before the horse had an even better win at Deauville. In both of his wins, Nagano Gold was ridden by apprentice David Liška, whose riding success in the last couple of months of our season was truly impressive. There is an article about him that I also want to translate.

The success of our trainers abroad in 2017 has been mentioned above and in earlier monthly newsletters. Josef Váňa, senior, and Václav Luka, junior, have had phenomenal success this year, and other trainers have been following them. The weather has been mild in the lower-lying parts of the Czech Republic, and several trainers are still keeping some horses in training and have entered them to run in races abroad in January.

Wishing everyone a good year in 2018. Do remember that the Czech Republic is not far away from anywhere in Europe, and is easily accessible. A long weekend here, taking in some racing, does not need a lot of advance planning. However, it is traditional in this season to look forward to the next year and make some plans. So, do consider making a planned or unplanned visit to our races.