As a seven-year-old, Ribelino won the Velka Pardubicka in 2015 on the disqualification of first-past-the-post Nikas. Since that time, he has run just four times, getting round only once, when he finished 4^th in the August qualification race at Pardubice in 2016. Since that time, this horse, trained by Stanislav Kovář, has disappeared from the radar, at least as far as names in race results are concerned. We asked Karel Jalový, owner of the Lokotrans stable, whether the hero of the Velka Pardubicka is going to run again. He believes that Ribelino will be able to return to the racecourse this year as a ten-year-old. However, he does also have an alternative Plan N for the horse that runs in his colours, in the form of another meeting with Nikas!

“Right now, Ribelino seems to be OK,” the owner reports. “After recovering from an injury, he is outside and under the saddle, and we are pleased with him. If everything continues to go well, in February he will begin his preparations for the season, with trainer Stanislav Kovář, and we’ll try to get him ready for racing at Pardubice. After this break, he seems to be eager to do some work, but the question is whether he’ll remain sound.”

Ribelino did not run a single race in 2017. He was nearest to running in the spring, before he broke down again and underwent another round of veterinary care. “There have been a number of setbacks,” the owner concedes. “We have an agreement that this will be the last attempt to get him right for racing. If there is a recurrence of his injury, we’ll send Ribelino to be with Nikas!”
By agreement between the two owners, Nikas, whose most famous day is sadly shared with Ribelino, will spend his retirement at the Lokotrans training centre after the end of his career. “We came to an agreement with Mr Kupka. Nikas, 13 years old in 2018, will spend his retirement with us. And if things do not turn out the way we hope they will, they will soon meet each other again,” Jalový says.

Nevertheless, he thinks that the meeting of these rivals will be delayed. In 2018, Ribelino will still be young enough to have plenty more steeplechases ahead of him.

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This article, written by Petr Guth, first appeared on the Czech-language pages of Dostihový svět on December 8th, 2017. Translated by Robin Healey

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