The Czech horseracing season got off to a good start on the Easter Monday public holiday at Lysá-nad-Labem. The weather was dry and mild, and a good crowd turned out. The racecourse was in good order, despite the cold weather in the last two months.

The two main races were at Category II level, but they had attracted small fields of Category I level horses. This was mainly because the sponsors of the race day, Statek Blata Český raj, had entered their three star horses, Touch of Class, Timekeeper and Tamarind Cove, all by Galileo. However, it  was not a good day for the Galileos. The main races went to the longest-priced outsider, Charles Quatrième, and to 4-y-o mare Saša.

The Dufek family nevertheless had something to celebrate. In the race over 2 200 metres for unraced 3-y-os, Mandachal carried their Statek Blata Český raj colours to a very easy victory. The family can at least hope that Mandachal is going to be good enough to run in the Czech Derby at the end of June.

Apprentice rider David Dygrýn rode his first ever race over hurdles, and won it by a distance on Bukhari. The horse rattled the last flight of hurdles when well clear, but the rider held on.

Two riders, Vendula Korečková and Michal Hrouda rode two winners each. They will therefore lead the jockeys’ championship at least until next Saturday, when there is a meeting at Most.

The first race at Most on Saturday is at 1.30 p.m., and the main race will be the Jaroslav Podolan Memorial, commemorating the man without whose remarkable vision and efforts a racecourse would not have been constructed on the revitalized vast Velbudice slag heap in the suburbs of Most. On Sunday, the main race at Prague Velká Chuchle will be the Category I Gomba Handicap, for 4-y-o and older. This is the traditional main race on the opening day of the season at Prague Velká Chuchle. The first race on Sunday is at 2 p.m.