I try to remember to report on good news about Czech and central European horseracing, as this website mainly aims to present our sport positively and to leave the reader feeling slightly less desperate.

President of the Jockey Club Jiří Charvát pointed out some things that are going well at the draw for the numbers to be carried by the runners in the Velka Pardubicka on October 14th. He reported that the number of 2-y-os running in the Czech Republic appears to have bottomed out. For several years, going back to about the time of the bank-induced crisis of 2008, the numbers had been dropping steadily. Ten years of steady dropping is a serious matter, and a turnaround will be very welcome. Since mid September this year, the races for 2-y-os have tended to be full, and have even been split.

I have the impression that the number of Czech-bred 2-y-os has gone up. Dr Charvat claims that the quality of Czech-breds is also rising. Czech-bred Aztek, by Moonjaz, which Jiří Charvát bought after his successful 3-y-o season, won the 44th running of the Graded 1 Gran Corsa Siepi di Merano at the end of September. He claims this may be the finest achievement ever by a Czech-bred chaser. It is certainly worth recording and celebrating, and trying to improve on.

Jiří Charvát also pointed out that the 128th running of the Velka Pardubicka marks 50 years of uninterrupted VPs. In 1968, the race was cancelled because of the political events, and before that it had been interrupted by two world wars. Fifty years of peace, with no invasion of the Czech lands, is unique in history since the Czechs came along and occupied these lands. This period of peace is something to be celebrated and built on.

Jiří Charvát has a runner, Tzigane du Berlais, in this year’s Velka Pardubicka. He is likely to start as second or third favourite, and we are told that his chances will be improved if there is some steady rain in the next 6 days.