Theophilos, Bartoš and the Váňas win the VP

The 2019 Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance was run on a remarkably warm and sunny day before a very large crowd in east Bohemia. Twenty runners went to the start. At the Taxis, which is the fourth obstacle, there was a more or less chaotic melée after the fence and the big ditch behind it. Several of the horses made a wobbly landing after being unsettled by the length of the jump, the shock of almost falling into the ditch, and the proximity of other horses that were also  intent on their own survival. Ribelino jumped short, slipped on landing, and came down. Last year's winner,Tzigane du Berlais, was tailgating, and ran into the back of Ribelino. Mahony's jump was seriously short, and he did well avoid remaining in the ditch. His problems had repercussions for Beau Rochelais, which was brought down.

After this, Bridgeur took up his expected role as pacemaker. Stretton, Rathlin Rose and Talent ran prominently. The remaining 16 runners got over the Irish Bank OK, but Delight My Fire was squeezed at the rear of the field as she attempted to take the Popkovice Turn, and was parted from her rider. She had come down at the same fence a year before. After the Gardens Fence – a double fence, no. 9 and 10, things settled down, as usual in the Velka. The four Váňa-trained horse were all being held back. Ange Guardian was kept in last place, and had one or two contretemps, especially at the Drop, no. 15.

After they appeared from behind the copse, Krocoleon appeared to break down suddenly. Player was also out of the race. As the horses crossed the course before going on to the grass track for the last 600 metres, Bridgeur was still in the lead, with Stretton still in second and Rathlin Rose prominent. However, three of the Váňa-trained horses moved up ominously at this key stage of the race. Bridgeur slipped badly after Havel’s Fence, the 4th from home, and he was subsequently pulled up.

Theophilos led them on to the grass track, with Stretton in second place, and several others were placed to make a challenge – at the end of a 6 900-metre race, a horse that has something left can make up a lot of ground, and a horse that has come to the end of his rope can lose an awful lot of ground.

After the last fence, Theophilos and Stretton were still in the lead, and Chicname de Cotte and Ange Guardian and also a few others still seemed to have a chance. Stretton went past Theophilos, and Chicname de Cotte looked threatening on the inside. Ange Guardian did not have a lot left. Theophilos showed a lot of determination/stayed on better/was given a great ride by Josef Bartoš probably all three of these factors helped him over the line. He got his head back in front of Stretton, and Chicname de Cotte must have run out of steam in the last 150 metres. It was a terrific finish, and Theophilos won narrowly from Stretton and Chicname de Cotte. Mazhilis finished 4th after catching the fading Ange Guardian. Sixth place went to Rathlin Rose, which ran a brave race, and Talent finished 7th. There is prizemoney for the first seven past the post.

It was a great day for the Váňa family. Theophilos was the 11th winner of the race that Josef senior has trained. However, this highly-strung horse has also benefitted greatly from the care and attention given to him by Josef senior’s wife, Pavla Váňova, who herself has a trainer’s licence and  trained Poderoso, winner of the 2002 Czech Derby. Pavla led Theophilos round in the parade ring, and much publicity had been given in the media to the relationship between the horse and her. The Váňas were also responsible for 4th-placed Mazhilis and 5th-placed Ange Guardian.

It was a good day for foreign jockeys. Thomas Garner had ridden Stretton into third place in VP 2018, and went one better this time. French jockey Julian Duchêne rode the outsider Chicname de Cotte into third place, and James Best (Rathlin Rose, 6th place) and Leighton Aspell (Talent, 7th place) also got to stand on the winner’s podium. 

The greatest achievement of all, among the human participants, was by Josef Bartoš. Earlier in his career, he was a top flat rider, and he showed that he can still ride a great finish. Just two weeks earlier, Josef Bartoš had ridden the winner of the Gran Premio di Merano, the top steeplechase in Italy, on L’Estran, trained by Josef Váňa junior. It was the first time that a jockey has ridden the winner of these two great races in the same season. Josef Bartoš’s status as our leading jumps jockey has been unchallenged for many years, and his third winner in the Velka Pardubicka was very popular in the Czech horseracing community. 

Theophilos is owned by a large syndicate of 'ordinary racing fans', and there were plenty of racegoers wearing Theophilos scarves - not needed on this warm mid-October afternoon. 


8th race, start 16:42
1355 129. Velká pardubická with Slavia Insurance
Steeplechase crosscountry Listed  - 6900 metres, stakes, 6-y-o+
CZK 5.000.000 (2000000 - 1100000 - 700000 - 500000 - 350000 - 200000 - 150000)
Entry + Declaration to run: CZK 10000 + 50000

Going : 3.5 (good)

 

Horse’s name

weight

rider

verdict

time

trainer

evq

1.

THEOPHILOS(FR), 9 b

70,0

ž. Josef Bartoš

BOJ

09:28,76

Váňa st. Josef

 

2.

STRETTON, 9

70,0

ž. Thomas Garner

1 1/4

09:29,00

Popelka Stanislav

 

3.

CHICNAME DE COTTE(FR), 7 A 1/2bj

70,0

ž. Jordan Duchene

1/2

09:29,12

Vítek Pavel

 

4.

MAZHILIS(FR), 10

70,0

ž. Jan Kratochvíl

6

09:30,57

Váňa st. Josef

 

5.

ANGE GUARDIAN(GER), 11

70,0

ž. Jiří Kousek

1

09:30,81

Váňa st. Josef

 

6.

RATHLIN ROSE(IRE), 11 s

70,0

ž. James Best

5

09:32,03

Pipe David

 

7.

TALENT, 8

70,0

ž. Leighton Aspell

1

09:32,29

Kabelková Hana

 

8.

VANDUAL(SVK), 11 b

70,0

ž. Lukáš Matuský

8

09:34,36

Štangel Marián

 

9.

DULCAR DE SIVOLA(FR), 6

70,0

Josef Borč

10

09:36,80

Kovář Stanislav

 

10.

SZTORM(POL), 10

70,0

ž. Marek Stromský

8

09:38,92

Wroblewski Grzegorz

 

11.

ZARIF(IRE), 12

70,0

ž. Thomas Boyer

8

09:40,91

Váňa st. Josef

 

12.

TEMPLÁŘ, 12 A 1/2

70,0

ž. Martin Liška

daleko

09:46,30

Novák Antonín

 

Z

BRIDGEUR(FR), 8 A 1/2s

70,0

ž. Jaroslav Myška

 

 

Myšková Štěpánka

 

PN

BEAU ROCHELAIS(FR), 8 A 1/2bj

70,0

ž. Alexandre Orain

 

 

Olehla Čestmír, MVDr.

 

PN

DELIGHT MY FIRE(FR), 9

68,0

ž. Sertash Ferhanov

 

 

Bodlák Radim

 

PN

MAHONY, 7

70,0

ž. Niklas Lovén

 

 

Popelka Stanislav

 

PN

PLAYER, 7

70,0

ž. Marcel Novák

 

 

Kvapilová Lenka

 

PN

RIBELINO(FR), 11

70,0

ž. Andrew Glassonbury

 

 

Urbánek Luboš

 

PN

TZIGANE DU BERLAIS(FR), 8

70,0

ž. Jan Faltejsek

 

 

Tůma Pavel

 

ZN

KROCOLEON(FR), 9

70,0

Lukáš Sloup

 

 

Poles Pavel

 

Non-runner: TIEP DE L`EST(FR)
Winner’s time: 09:28.76,

Verdict: struggle-1 ¼ lengths-1/2 -6-1-5-1-8-10-8-8-distance

Owner: Dostihový klub iSport-Váňa, Trainer: Váňa st. Josef, Breeder: Haras De Beauvoir, Mme & Mr Michenot Ch.,T.