The efforts of the Czech racecourses, the Jockey Club and the whole racing community to put on good races continue this weekend, though the COVID-19 virus has not helped at all. The virus alert level has been raised to red in several localities in the country, including the whole of Prague and several districts adjacent to Prague. For the next two weeks, the number of spectators that can be admitted to a race meeting will be reduced to 1 000.

Two good meetings at Prague Velká Chuchle, on Saturday and Sunday, first race at 2 p.m., have attracted many of our best flat racehorses. The meeting on Sunday is the 6th annual European Jockeys‘ Cup event. Top French-based jockey Christophe Soumillon, who won the Cup last year, was due to ride here again this year, but he has had to pull out with an injury. Vincent Cheminaud replaces him. The other international jockeys on Sunday will be Anthony Crastus (France), Jaroslav Línek (Slovakia) Maxim Pecheur (Germany), Alexander Pietsch (Germany). Five top Czech jockeys will join them: Adam Florian, Tomáš Lukášek, Jan Verner, Jan Rája and Martina Havelková. On Monday, there is a mixed race meeting at Lysá-nad-Labem, a pleasant and popular small racecourse 40 km east of Prague. At  Lysá, too, the first race is a 2 p.m.