I started writing this January 2020 newsletter, and then I thought I had better reread the December 2019 newsletter. I am glad I did. If there is one thing worse than repeating oneself, it is repeating oneself without recognizing it.
Martin Pecka has now completed his second season as manager at Prague Velká Chuchle racecourse, which
Czech jockey Tomáš Lukásek (photo) has been spending his winters riding in the Gulf States, and he is now very nicely established in Qatar. He rode the winners of the first three races in Doha on December 14th.
Dr Jiří Charvát served as president of the Jockey Club of the Czech Republic from 2014 until 2019. He took over from Aleša Jakub, who was president for a brief period after Václav Luka, senior, was acrimoniously removed after serving as president for a period of 17 years.
A Czech language version of this notice was posted on the website of the JCCR on December 6th, 2019.
October 2019 was a surprisingly warm month – the warmest October I remember in my time in the Czech Republic. The month produced a number of very pleasant warm afternoons for racegoers, especially for the Velka Pardubicka weekend and for the long weekend at the end of the month.
There is a video with a pretty good English-language commentary on the Velka Pardubicka on Racing TV, which you can find quite easily on YouTube. Well done, the commentator, who was not put off by the difficult Czech or French names of many of the 21 runners, and also knew the complicated course followed by the horses very well!
For several years now, I have spent many hours in the days after the Velka Pardubicka watching the Czech Television coverage of the race day, after which I have written my comments. I have always praised the photography. Czech Television always sends out a large camera crew to cover this major social and racing event, and also the autumn colours.
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.
**The weather forecast in Pardubice for Velka Pardubicka weekend (October 12th/13th ) is warm and sunny, with daily maxima of about 22°C. Bear in mind, though that the nights and early mornings are likely to be chilly in mid-October.
