In these monthly newsletters, I usually mention or discuss the recent weather, and the weather in July 2019 cannot pass unmentioned. All over northern Europe there was extraordinarily hot weather towards the end of the month, peaking on Thursday, July 25^th, with all-time record temperatures recorded in the UK and northern France. North of the Alps in central Europe, too, it was very hot.

Betino has announced that it has a permit to start accepting on-course bets on horseracing in the Czech Republic as from July 12^th, when there will be a race meeting at Prague Velk

Racing at Pardubice on Sunday

Just three Czech-trained horses are entered for the Swedish Grand National meeting at Strömsholm this year, on June 15th. All three, Tamas, Idol and Surin, are owned by Vocetka and are trained by Jana Nováková (photo) at Okrouhlo, not far from Prague Velká Chuchle racecourse.

Following Subway Dancer’s third place in the Group I Champion Stakes at Ascot in October 2018, another Czech-trained runner is being prepared to run at Ascot – this time at the royal meeting. Trainer Václav Luka, who has achieved a lot of success in France in the last four years, is preparing to send Nagano Gold, which is probably the best horse in his training centre. Nagano Gold won the Czech St Leger in 2017 and a couple of Listed races at Longchamp, in 2018 and 2019.

Velká cena města Pardubic – XXVIIth renewal– First qualification race for the 129^th running of the Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase
Steeplechase crosscountry, Category: National Listed, 5800 metres, CZK 400 000
going: 3.3 (good)

The 2019 steeplechasing season has got off to a slow start, as usual, and in the middle of May only three Category I races have been run. The Town of Lysá-nad-Labem First of May Steeplechase, 4 200 metres,  at Lysá, was for the sixth successive year trained by Josef Váňa senior and ridden by Jan Kratochvíl (photo). Power Zar had won the September 2017 VP qualification race.

When the CPI Property Group took over the Prague Velká Chuchle racecourse area, it was announced that a wider range of equestrian events would be held at the racecourse. Above all, showjumping was to be reintroduced to the racecourse. The first showjumping event on the new arena at the racecourse will be held on May 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th. The racecourse will be open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on each day, with events at different levels.