THE Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase in the Czech Republic is recognised as one of the three most challenging steeplechases in the world, the others being the Grand National at Aintree and the Maryland Hunt Cup.

Run over four miles, two and a half furlongs and 31 obstacles including the daunting Taxis Ditch, it produced a fourth win for Czech jockey Jan Faltejsek on Charme Look by the Irish sire Look Honey, by the Coolmore sire Sadler’s Wells, who was champion sire in the Czech Republic in 2010.

Faltejsek is based with trainer John Charlton in the north of England and has already three wins to his credit in the Pardubicka on the great mare Orphee Des Blins in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He was a late call up as regular rider Barbora Malkova was injured, and it was a first win for trainer Martina Ruzickova.

The most successful jockey and trainer however of the Pardubicka is Josef Vana who had second and third this year in Ange Guardian and Zarif.

He was probably looking forward to his son Josef Jnr winning, but his mount Rabbit Well, a successful horse but has a history of occasionally digging in his heels at the start, and disappointingly refused to go with the field this time.

The Vana family are a racing dynasty in the Czech Republic. Josef Snr who has a bronze statue dedicated to him on the Agrofert Park Racecourse has many records in the big race. He has ridden in it 28 times on 13 different horses, winning it as a jockey eight times, and trained nine winners, the first in 1996. He is the only trainer to win the Czech Derby and the Velka Pardubicka in the same year.

When he won on Tiumen in 2011 he was 59 years of age, and he would have bettered that if his ride this year had not been injured and had to be withdrawn. His wife Paela does the pre-training of the horses and his son Josef Jnr, a professional for eight years, is a leading jumps jockey also in Italy and France, and has been champion Czech jockey five times. He is no stranger to big occasions and has won the Gran Primio di Merano. However, he is still waiting for a breakthrough in the Pardubicka having ridden in it eight times with a best finish of fourth last year on Rabbit Well.

IRISH ENTERIES

In recent years there have been few Irish or British entries in the Pardubice. Enda Bolger, a specialist in cross-country racing, has had runners including Risk Of Thunder who was runner-up in 1999, and Fingal Harriers joint master Brian Beggan ran his Mose Harper twice trained by Tommy O’Neill. The last winners from Britain or Ireland were Chris Collins riding Stephen’s Society in 1973, and Charlie Mann in 1995 on It’s A Snip. In 1996 Norman Williamson was runner-up on Irish Stamp, with Richard Dunwoody third on It’s A Snip.

There was no shortage of Irish spectators, amongst them Drogheda bookmaker Peter Kingston whose brother Robert trains in Australia had 21 of his pals over on a stag party. David Breslin from Kildare had 27 of his friends at the races for his stag party, many with racing connections including farrier Paul Whorskey, who also rides out in Arthur Moore on the weekends. Other familiar faces were Paddy Aspell father of Grand National winning jockey Leighton, and Laois farrier Colm Ganey.

It was both business and pleasure for Paul Kinane of Kinane Bloodstock who has been supplying horses to the Czech Republic since he opened up a market some years ago. He was joined by his fiancée Amy Fitzgerald, who lectures in equine science in University of Limerick. His main customer, Josef Vana, who is a superstar in the Czech Republic has had considerable success with Gibb’s Beach (by Galileo) and Ringmaster (by Montjeu), both winners over hurdles. The most successful horses from Kinane last year were Touch Of Genius, who won the Czech and Slovak Derbies, and Czech leading miler Tamarind Cove, both by Galileo. This year, Timekeeper a full-brother to Rip Van Winkle, won the Slovak Derby. Kinane filled his order book while at the Pardubicka, and will have another consignment going to the Czech Republic shortly.