104th running of the Westminster Czech Derby

With the 104th Westminster Czech Derby being Central Europe’s principal racing event, it’s the filly Fine Anyway who won the 107th Grand June Prix, that’s the true Czech Derby Trial.

The Grand June Prix for 3yo’s was Fine Anyway’s second season success, and she returns to Prague’s Velka Chuchle Racecourse for the Czech Derby of 2400m in drawing Gate 14 of 16 starters.

Carrying the Classic fillies set-weight of 56.5 kg against the males of 58kg, Fine Anyway held her forward position out of the straight on jumping from Barrier 1 in the hands of Tomas Lukasek.

Racing handily along the backstretch, Tomas Lukasek made a forward move around the far-bend to challenge the race leader, and at the 1000m mark he took the lead to win by two lengths.

In running a time of 2:28.43 for trainer Ingrid Janackova over the 2210m on a Good 4 track, Fine Anyway has two of her four starts this year, and being unplaced in all four starts at two years.

Racing in the pink with white band and pink cap of Farm Blate Bohemian Paradise, she was a €16,000 buy for the Broadhurst Agency at the 2022 Arqana October Yearling Sale at Deauville.

Consigned by La Motteraye, Fine Anyway is by Galileo’s stakes winning son Gailway, from the winning Acclamation mare Roubaix, being the family of the Prix de Palais-Royale winner Saratan.

However, it’s the 103st Czech 2000 Guineas, the 103st Grand Spring Prix, that’s making the 104nd Czech Derby a race in two with the French-bred San Sebastian being a two length winner.

Now ridden by Vaclav Janacek in the Derby, San Sebastian jumped from Barrier 7 in the 2000 Guineas and racing midfield two wide along the backstretch, began to move up on the home turn.

Although racing greenly under the urging of Martin Laude, he took the lead with 150m from home to defeat Zabyak by two lengths on the line in recording a time of 1:38.27 and carrying 58kg.

Trainer by Urbanek Lubos, and racing in the pink and white of owner-breeder Locofrans Stable, he’s by Prix de Jockey-Club winner The Gray Gatsby, from the good Czech mare Santa Padrona.

In fact, the Czech’ say ‘The Czech Derby has never been won by a white horse,’ but after victory in the Spring Grand Prix, the ‘white’ San Sebastian is favourite for the’ blue-ribbon laurel wreath.’

‘The most prestigious race of the year,’ the 104th Westminster Czech Derby is a Gr 3 event run over 2400 metres, with CZK 2 million in prize money and for 3-year-old colts, gelding’s and fillies.

Twelve males and four fillies will line up in the starting barrier, with grey gelding San Sebastian being the race favourite after winning his only appearance this year, the Spring Grand Prix.

The nine-time Spanish champion Vaclav Janacek returns to the saddle having won race one of the Classic Triple Crown, who last year’s won the Arqana Gersch Memorial of 1400m on debut.

The Lokotrans Stable owned by Karel Jalove, who is also the breeder of San Sebastian, has already won the Derby in Slovakia and Switzerland, but needs the Czech blue ribbon for its collection.

In addition to winning the Czech Derby Trial, the June Grand Prix, with Fine Anyway the Spring’s most successful trainer Ingrid Janackova Koplíkova will sends four of her charges to the start.

The Spring Grand Prix fifth Black Gangster, jockey Jiri Chaloupka, and Gabon, the Slovak Spring Grand Prix winner, with Ricardo Sousa Ferreira will represent Farm Blata Boheimain Paradise.

In addition, its the Spring Grand Prix third Sun Project who is still looking for a racecourse success, and will have David Liska wearing the white and pink of newly established DuKaKu Racing.

Also from Spain, Borja Fayos is surprisingly the new rider for Derby Trial heroine Fine Anyway, as Tomas Lukaselk was pre-booked for King Warrior but was withdrawn after race declaration.

Epsom Derby winning jockey Richard Kingscote completes an international field on the sponsors Westminster Race Horses Stable owned Naughty Peter for Polish trainer Maciej Jodlowski

With Richard Kingscote having over 1500 triumphs to his credit, its Naughty Peter who is a Czech bred being foaled at Napajedel Stud, and won his last two starts in Warsaw and Wroclaw.