Eleven entries have been received for the 134th Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance, and its Ireland’s Gordon Elliott with Coko Beach, and is the mount of Jack Kennedy.
In coming off a third to Singing Banjo in the La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase of 4m1f at Punchestown carrying 12-7st, or 79kg, he was previously 11th in the Aintree Grand National.
The winner of the PP Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase of 3m2f at Punchestown in February, he earlier in November last year won the Troytown Handicap Chase of 3m at Navan.
Now the winner of 7 of his 35 starts up to 3m4f, or 5630m, and with the Velka Pardubicka run over 6900m, he has raced in the Aintree Grand National of 4m2½f, 6930m, on three occasions.
And finishing a good 8th to Noble Yeats in the 2022 Grand National, the Velka Pardubicka is in sight with its famous Taxis ditch, Drop Bank, Water Trough, hedges, rail-fences and ploughed field.
Racing in the maroon and white colours of Gigginstown House Stud, the 9yo is weighted on 70kg, and bred in France by the top hurdler and sire Cokoriko, and half-brother to Coastal Bank.
Also from Ireland is the now Joseph Davies trained Jeremy Pass who has won his last two starts over 3 miles, including a last start Hunter Chase at Listowel, and is also weighted to carry 70kg.
The John McConnell trained 10yo Streets of Doyen is the third of Ireland’s entries, having this year mixed hunter chasing with hurdling, and will again be ridden by Alex Harvey carrying 70kg.
However, with the Velka Pardubicka being run on Sunday, 13 October, it’s the last two Velka winners Sacamiro and Mr Spex who not entered this year, but the 2021 winner Talent is in again.
In also finishing second in 2022 and 2023, he again looking for a second success for trainer Hana Kebelkova, having been 10th to Godfrey in the Prize of The City Pardubice qualifier on 25 May.
In fact, Godfrey is the only Velka race qualifier winner in the final, and High in The Sky the only second-placed race qualifier when second in the Gran Prix of The City Pardubice on 22 September.
The flood delayed fourth qualifying event the Gran Prix of The City of Pardubice of 5800m was won by the Josef Vana trained Aeneas, who had previously won over 4600m at Lysa nas Labem.
In winning by 6 lengths in 7-51.69sec on a Good 4 track, it was jockey Josef Bartos who had Aeneas tracking the race leader Player, and with four obstacles to go raced away to win easily.
Saturday 3 August saw the third qualify race, the Chladek Tintera Co Prize being run in 7-31.92sec over of 5800m on a Good 3 turf course, won be the 8yo Sunday Break gelding Chelmsford.
In surviving a tendon problem scare after the race it was trainer Josef Vana Jr who went onto say “Chelmsford won easily, and I won’t be celebrating if his injury is at all that serious.”
“We’d have to wait with him, as the win has come at the expense of the horse’s health,” with the second placed Well Absolut and winner Chelmasford qualifying for the 134th running.
After the English fence, with a kilometre to go the pace hotted up, it was Chelmsford taking over the lead to draw away and win very easily by 18 lengths from Well Absolut and Sexy Lord.
On winning the second qualifier, the Slavia Cup over the shorter 5200m on 22 June, jockey Jan Faltejsek won five of the 9 races including the qualifier on Corfu, trained by his wife Alzbeta.
“My wife and I have been working on him for five years, and his sire Blue Coral and dam Kolymbia ran in the colours of Jiri Charvát, being less impressive when 11th in the first quailing race.”
However, the 134th Velka Pardubicka with Slavia Insurance series for 2024 began in dramatic fashion on Saturday 25 May with the French-bred 8yo Godfrey winning in a fighting head finish.
In getting the verdict over Chelmsford, Godfrey won the City of Pardubica Prize of 5800m on a Good 3 track in the hands of Daniel Vyhnalek for trainer Torok Daibla and owners DS Pegas.