The 119th Velka Pardubicka, run on October 11th 2009, will go down in history as one of the great renewals of this great race. However, before beginning on a description of the drama, I must begin with an unconditional apology for being one of many who said and wrote that Josef Vana, at the age of almost 57, with a body severely impacted by numerous major racing-related injuries, and having ridden just two races this year, should not have been riding in the race. I also apologise to the horses for suggesting that, with the exception of Sixteen, they were a moderate lot, and also for saying that 25 runners was far too many. In the event, 18 got round and all contributed to a dramatic race. The first five past the post all put in very fine performances, and several others did really well.
Great efforts had gone into watering the course during a protracted drought, as a result of which the August and September meetings at the course had been run on rock-hard ground. From the beginning of October, real rain from the skies helped out a little. However, we who walked the course 24 hours before the race described the ground as 'firm' or 'good to firm' or 'good to firm and hard in places'.
During the Saturday night there was some good, wet rain, and the morning was dry but overcast. A good crowd, much of it with tickets offering little protection from the elements, decided to risk a rain-soaked afternoon. In the Town Stand, everyone who is anyone, not least President Vaclav Klaus, was there. President Klaus comes racing very willingly, two or three times a season, and is given a warmer welcome on the course than he receives in Brussels. The prime minister was there, celebs were there. Milliners, couturiers, coiffeurs, and the like must bless Velka Pardubicka day. The racing world was also well represented, not least by the connections of the six foreign-trained runners in the Velka Pardubicka. 19 Czech runners also lined up for the big race at 3.40 p.m.
Before the main event, however, there were 7 races, all of them important elements in the Czech steeplechasing (and hurdling) season. Father and son Frantisek and Radek Holcak were the most successful trainers in these races, and Slovak-born jockey Jiri Kousek rode three winners. The common folk, those who had got their bottoms on to seats out in the open air, but with a good view of the proceedings, sat stoically through heavy showers, reluctant to take cover lest they lose their vantage points to some other person who might attempt to park his own bottom on that seat. Trainers and jockeys got soaked, too.
We up in the stands were pleased to see the rain. Not because we thought the populace would benefit from a good bath, but because the rain came early enough to soak in before the main event. By 3.40 p.m., the going was on the soft side of good, though the ploughed fields looked "testing". In fact, they had not been ploughed deep, and the rain had time to soak in. The surfaces were not too slippery.
The 25 runners and riders lined up as advertised. Happily, unlike in most previous years, none of the booked riders had suffered a major fall earlier in the afternoon and all were fit to ride. All 25 got over the first three obstacles and approached the Taxis sensibly, spreading out across the course. They all got over safely, but Hirsch deposited his rider. They took the Irish Bank with Red Dancer in the lead. All 24 got over without hesitating. As they approached the 6th fence, the Turn, Luckie Nellerie, which had taken the lead, put on the brakes and ducked out, fortunately without impeding the others. He then ran loose, and narrowly failed to collide with the leaders - the only instance in the race, I think, when the large field threatened to cause disruption. All the others got round the turn safely.
As the race developed, Red Dancer, Numero Due and Derby Sharp made the running, as expected. Hot favourite Sixteen was never far away, and Josef Vana senior, on Tiumen, always appeared to be going well and taking the best route at every twist and turn. The feature of the middle part of the race was the number of horses still standing and staying with the pace. At the Big Water Jump, sadly, Shirley, which was going well, had a mishap and broke a leg. Why is it always the Albertovec Stud's horses that have the worst misfortunes in the Velka Pardubicka?
It was still Red Dancer, Numero Due and Derby Sharp at the front of the field, with the grey Sixteen showing prominently and looking likely to win the great race for the third time in succession.
The expanse of ploughed field before and after Havel's Jump (No. 27) sorted things out a bit. As they entered the grass track wtih three fences to go, Pocci took the lead and was followed by Numero Due, Sixteen and Tiumen, with Josef Vana on board, and the race appeared to be between these four. Pocci, like Sixteen and Tiumen, is trained by Josef Vana. Pocci led into the final fence, just ahead of Numero Due and Tiumen had overtaken Sixteen. Once they were in the run-in, Josef Vana sent Tiumen to the front and the race was over. Josef Bartos tried to rally Sixteen, but she could only finish second. Numero Due came third. Madarino easily overtook Pocci, which had come to the end of his tether and laboured home in 5th place. Jung came 6th, Super Lord, 7th, was the best of the foreign runners, followed by Juful Tennis, in 8th place. The other finishers, in order, were Lakreg, Profil, Tomis, Marath, Mr Land, Derby Sharp, Red Dancer, Mr Big, Roosevelt and Il en Reve. The foreign-trained horses had hardly featured. Lucky Nellerie's performance has already been mentioned. Lucky Luk was in the rear when he removed his rider at the Drop, right in front of the stands. The other four got round, but without at any point looking as if one of them might win.
This was Josef Vana's 6th and greatest win in the race as a jockey, and his 7th as a trainer. It was his 23rd ride in the race. All of these are records, but he is not in fact the oldest rider ever to have won the race. Repeated viewings of the race show that it was a consummate performance by Josef Vana, who had his horse perfectly placed at every moment in the race - though he was riding with a trapped nerve in his right arm, and could barely grip his whip.
The legend of Josef Vana had a new and glorious chapter written into it. This race is a major national event, and Josef Vana, like Lata Brandisova, the lady rider who won the Velka Pardubicka, against German horses, as the threat of Nazi Germany loomed over the country, joins the likes of Jan Hus and Komensky (Comenius) as examples of the Czech spirit at its most noble.
Small boys who braved the rains to sit with their fathers and retain a good vantage point will be able to say 'I was there', and the same claim will be made by the millions who watched the excellent coverage on Czech Television. I hope the brave boys will grow up to be half as valiant as Josef Vana.
The Paddock Revue website asks its reads to vote on whether they hope to see Josef Vana riding in the 120th Velka Pardubicka, on the second Sunday in October 2010. I voted "No". I want the story of Josef Vana and the Velka Pardubick to have a happy ending, and this could, of course, be that happy ending. However, I rather think he will be back again next year.
