This crazy and absolutely wonderful event takes place on Sunday 10th October.

Pardubicka is about an hour from Prague by train and a taxi will get you to the track or if you are more adventurous, a bus. 

Last year's winner Hegnus looks like starting favourite.  He will again be ridden by Lukas Martinsky and the trainer is Radek Holčak.  Josef Vána is a legendary figure in Czech racing and in this race in particular.  He won it 8 times as a jockey – the last time when aged 58 – and has won it 10 times as a trainer.  He saddles 3 runners this year – Theophilos with Josef Bartos riding, No Time To Lose with Ondrej Velek and Mahe King with champion jockey Jan Faltejsek on board.

Last year's winner gets an automatic entry and there are 4 qualifying events in which a horse has to complete either a cross country or steeplechase that is over 4500m.

No Time To Lose won the race 4 years ago but has had injury problems since then back is back now and won the first of the trials.

Evžen is a great jumper and won the second of the trials under Jaroslav Myška having not done that well in the earlier trial.

Theophilos with Josef Bartos riding will probably start favourite of the 18 runners.

An interesting jockey booking is Patrick Mullins, whom we presume is the former Irish Champion Apprentice jockey, on Kaiserwalzer.

The race is run over a 6,900m course with 30 jumps.  The course is cross country with riders having to negotiate ploughed fields and a track through some woods and a couple of water jumps.  This year there have been further modifications to the notorious Taxis, the scariest jump in racing, with several other jumps being made more difficult in compensation.

The weather is looking very good – sunny with a top of 14.  It should be a magnificent day with Pardubicka looking at its autumnal best for one of the great days of racing.