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Crystal Cup legs come thick and fast in the autumn, and this weekend’s Crystal Cup Steeplechase at Wroclaw will be the fifth leg since Waregem on September 1st. The €40,000 listed race runs over 5,500m (3m 3 1/2f) and has whittled down to just 5 runners.

Polish-trained horses are outnumbered by those from the Czech Republic, including two from Crystal Cup leader Josef Vana, and an interesting first ride for James Best on the French-bred Irreverencieux.

The market is likely to be headed by 11 year old Laldann, winner of 16 of his 32 starts, and 3 of his 7 chases. He’s enjoyed a fruitful 2026, with a brace of victories at Merano in May, followed by a runner-up berth and third most recently in the Crystal Cup leg at Merano 3 weeks ago won by Younes. Twelve months earlier when winning the corresponding leg, Laldann has beaten Younes fair and square.

Vana’s other runner here, Beau Saonais, ran a cracking race when a 11 1/4l third to another runner, Molly Power at Wroclaw at the beginning of September. Molly Power showed great fight to beat reggaeton in that race and hasn’t been out of the frame in 6 runs these past 12 months, bar an uncharacteristic pull up at Wissembourg in May.  Alžběta Faltejsková’s 9 year old represents the main danger to Laldann, and is the mount of Jan Faltesjek, who enjoyed a double at Pardubice last weekend as well as second to Final Orders in the Velka.

The home team is represented by Trurl and Nitro. Trurl is trained and will be ridden by Paweł Pałczyński. He’s been well placed to win 3 of his 4  starts  this year, the most recent over 5,000m at Bratislava. That form is by and large untested.

Nitro has only been seen once this year, finishing second to Westminster Grey at Wroclaw in early September, a race in which Trurl didn’t finish. He’s the mount of Jan Odložil for trainer Elwira Porębna.

The springer in this market may be the 8 year old French-bred Irreverencieux. Regular rider Josef Bartoš took a crunching fall at Pardubice last weekend, so James Best, who caught the eye in another clear round in the Velka, is an interesting jockey booking for Veronika Lempochnerová. Irreverencieux is unbeaten this year in two runs, a neck win over Averis in May and a 6l defeat of the same rival in September, both at Pardubice, and less exposed than either of Vana’s runners, or indeed Molly Power.

Whichever the result, Vana will assert his lead on the Crystal Cup by picking up a minimum 4pts for travelling outside the Czech Republic, likely more given the small field. However, the pendulum swings back toward western Europe during the winter with legs at Compiegne, Cheltenham (2) and Pau which should allow Patrice Quinton and Gavin Cromwell to erode his lead or even surpass it.

It’s all to play for.

For the full card on Sunday, click here

Gavin Cromwell is having to brush up on his grasp of Czech after a second winning visit to the Czech Republic’s biggest steeplechase, this time with Final Orders.

Final Orders gets the better of Godfrey in a spine-tingling finish to the 136th Velka Pardubická
© Adrien Seite

The smallest field in many years nevertheless resulted in a heart-stopping finish, Final Orders denying 2024 winner and the irrepressible Jan Faltesjek from a comeback victory that would have brought the house down.

As it is, this eclectic event – a sell-out since tickets went on sale in May – is a marquee event, no longer just for Czechs, but for lots of other European jumps enthusiasts. A marked increase in British and Irish voices among the crowd told of the focus Cromwell’s exploits last year have created here, and the cheers at the start, and as the runners pass the stands would do Cheltenham or Aintree proud.

The James Best – ridden Greek Dessert led them from the gate, swiftly joined and passed by the blinkered and free-running Araucarias. Keith Donoughue had Final Orders handy, as the field split over the Taxis, the fourth of the 31 fences, but the leader had set up a commanding lead already.

Hard Roc de Kerser parted company with his rider at the 10th, ending a rare French challenge for this race.

Drama and this race are bedfellows, unhappy or otherwise. The front-running Araucarias jumped the 11th 20l to the good, but collided with the track marker unseating Josef Bartos, whose unhappy afternoon continued after a fall earlier in the afternoon.

The pace steadied as the race reached its halfway point, Dumon Roclay contesting the lead with Donoughue happy to sit in behind alongside Greek Dessert, but he was back in the van by the 16th as Final Orders’ ears pricked; unlike stable companion Stumptown the previous year, he was visibly enjoying himself.

With 10 fences to go, Faltesjek has crept 2024 winner Godfrey into the picture, heading a field covered by no more than 5l. Faltesjek of course needs no lessons in riding this race, having enjoyed success no less than 7 times. Only Czech legend Josef Vana Snr has ridden more Velka winners, and his record must be under threat.

Four out, a handkerchief could have covered the remaining 7, Greek Dessert the only one coming under pressure. At the second last, a mistake put paid to the chances of Angkor Wat, who’d run well throughout, and Marcel Novák was unseated from Dumon Roclay.

As they turned in, Donoughue asked his mount for a final effort, but the game Godfrey, under strong driving from Fatesjek wouldn’t give in, the margin at the line just half a length.

Cromwell, surrounded by an enormous trop of syndicate owners on a memorable weekend to Pardubice, remarked, “I couldn’t have done it without a terrific jockey,” paying testament to Donoughue, whose record in cross country races among current riders is pretty much unassailable.

Keith Donoughue loses an iron over the Taxis but recovers to win the 136th running of the Velka Pardubicka © Adrien Seite

His rider told Czech TV,”I thought I was going to win easier turning in and it was a good battle. He’s a very tough horse and it’s great to do it again.” Donoughue also enjoyed his own excitements during the race, losing an iron at the Taxis, and meeting a little local difficulty at the double last time round.

The 10 year old has given untold pleasure to his syndicate, taking them to success at Cheltenham twice as well as this marquee event. The winner had a hard race though, and next month at Cheltenham may well come too soon.

Faltesjek can rue one that got away, but he had a successful afternoon, with a double in the preceding races. There may yet be other occasions for him, and a sporting hug on the podium with Donoughue tells you everything about the camaraderie among riders in this race and the welcome for foreign riders among the home team.

Rare among international races nowadays, the final declarations for the 136th Velka Pardubicka, sponsored by Slavia Insurance, are concluded, including jockey bookings, for the race that is to Czechs what the Melbourne Cup is to Australia. The date of Sunday October 11th is a marquee day in the Czech racing calendar.

Just one withdrawal has taken place since entries were made, Zarate not making the cut, leaving 10 runners, comprising 8 Czech-trained, one Irish and a rare French challenger.

Cheltenham Festival winner Final Orders will be sent off a warm favourite for the race, but a partisan home crowd would likely prefer 2024 dead-heat victor Godfrey to prevent a second consecutive Irish victory. Godfrey is well fancied, with a focused preparation that culminated successfully with success in one of the qualifying races here at Pardubice in early September. Jan Faltejsek takes the ride for Dalibor Török in preference to 2023 winner Sacamiro, still in good form at 13, in pursuit of his ninth Velka.

Sacamiro’s trainer, Eva Petříková told a press conference at the famous Karlova Koruna castle, “He is easy to ride, he is a horse for a sensitive rider.” Hence her booking of Lenka Neprašová, the only woman rider in the field. She’s also a rare commodity in a country short of jockeys – a highly successful woman rider, with a career 61 winner from just under 350 rides. Sacamiro is nevertheless a fancy largely for the romantics in the crowd; without a win for 3 years, this would be a big turnaround at the highest level to win here.

Godfrey’s half-brother High In The Sky will also represent Dalibor Török. Rider Ondřej Velek, yet to win Czechia’s marquee steeplechase, remarked, “I’m sorry about the injury to Fort Medoc because he has really great potential. But High In the Sky also has a great chance and I’m grateful for the ride.” High In The Sky is held on September form against Angkor Wat and Godfrey.

Jockey Adam Čmiel will fancy his chances on 2025 third Čáryjape, but he too will need to improve on an August event where he was well behind Aaraucarias and Greek Dessert. The latter is one of 2 rides during the afternoon for James Best, both for Czech Jockey Club chairman Jiří Charvát.

Best has an enviable record in the Velka, with a 4th, 5th and 6th place among his 5 rides to date. He came by the ride on Greek Dessert through bloodstock agent Jacob Pritchard-Webb, in last year’s supporting card, when Keith Donoghue became unavailable. Of Greek Dessert, Best remarked, “He gave me a good spin last year, and jumps well, although we’ve all still got to cross the Taxis! With just 10 runners, there should be plenty of space. He only gives what you ask of him, but I’m looking forward to the ride. I love the race.”

The springer in the pack may be the French challenger, Hard Roc de Kerser, all the way from the Normandy base of Patrice Quinton. Broadly adjudged the master of the cross country scene at home, Quinton will have good reasons to send the 9 year old on the 1,500km  trip to Pardubice. His French form has not been outstanding – winnerless in 2026 – but Quinton is not to be underestimated, and he brings Jean Stephane Lebrun, sporting 10 winners from his 101 rides this year to date.

For a complete list of runners click here.

Gavin Cromwell’s latest assault on the Velka Pardubicka with Final Orders is far from a fait accompli, despite his chase rating of 147. A select field of entries for this year’s 136th Velka Pardubicka includes previous winner Godfrey and a French challenger from Patrice Quinton, undisputed king of this particular genre across the Channel. With no entries, Josef Vana, currently topping the Crystal Cup leaderboard, will not be asserting his superiority on home turf.

11 entries make the prospect of the smallest field in recent years a likelihood rather than a possibility. And whilst there is still time for trainers to make supplementary entries, given the obstacles to travel, not least the high cost of fuel nowadays, this seems improbable.

Among the home-trained cadre of entries, a single race in early September holds the clue. No less than 5 of the 11 took part in the fourth qualifying race for the Velka, and they filled the first five places, led by 10 year old Godfrey, who memorably dead-heated in the big race with Sexy Lord in October 2024.

Godfrey has excellent credentials to repeat the dose, this the most recent winner in a four chase tally dating back to 2022. The September race has been his only outing in 2026, clearly focused on the main event by his trainer Dalibor Török.

Polish-bred nine year old Zarate was a 9l second in that race, but no match for the winner. On a line through him in May, he also has the beating again of High In The Sky, also from the Török stable.

The third horse in that race, Angkor Wat, trained by Stanislav Popelka, is a rare British-bred running in the Czech Republic, where French-breds dominate. He might overturn form with Zarate, but the margin with Godfrey was considerable. hs best effort this year is a 1/2l second to Hibernian over a shorter 4,500m in May at Pardubice.

The fifth horse in that race is Dumon Roclay, winner of two chases in October 24 and the following Spring. That seems a long time ago even in a country with limited jumps fixtures and his form recently suggests he’s best watched.

The most likely challenge from the home team should come from Čáryjape, third to Stumptown last year. he, Araucarias and Greek Dessert all met in the third qualifier at Pardubice in August. Araucarias had the best of that exchange behind Fort Medoc.

Which leaves three.

We can discount the old man of the party, Sacamiro, who, despite the age of 13, continues to run good races, the latest a 2 1/4l second to Ironika over 5,200m here in June. He hasn’t won for three years, which has me asking if that trend is likely to be reversed in a race of this calibre.

Nine year old Hard Roc de Kerser is a product of the Patrice Quinton school of cross country champions. Quinton is acknowledged as the master of this particular genre of the sport, but generally campaigns his horses within France, although he’s run horses at Merano and Waregem previously in the Crystal Cup.

Hard Roc de Kerser is winner of 6 of his 30 races, and has been hitting the bar in 2026 without going th extra yard to win. Placed efforts at Saumur and most recently at Le Touquet in lower rated races leave him something of a learning curve at Pardubice, but his game owners, Haras d’Erable and Ecurie des Dunes are not afraid to travel, and any French challenger is to be respected.

Which leaves the Irish challenger, Final Orders, winner of 7 of his 27 chases, including cross country events at Cheltenham in December ’25 and last March. He has prepped for this with a sharpener in a 2m4f handicap hurdle at Bellewstown, where he looked in need of the race. Cromwell knows what is required at Pardubice, and Final Orders will likely be sent off a hot favourite, and justifiably so.

See the full list of entries here