Veľká Pardubice 2024
Results of steeplechase cross country, 6900 m, six-year-old and older horses:
PARDUBICE. For one hundred and fifty years, nothing like this happened. Two winners were decorated for the first time in history at the famous Veľká Pardubická race on Sunday.
After an incredibly close finish, Ján Faltejsek on the horse Godfrey and Jaroslav Myška, who triumphed on the 22nd attempt with the horse Sexy Lord, took the triumph in the 134th edition.
The race committee examined the target camera for many minutes. At first it seemed that only Myška won, who led for a long time in the final straight. Immediately after the races, great joy broke out in his camp.
But then came the official verdict that the 134th edition of the famous steeplechase cross country ended with a “dead run” of the eight-year-old horses Sexy Lord and Godfrey. Both jockeys celebrated with a warm hug.
“That was one big mess,” Faltejsek was relieved in an interview with the media, when he later commented on the moments after the exciting finish.
Faltejsek claimed his seventh victory and is only one away from tying the record of the legendary Jozef Váňa.
“I don’t look at records. If my health will serve me, I will ride as long as I can,” he said at the finish for ČT Sport.
VIDEO: Interview with both winners
Dulcar De Sivola finished third. The 2021 champion Talent, who was the only former winner in the 16-horse field, ended his racing career at the age of thirteen with a fifth place finish.
Until now, the closest races were twice decided by the horse’s nose. For the first time in 1886, when the brown Hanno beat the redhead with the fitting name Full Cry. The second time was in 2010, when Josef Váňa won with Tiumen over the underdog Marek Stromský on the white horse Amant Gris – recalled isport.cz.
Slovak horse Zataro in the saddle with British jockey James Best finished in 10th place.
