Jiří Zlámaný | Chuchle Arena Praha
This annual sporting and social event is held at Prague’s Chuchle Arena in the last ten days of June. It is the absolute highlight of the racing season, and victory indelibly inscribes the winning horse’s name in history, giving it the best credentials for later breeding programme success.
For its rider, trainer, owner, breeder and caretaker, winning the trophy means attaining the ultimate goal in the racing world. The prize money (the total sum of all prizes in the race) is two million crowns, making the Czech Derby the most generously supported classic race in Central Europe and one of the best paid regional races in general. It is the most prestigious test that a racehorse can solely take part in once in its life as a three-year-old.
The history of the Czech Derby dates back to 1920, and neither wars, natural disasters nor pandemics have prevented this exceptional race from taking place each season. This is why, on 22 June this year, the Czech Derby wrote is 105th chapter. Fourteen horses, comprising seven stallions and seven fillies, lined up in front of a packed grandstand at the country’s main racecourse, ready to put on a breathtaking spectacle over the 2,400-metre course. In the home straight, Miss of Change, a French-born filly representing the stable of Eva Nieslaniková and trained by her father Miroslav, proved to have the most endurance. Jockey Callum Shepherd, who arrived in Prague from Great Britain to take part in the Derby, was instrumental in the filly’s triumph.
The conclusion of the most prestigious race of the season offered a dramatic finish, in which, after a thrilling duel, the filly Miss of Change narrowly prevailed and achieved the greatest success of her career.
British jockey Callum Shepherd excelled in the saddle of Miss of Change and, of course, returned home extremely satisfied after making his first appearance in the Czech Republic.
