Josef Váňa wins Velká Pardubická on Tiumen
Tony McCoy often says that he does not give too much thought to retirement. Maybe he just looks to a man like Josef Váňa for inspiration.
The Czech jump jockey and trainer may have his 58th birthday coming over the horizon but he won the Velká Pardubická at Pardubice for the seventh time as a rider, and for an eighth time as a trainer, when Tiumen hung on in a desperately close finish.
The Pardubická course is a cross-country throwback mixture of turf and ploughed fields and an embodiment of the theory of horses for courses. A field of 19 lined including Mr Big from Charlie Mann’s stable. Mann, who won this race in 1995 on It’s A Snip, is a regular supporter of the Pardubická but Mr Big, having finished 16th last year, still found the job to much with a mile left to run and the finish was dominated by horses who had all managed to pass the post first in previous years.
As they rejoined the main course, with three left to jump, Váňa took a slight lead on Tiumen, last year’s winner, with Amant Gris – who was first past the post in 2008 but disqualified for taking the wrong course – taking him on again. And just behind them Sixteen – also trained by Váňa and the winner twice himself – was plugging on gamely in third being chased by another Váňa-trained runner; Liran who was ridden by the trainer’s son Josef Jnr.
However, this looked clearly to be father’s day when Tiumen (pictured left) came away from the last a length to the good. But then Váňa, who rarely rides these days, seemed to ease up on his horse for the last 10 strides. Marek Stromsky was riding for his life on Amant Gris and the pair flashed past the line locked together.
After an interminable wait for the judge’s decision Tiumen was declared the winner with Sixteen in third. Mr Big, who lost two shoes during the race, came home in 13th.
McCoy travelled to Limerick for just the one ride for retaining owner JP McManus on Dancing Tornado in the Ladbrokes.com Munster National. There had been a doubt whether McCoy would be fit to ride, after sustaining a shoulder injury in a fall at Bangor on Saturday, the jockey was in the saddle and the shoulder was given a thorough workout.
Dancing Tornado had been second in the Kerry National, at Listowel in September, when his performance was greatly compromised by some sloppy jumping and it was the same here. The first mistake came as early as the third fence and it was quickly followed by more of the same.
However, Dancing Tornado is clearly not without ability and McCoy somehow managed to keep him in some sort of contention at the second-last, which brought yet another mistake. It was left to Fisher Bridge to try and challenge the leader Golden Kite from the last. Davy Condon had Fisher Bridge almost upsides but - under a driving finish of which trainer Adrian Maguire would have been proud in his riding days - Shane Hassett kept Golden Kite in front to win by a short-head.
Golden Kite’s win was Maguire’s biggest since those of his triple Graded hurdles winner Celestial Wave four seasons ago. “There’s plenty of days when things go wrong so this is fantastic,” Maguire said. “I’ve said it before, his heart is the biggest thing about him. He’s not over big but the one thing he does is try and try and try. He never disappoints.”
If Dancing Tornado does not brush up his jumping then he is likely to continue to disappoint but if McManus is thinking of wielding the cheque book in pursuit of his next Cheltenham Festival winner then Kauto Stone may be edging to the top of the shopping list.
The half-brother to Kauto Star won the Grade Three Prix Orcada at Auteuil by two-and-a-half lengths and could be seen on the same track as his half-sibling. Katuo Stone’s trainer, Jehan Bertran de Balanda, is considering coming to Kempton Park on Boxing Day for the Grade One Feltham Novices’ Chase on the same day that Kauto Star will attempt a record-breaking fifth victory in the King George VI Chase.
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