Derby 2004
greyhound
races
organized
by the Czech Greyhound Racing Federation on the racecourse of Praskačka
in the Czech Republic which took place on
the 3rd – 4th
Juli 2004
“In
the small village of Praskačka close to Hradec Králové the biggest
greyhound races were taking place
which could be seen in the Czech
Republic. Many dogs arrived as far as
from abroad. There were gathered
enough champions, the best European class …“
by
this sentence on 4th July 2004 the TV NOVA correspondent began in
a nationally televised coverage - evening TV news at 7.30 pm, his short
coverage of greyhound race in Praskačka, which is the only racecourse
with the sand surface in the Czech Republic.
Again
after a long time around 10 mill viewers in the Czech Republic and
in the border area of neighbouring countries had all at once a chance
to see greyhound races held in the CR. Countless number of TV viewers
called the secretariat of the Czech Greyhound Race Federation. Viewers
confirmed with enthusiasm that they have seen a real greyhound race
on TV NOVA and were inquiring about other details. The television coverage
itself was preceded by a hard work of the CGRF members during the
preparation of the fifth year of International Czech Derby, which is already
for the second year ran on Praskačka under patronage of general sponsor,
the company Czech International, a.s.
To secure objectivity during the draw of
the lots for the races for the whole
Derby 2004 there were celebrities invited into the headquarters of our
federation and they have also willingly accepted this invitation.
One of the most popular Slovak singers,
Ms Sisa Sklovská, has drawn
the placement of the greyhounds and the popular Czech singer
– Ms Heidi Janků has drawn the whippets’ placement in the starting boxes.
The draw has been also observed by a
world known gallery owner PhDr. Miro Smolák from the Prague
gallery Miro, located in St. Roch Church in the ancient Strahov grounds in
Prague, there were also
the President of our Federation, webmaster of our CGRF Federation and others.
Everything was taking place while it was recorded on two
professional cameras and by two cameramen
from a well-known studio.
The
racetrack was clothed in new attire and it was literally shining
far from a distance.
The sand
racetrack finished in a high quality, newly improved and
varnished starting boxes, on them new numbers and new condoles
for the sponsor’s logos and so forth and so forth.
The viewers, moderators, decorated
winners and their owners received
better comfort than in the past.
Large white buffet tents covering 200 m2,
covered by the red and black
logos with the picture of a greyhound have far from a distance informed
the passers-by that the Czech International Derby 2004 will be an extraordinary
event in the racing sport.
Huge
white fluttering banners also with the Federation logo with the picture
of a greyhound were the foretaste of an extraordinary experience.
There was driving on a really in a high quality
finished tract a white tractor
on which the logo with picture of a greyhound was standing out.
The logo with a greyhound could certainly be seen
wherever you went.
The racetrack personnel was running around in
“uniforms” – white T-shirts,
also with the logo of a running greyhound, even
viewers and the greyhounds’ owners were dressed in a uniform like attire – in
white T-shirts with the logo
of the general sponsor of both racing days.
Cameramen were filming on 4 posts the important moments that were focused at greyhound races and which
as if were at the same time some extraordinary celebration of a race greyhound.
Saturday
– heats
Saturday afternoon was full of surprises.
Uncertain weather – a sharp sun, after
that rain, gale, down pour and
at the same time fully booked camp and the tents packed with viewers.
At 4.30 pm, as if it were axed. The weather changed
for better and the
preparation for races could continue.
The members of the race jury and the timekeeper have
been for the last time checking the functionality
of the digital measuring and scanning device. The starter together with lure
conductor checked the closure
of the starting boxes, functioning of the lure.
Both moderators with the sound engineer have examined
for the last time the quality of the whole stadium
sound distribution and the sound system and microphone functionality.
The personnel at the greyhound takeover had already
closed the office which has been cultivated and
arranged behind recognition and had given to members of the jury and to
moderators the last information.
Snack bar owner has checked the temperature of the
large granite grilling plate where the marinated and
grilled steaks were already smelling, the beer was tapped and an ice cream was
offered.
The races could be started.
All attendees at the Czech International Derby 2004
were welcomed by a welcoming drink according
to their own choice – champagne, prime whisky, vodka, white or red wine.
In the main tent there was an opening
ceremony of the racing days taking place and it was done by
a celebratory toast of the President of our Federation where the invited
guests, moderators, members
of the jury, race personnel, trainers, greyhound owners and even viewers were
taking part.
“Bookmaker all the way from Ireland – Mr
Ryan O´Brien“, who was taking viewers’ bets on all of Saturday
heats, and who has become almost an “inventory” of the race, had been already
working in a lovely new office.
First
and the second heats of the day were the greyhounds-mix sprinters
semi-finals for 300 m.
The favourites of the 1st heat were Heartland Narcotic and Ballet
Dancer Hippolit Star.
- Ballet Dancer Hippolit Star could be delighted from the first place.
The favourites of the 2nd heat were Raging Flash and Artur Grefina.
- Artur Grefina ran for the first place.
Artur Grefina with its time of 18.09 sec evened the reached track record
of Elbony Dancer from 19th June 2004.
The
climax of the day were the two fully booked greyhounds-mix semi-final heats
for 525 m
The favourites of the 1st heat were Cooliska Cailin (FCI World
Champion) and Exact Hero.
- Exact Hero ran for laurels of victory in a new track record of 32.18 sec.
The favourites of the 2nd heat were Cooliska Ban (3rd
place on FCI 2004 World Championship), Ato Boldon
Grefina and Vigorous Carrera.
- Ato Boldon Grefina came for the victory as first chased after by Cooliska
Ban.
Each participant of the heat carried off a valuable material prize.
After finishing the heats of the greyhounds-mix the
draw of the final races of the greyhounds for all Sunday
final races followed.
Everybody was impatiently waiting and
writing down drawn placings into their colourful race programmes,
that were for these special moments made out bilingually – in Czech and
English.
The draw was again carried out by Heidi Janků in
attendance of viewers, reporters and cameramen whose
songs were accompanying us throughout two whole racing days.
The
presentation and the decoration of the greyhounds were however, for inducing an
atmosphere,
livened up by an Irish or Scottish music.
The following placement in the boxes was the outcome of the final
CGDF - Sprint race draw:
1. Heartland Narcotic
2. Elbony Dancer
3. Artur Grefina
4. Icy Far-Seeing Argument
5. Raging Flash
6. Ballet Dancer Hippolit Star
The following placement in the boxes was the outcome of the final race
Derby – 525 m draw:
1.
Vigorous Carrera
2. Ato
Boldon Grefina
3. Cooliska Cailin
4. Exact Hero
5. Allen Johnson Grefina
6. Cooliska Ban
Sunday
- finals
Everyone who wanted to see the final
race was surprised by an unusually large number of viewers
which this stadium has never experienced.
The viewers were particularly curious
about the FCI European Champion from Tampere 2004
Cooliska Cailin and bronze Cooliska Ban from FCI European Championship from
Tampere 2004,
(both competitors represented Poland) also about Vigorous Carrera, the
competitor from Holland.
A pleasant surprise for all
participating was the conferring of all races from that day by the famous
singer
Heidi Janků and afterwards by an English teenager who was parallely
interpreting to the English language.
Conferring was steadily interpreted also to the Polish language.
Having beautiful warm weather the races were started,
same way as on Saturday, by a celebratory toast
for the success of the whole Sunday afternoon, particularly with a wish “let
all finish in good health and
let the best win“.
A surprise to all viewers, organizers,
breeders and trainers were the participation of the TV NOVA reporters,
ČTK reporters, First Lady of the main media partner of our Federation – Animal
planet and other radio and
press reporters.
Great sound distribution of the whole
stadium attracted a lot of viewers, casual tourists, and even the
citizens of the village of Praskačka. The tips for the weekend, where the races
were presented
in the newspapers with the national field of activity had its influence on the
large participation of viewers.
The citizens of Praskačka expressed their delight
from the fact that the village of Praskačka has in its
“repertoire“ such an exceptional type of sport and entertainment for people,
asked the present Heidi Janků
for an autograph and some expressed their wish to take picture with her. When
Heidi Janků willingly
consented and began to pose, it was barely possible, for her to do the
conferring of the races again.
Heidi enjoyed the sympathies from foreign and local
viewers. She impressed one of the local viewers
from Praskačka to such an extent that this lady at the end of the racing day
expressed her thanks and
also concern about Heidi’s safe arrival to Prague after such a hard day and also
promised for the next
time to bake delicious cakes.
3 pm was approaching and the racing oval welcomed
firstly the heats of whippets for 300 m.
In three heats Twiggi Invictus, Happy Boy from
Spingbart Gou and Európa Ayort Back ran for laurels of
victory. Three was something to be running for. Apart from splendid races on a
precisely improved track,
representative cups and decorative cloths for winners there were waiting for
the first three placed whippets
naturally the financial prizes too. The prize for the whippet winner was 2,000
CZK, whole prize for the first
three places was in total 3,500 CZK.
V In the fourth race Czech International Derby –
for 300 m the greyhounds-veterans darted along the oval.
The brood-bitch Adah Top Hippolit Star
has started the best and took the first place. For the prize it took
away cup, spat and a Nokia mobile phone from which she can call perhaps her
owner.
In the fifth race of greyhounds-mix Consolation
CGDF Sprint – for 300 m Aerial Dream Hippolit Star
ran for the victory. It carried away material prizes
and a beautiful winner’s cup.
It was
approaching 4.30 pm.
Irish music was graduating, which signified the sixth
race of the day and at the same time the
first final race greyhounds - mix CGDF Sprint – for 300 m.
The material award - a beautiful cup with sculpture
of a greyhound, cloth and a financial prize of 4,000 CZK
was awaiting the winner. This financial sum was after a hard fight taken by
Heartland Narcotic.
Artur Grefina “earned“ 2,000 CZK and Elbony Dancer
1,000 CZK.
In the Czech International Derby Consolation –
greyhounds-mix - for 525 m Andy from Měnany
reaped
laurels by the method of start – finish.
Final Czech International Derby – greyhounds-mix –
for 525 m started at 5.15 pm
This final race was awaited by crowds of impatient viewers.
The betting office was bursting at the seams,
“Bookmaker all the way from Ireland – “Mr Rayen O´Brien“
couldn’t manage to take in viewers bets and therefore he had to be empowered by
a “young assistant”
from New Zealand“.
Sudden silence in the stadium foreshadowed the start of the final race.
A hare was slowly getting into motion.
The final race for the prizes – 18,000 CZK for the first place, 9,000 CZK for
the second place,
and 4,500 CZK for the third place had started.
With a great start from the box no.2 Ato Boldon Grefina came out firstly, and was tightly followed by Vigorous
Carrera (box no.1) and Cooliska Ban (box no. 6)
After passing the 1st curve the placing on the straight was the
following:
first Ato Boldon Grefina, second Vigorous Carrera, third Cooliska Cailin.
However, the last curve decided.
Vigorous Carrera came first to the home straight that held the lead of 17
hundredths of a second all the way
to the finish.
FCI World Champion from Tampere 2004 Cooliska
Cailin – was defeated.
She was beaten by Vigorous Carrera
from Holland in a great time of 32.25 seconds.
Ato Boldon Grefina with a time of 32.42 seconds squeezed tightly in between the
World Champion
and Vigorous Carrera.
The third place, cup and 4,500 CZK were left for the
World Champion.
The owner of the greyhound Ato Boldon
carried off the cup and financial price of 9,000 CZK for the second
place and the owner of the absolute winner – Vigorous Carrera carried off a
beautiful cup with sculpture
of a greyhound and financial prize of 18,000 CZK.
The decoration of the competitors on the winner's
rostrum was accompanied by the flashing of cameras,
hum of the television cameras, clapping and appreciation of the viewers, joy
and smiles of breeders and
trainers. The tears of happiness and joy were shed.
Emotions of all participants were enhanced by the celebratory music by Scottish
bagpiper's group.
Final Derby of whippets followed which
was won by Happy Boy in a track record of 20.02 sec. He carried
off apart from glory and material prizes also 2,000 CZK.
In a consolation race of whippets Federico Brodwinek from Poland has won.
Ceremonial
close of the greyhound races was ended by the President of the Czech Greyhound
Racing
Federation.The moderator and singer Heidi Janků said good bye by a sentence –
see you again next year
on the Czech International Derby 2005.
After that the viewers and the
greyhounds’ owners spread out and set off
for their homes to watch the national domain TV Nova. Reactions that were
clearly heard from surrounding houses, tents or cars confirmed that the
presence of TV Nova cameramen on the coursing wasn’t useless.
In the evening national TV NOVA coverage
- the greyhounds became this
time the Czech celebrities.