Off to the Races

Fans can choose from over 15 race courses to visit throughout the country, known as Dostihové závodiště in Czech. Races kick off in the spring and summer in cities such as Brno, Karlovy Vary, and Most, but the two most celebrated and popular tracks are located near Prague and Pardubice.

The Pardubice race track, located 120km east of Prague, is home to the most storied event of the season, the Velká pardubická. This event has taken place since 1874 and has hosted Hapsburg-era dukes, a wave of dominant and much loathed Soviet riders during communism, several victorious British riders that inspired Czech racing fans, and helped establish one of the racing world’s most legendary jockeys, the timeless Josef Váňa, who first won the race in 1987 and amazingly won it again for three consecutive years in 2009, 2010, and one last time in 2011, at the tender age of 58.

For more information on the race and the Pardubice racing season, including dates and tickets, take a look at the official website in English:

If you are looking for a race near Prague, then the choice is the Velká Chuchle race track, located in the Southwestern part of the city.

The races here, known as flat races, are probably what casual fans expect when they picture a horse racing competition, which is a thrilling sprint around an oval dirt track by the fastest thoroughbred horses around.  
These events are typically favored by bettors, who get a chance to win quickly at several different races throughout the day. Each betting window generally has an attendant that will be able to help you place your bet in English or at least give you some written info in English on how the betting systems work.

• Winner (VÍTĚZ): If a horse has a 3:1 chance to win and you bet 50 CZK on the winner, you earn back 150 CZK
• Win-Place (VÍTĚZ / MÍSTO): You pick two horses, one must win and the other must get #2 or #3 in the race. A win-place earns you more than just picking the winner.
• Combination (Kombinace):
  – Duo (MALÉ POŘADÍ): If you correctly pick the horses that finish #1 and #2, you win a higher amount of money than just picking a winner.
  – Trifecta (VELKÉ POŘADÍ): If you correctly pick the horses that finish #1, #2, and #3 then you can win a seriously substantial amount. 

For more detailed info, go to the betino betting page, which is the official and exclusive betting system for all horse races in the Czech Republic. 

Another great day to attend the races at the Prague race track is with the British Chamber of Commerce annual “Family Day at the Races” held on April 21st. This event features not only an enjoyable afternoon of watching the horses, but offers plenty of activities for mom to enjoy such as wine tasting and a hat fashion competition, as well as lots of fun stuff for the kids to be distracted by such as sumo suits and free balloon animals. Tickets and more info can be found on the BCC website.

The Velká Chuchle track boasts easy access from central Prague by public transport and affordable tickets, particularly if you own a yearlong Prague Open Card, which gets you free admission to every race day. Take a peek at their website for a list of races, regular admission fees, and other info.

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