The 16th Great Steeple Chase of Europe, group 1, will be staged on Sunday in Maia, in a short edition but animated by five actors who all have a good reason to be there: First of All is the title holder and returns from further success captured in the Merano Alto Adige Grand Prix which consecrated him as the strongest active steepler on the Italian slopes. Jiri Charvat’s chestnut is, with Jan Faltejsek in the saddle, the inevitable favorite of the Grande Steeple. Joseph Aichner and Josef Vana Jr try the match again with the Gangster de Coddes-L’Estran pair: the former, entrusted to Josef Bartos, was second to First of All in this test last year then fell to Merano. He returned victorious in good style over Ballinsco in the preparation list, he is in full maturity and challenges his great opponent again.
For the first time, Josef Bartos leaves the riding of L’Estran to Jan Kratochvil: the legendary graduate of four consecutive editions of Merano Alto Adige is today, at 11 years old, a mystery to be solved on the pitch: will it still be “him” or is it the moment when age makes itself felt? The answer is Sunday. The 2023 Grand Prix saw Ocean Life follow with the highest honor First of All and the chestnut of the Kartus team. Wroblewski takes the field accompanied by the trust of his coach, on the basis of the excellent test performed on the hedges on May 12th in Maia, in which he seriously challenged the champion Mauricius. Ocean Life will team up again with Gaetano Volpe. Ballinsco completes the field thanks to the golden regularity of the subject that always gives its line: Marco Luigi Biffi’s chestnut (Gabriele Agus riding for Raffaele Romano’s training) remains in two places of honor behind the “Aichner” Ches Demonmirail ( absent from this Grande Steeple) and Gangster de Coddes. And he awaits his big day.
Supporting the highlight of the season is the Premio Ezio Vanoni, a group 2 steeple now reserved for only 4 years old: if at the start it was a very subtle match in the narrow lines between the pair Aichner Krokodile Dundee-Sopran Leger (the latter graduated from Pisa important Neni Award from Zara), the Favero couple Island King- Na Scoitear, and Pan de Azucar by Rolando Facchin, with Master of Art by Remo and Raffele Romano in the role of big surprise.
Two steeplechase trials for 4-year-olds and seniors and the usual two “flats” for riders and riders well-stocked with starters complete the programme.
The racecourse gates will open at midday. At 1.30pm the guided tour, and at 2.30pm the first ride. Restaurant, pastry bar, ice cream shop, champagne shop and ponies for children in operation. Live music by Daniela Bavetta and Lele Poletti in the outdoor lounge between the two stands.
