On Sunday Warsaw’s racing crowd gathered at Tor Służewiec for the 113th Wielka Warszawska, the city’s best-known horse race. When the field of 17 horses reached the finish, it was three-year-old Tardar who had claimed the day’s biggest prize.
The bay colt, trained by Alicja Karkosa and ridden by French jockey Marvin Grandin, completed the 2,600-metre course in 2:44.6. He finished 1.1 lengths ahead of four-year-old Zuckerhut, with Time for the Star taking third.
For Grandin, the decisive moment came late in the race.
“We owe the victory in Warsaw to a brilliant finish, supported by good pace management over the distance,” said Marvin Grandin at the finish.
Tardar’s win earned his connections PLN 260,000 from a total prize fund of PLN 520,000. Bold, Cheeky Boy, Iowntheball, Portal and Bella Antonella completed the next places on the result sheet.
A big day at Służewiec
The Wielka Warszawska has long been one of those dates that brings together different sides of Warsaw. There is the racing itself, of course, but also the occasion around it, from the crowds at the course to the hats and outfits inspired by the city's interwar years.
This year's field reflected the increasingly international character of the race, with horses from Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, France and Hungary taking part.
The race was won through a combination of pace, stamina and positioning over the 2,600-metre distance. Since 2023, the Wielka Warszawska has held Listed status within the European Pattern Race system.
For trainer Alicja Karkosa, the result was accompanied by the particular tension that comes with preparing a horse for a race of this importance.
“Every win is a joy. The emotions that come with it are impossible to describe. Especially during saddling, when the horse senses our emotions,” she said.
A race with a long Warsaw history
The story of the Wielka Warszawska began in 1895, when Count August Potocki established the race at the Mokotów Field. It was inspired by the Grand Prix de Paris and soon became an important fixture in Polish racing.
Służewiec has been its home for more than 80 years. The 2026 running was the 113th edition overall and the 81st held at the racecourse.
Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski, honorary patron of this year's event, presented the trophy and prizes to the winners.
“The Wielka Warszawska is much more than a horse race. Here, you can feel the atmosphere of pre-war Warsaw, which continues to inspire artists and creators to this day. It is this remarkable mixture of history and modernity that gives the Wielka Warszawska such a special place in the city's calendar,” said Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw.
Warsaw Uprising veterans were also among the special and honorary guests at Służewiec, continuing another tradition associated with the event.
From the racecourse to the city's history
The connection between the Wielka Warszawska and Warsaw's past has also been explored in the Niematerialna Warszawa documentary series.
Barbara Bossak-Herbst and Mateusz Szlachtycz's film takes viewers behind the scenes at Służewiec, looking at the people, customs and atmosphere surrounding the races. Marek Siudym, actor, riding instructor and horse enthusiast, acts as narrator and guide.
That combination of racing, fashion, old traditions and the setting itself is part of what has kept the Wielka Warszawska on Warsaw's calendar for generations.
This year's chapter belongs to Tardar, Marvin Grandin and Alicja Karkosa. Their names will now join a long list of winners associated with one of the capital's most enduring sporting traditions.
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Source: Tor Służewiec, Warsaw City Council