WEEKEND PHOTOS: Vespas in Prague, Czech Derby, and Metronome Festival

On Saturday morning, 419 Vespa and Piaggio vehicles, mostly from Italy, rode through Prague as part of the 12th PragoVespa meeting organized by the Vespa Club Prague and the Vespa representative office in the Czech Republic. According to event spokeswoman Andrea Kloučková, this year's turnout was slightly lower than last year's.

The fun ride, which began at 2 p.m. from the HG Sports Center Troja near the Vltava, included a single-track convoy passing through Wenceslas Square. Other activities included a skills competition, a charity calendar christening, and an auction of photos, with proceeds going to the Kapka naděje foundation fund. Participants from all over the world, including Trieste, Italy, were in attendance. The event also featured concerts and traditional evening and night rides.

From June 20-22, Metronome Prague 2024 saw a lineup of over 70 artists, including popular electronic music acts such as Kosheen, The Blaze, Marc Rebillet, Meute, and Vitalic, perform on four stages at the Prague Exhibition Grounds.

Headliners like Raye, Michael Kiwanuka, Milky Chance, and Dadi Freyr also performed at the annual festival.

Electronic music dominated the festival's main stage and electro stage, as it has been a popular genre among attendees since the festival's inception. According to Risto Sokolovski, DJ at Metronome Prague 2024, electronic music has always been a fan favorite, capable of getting the crowd moving.

French electronic duo The Blaze delivered an audiovisual spectacle on the main stage on Saturday, while the electro stage featured a mix of electronic and live music from Art School Girlfriend. 

In an exciting finish, British jockey Richard Kingscot and his horse Naughty Peter emerged victorious in the 104th Czech Derby, the most prestigious flat race in the Czech Republic. Despite a rocky start where the horse almost threw him off, Kingscot was able to guide Naughty Peter to victory, beating out Tomáš Lukášek and Gabon by a neck.

The Czech Derby, also known as the "Blue Ribbon" due to the characteristic decoration awarded to the winner, is a 2,400-meter race for three-year-old horses. It is the highlight of the flat racing season and takes place every June at the Prague-Velká Chuchla racecourse.

The Czechoslovak Jockey Club, now known as the Jockey Club of the Czech Republic, was established in 1919 with the goal of restoring domestic breeding and racing operations that were severely impacted by World War I.