Historic Velka Pardubicka ends in first ever dead-heat with nothing to split Sexy Lord and Godfrey

For the first time in its history, one of Europe's most idiosyncratic races, the Velka Pardubicka, ended in a dead-heat with nothing to split local challengers Sexy Lord and Godfrey following a dramatic photo-finish.

Both sets of connections faced an agonisingly long wait before learning they would share the spoils, with Godfrey just doing enough in the closing stages under the now seven-time winner Jan Faltejsek.

The eight-year-old provided trainer Dalibor Torok with his breakthrough win in the race, while it was a second success for Sexy Lord's trainer Martina Ruzickova, who first struck in 2016 with Charme Look. For Sexy Lord's rider Jaroslav Myska, it was a first triumph in a contest inaugurated in 1874.

Hopes were high for a first foreign-trained winner of the race since Its A Snip in 1995 but Aintree regular Coko Beach, who was travelling well until the fourth-last, and Streets Of Doyen unseated their riders.

James Best finished tenth of ten finishers aboard the Slovak-trained Zataro, while Jeremy Pass, previously trained by Paul Nicholls and Sam Curling, was pulled up for US trainer Joe Davies.

Dulcar De Sivola was third, ahead of Star, while 2021 winner Talent, the only former winner in the 16-runner field, claimed fifth.

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