Jockey Tom Garner almost made history at the weekend as he came agonisingly close to becoming the first British Jockey to winning the famous Pardubice Steeplechase in Czech Republic on Sunday.

Held in Velka Pardubicka history in the 128th running of the famous steeplechase at Pardubice in the Czech Republic on Sunday.

Riding the Cestmir Olehla-trained Stretton, the former Farmor’s School pupil sent off at a whopping 85-1 on the local tote, Garner looked set to be the first Brit since Charlie Mann in 1995 to win the world famous steeplechase when sending Stretton to the lead jumping the last of the thirty one obstacles.

However, the result of the Velka Pardubicka has changed many times on the run in, and it was to be the case again as the French-bred seven year old Tzigane Du Berlais charged down the centre of the course to take the 5,000,000 Czech Koruna (which is approximately €194,159) contest, in the process giving top jockey Jan Faltejsek his fifth victory in the contest in the last seven years.

Hegnus, who was supplemented for the race, just got the better of Stretton in a photo finish for second.