THE Josef Vana-trained Theophilos provided his trainer with an 11th success in the historic Velka Pardubicka in the Czech Republic last Sunday. It was also the trainer’s second success in the last three runnings following No Time To Lose’s triumph in 2017.

The British David Pipe-trained runner Rathlin Rose finished a gallant sixth after tiring late on up the home straight.

The winner is a nine-year-old by Elusive City and rallied up the run-in after British rider Tom Garner and Stretton had jumped the last in front and briefly looked set for victory, but Josef Bartos got Theophilos to pull out a bit more for a length-and-a-quarter win.

Partnered by James Best, Rathlin Rose, a previous winner of the Grand Military Gold Cup and Royal Artillery Cup, coped well with the demands to the race and was well in touch throughout the four-mile and two-furlong race but in the end found the marathon trip too far and tired before the turn to the final straight.

Best said: “It was great fun and I loved every second of it. It was a step into the unknown as Rathlin Rose had never experienced anything like that before but he enjoyed it and jumped well.

“I tried to follow one or two that were fancied beforehand but going across the last ploughed field probably sapped a bit of energy out of him, jumping from the third to second last I thought we had a chance but he just tired late on up the straight. It was a fantastic experience and hopefully we’ll be back next year.”

Last year’s winner Tzigane Du Berlais and Jan Faltejsek fell at the big Taxi ditch which claimed three others.