A five runner field at Wroclaw in the fifth leg of the Crystal Cup produced a gripping finish as Jan Faltejsek made compensation for narrowly losing out in last weekend’s Velká Pardubická in a neck victory on Molly Power.

Polish-trained Trurl took an early lead, stalked by Molly Power and Laldann, but the field was always bunched up. Britain’s James Best, who has rightly earned a reputation for managing theses types of races in eastern Europe, was tucked in behind, allowing others to make the pace on Irreverencieux, with home-trained Nitro.

This is a course with some occasional tight turns, and the ebullient Trurl, jumping from fence to fence with ears pricked, might have finished closer but for running wide at several of those, but every time he did, and conceded the lead, Paweł Pałczyński sent him on again.

Three out, a handkerchief could have separated them all, Nitro and Irreverencieux challenging Trurl, and Laldann was the first to cry enough. Nitro led over the last, Irreverencieux challenging on the far side, with Faltejsek pushing Molly Power up between horses to gain the advantage 100yds from the post.

This was a welcome fillip for trainer Alžběta Faltejsková, who has just 10 horses in her care at Osinov in the far north-west of the Czech Republic. Her season at home has drawn a blank sheet from seven runners, so this was a welcome scalp.

And although Polish winners do not add to the Czech Jockeys’ Championship, Faltejsek must be fancying his chances of knocking the injured Josef Bartoš off the lead, just two winners adrift.

As to the Crystal Cup standings, the Wroclaw race was a Czech – Poland duopoly, so no real impact, not least as Josef Vana’s second runner, Beau Saonais, was withdrawn.

For full result, click here