Best Mate

Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Best Mate

Statue of Best Mate at Cheltenham

Sire| Un Desperado
Grandsire| Top Ville
Dam| Katday
Damsire| Miller's Mate
Sex| Gelding
Foaled| (1995-01-28)28 January 1995
Died| 1 November 2005(2005-11-01) (aged 10)
Exeter, Devon, England
Country| Ireland
Colour| Bay
Breeder| Jacques Van't Hart
Owner| Jim Lewis
Trainer| Henrietta Knight
Record| 22: 14-7-0
Earnings| £1,022,436
Major wins
Mersey Novices' Hurdle (2000)
November Novices' Chase (2000)
Scilly Isles Novices' Chase (2001)
Haldon Gold Cup (2001)
Cheltenham Gold Cup (2002, 2003, 2004)
Peterborough Chase (2002)
King George VI Chase (2002)
Ericsson Chase (2003)
Awards
British Horse Racing Board's Jump Horse of the Year, Champion Three-Mile Chaser for second year running.
Honours
Statue and Best Mate Enclosure at Cheltenham Racecourse Added to Cheltenham's Hall of Fame at the 2007 meet, along with Desert Orchid
Last updated on 14 February 2007

Best Mate (28 January 1995 - 1 November 2005) was an Irish-bred, English-trained racehorse and three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was a popular horse, and his sudden death while racing made front-page news.

## Background

[edit]

Best Mate was a bay gelding. He was foaled on 28 January 1995. His French sire, Un Desperado, won the Prix Eugène Adam in 1986.[1] His dam, Katday, had raced on the flat and been bought by breeder Jacques Van't Hart for 1,250 Irish guineas. As a yearling, Best Mate was bought by bloodstock agent Tony Costello for 2,500 Irish guineas. He was pulled up in his first point-to-point in Ireland in February 1999. After his first win, he was purchased by Terry Biddlecombe and trainer Henrietta Knight for owner Jim Lewis.[2] He went into training at Knight's yard in West Lockinge, Oxfordshire.[3]

## Racing career

[edit]

Best Mate made a winning debut under Rules in a Cheltenham bumper in November 1999, and three weeks later won a novice hurdle race at Sandown Park. He then finished runner-up over hurdles twice, including the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, before winning the April 2000 running of the Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree. He won his first race over fences at Exeter in October 2000, following it up with a win in the November Novices' Chase at Cheltenham and completing a treble with a win in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase in February 2001. On his final hurdle race, Best Mate was runner-up to Barton in the 2001 Aintree Hurdle.[1]

Best Mate was favourite to win the Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham in 2001, but the festival was cancelled due to the foot and mouth outbreak. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2002, 2003, and 2004 with jockey Jim Culloty. In 2003 he became the first horse to win the Gold Cup more than once since L'Escargot in 1970 and 1971, and in 2004 he became the first horse since Arkle in 1964-1966 to win three times. He was withdrawn from the 2005 race eight days before the event, having to burst a blood vessel on the gallops. He also won the 2002 King George VI Chase and the 2003 Ericsson Chase.

Best Mate never fell at a fence or hurdle. He came first or second in all his 22 starts, except for his final race when he was pulled up before his collapse and death. His victories included six Grade 1 races and four Grade 2 races, while he came second in five Grade 1 races and two Grade 2 races.[1] He ran in one handicap chase (2001/2002 First National Gold Cup), where he failed by 1/2 length to give 20 lbs to Wahiba Sands.

Best Mate was known for weaving in his box and was turned out every day with stable-mate Edredon Bleu. A popular horse, he used to receive fan mail at his yard and visitors flocked to see him on open days.[2]

## Death

[edit]

Best Mate at his last race shortly before his death on 1 November 2005

Best Mate collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack after being pulled up by jockey Paul Carberry whilst competing in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter Racecourse on 1 November 2005. After the jockey dismounted, the horse stumbled and went onto his knees. Best Mate's death was national news, with headlines including Who can fill the void left by Best Mate?, Best Mate leaves golden memories after giving his all for final time, Heartbreak at Exeter as Best Mate collapses and dies and Perfect horse Best Mate dies at trainer's feet.

Culloty, who had ridden Best Mate in 18 of his 22 starts, paid tribute to him: "The fact he was as good as he was, as honest as he was, and as consistent as he was, was why the public came to love him and deservedly so".[4]

Government regulations prevented the burial of his body on the Exeter course as Lewis and many racing fans desired. Instead Best Mate was cremated, and his ashes were buried beside the winning post at Cheltenham Racecourse on 10 December 2005. Lewis was in attendance even though his wife, Valerie, had died on 8 December after a 7-month battle against cancer.[5]

## Assessment and honours

[edit]

The highest Timeform rating for Arkle was 212, while Best Mate's highest rating was 182. Timeform themselves felt that Best Mate's rating could have been higher if he had raced in more handicaps.[6]

There is a bronze statue in memory of Best Mate near the farm at which he was trained and another at Cheltenham Racecourse.[2] He inducted into the Cheltenham Hall of Fame in March 2007. In a DVD about him, Alastair Down narrates:

> A horse, up a gallop. But not just any horse. This one, a three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, and in the process of establishing his pre-eminence, became one of those rare animals who get under our skin, and graduate to being public property. Many promise, but few deliver as Best Mate did.[7]

The Best Mate Chase is a feature race at Exeter Racecourse in October and the race day is known as Best Mate Chase Day.[8] A memorial to Best Mate stands outside the Exeter weighing room.[9]

## Pedigree

[edit]

Pedigree of Best Mate (IRE), bay gelding, 1995[10] Sire
Un Desperado (FR)
1983  | Top Ville (IRE)
1976  | High Top | Derring-Do

|
|
|

Camenae
Sega Ville  | Charlottesville
La Sega
White Lightning (FR)
1970  | Baldric | Round Table
Two Cities
Rough Sea  | Herbager
Sea Nymph
Dam
Katday (FR)
1987  | Miller's Mate (GB)
1982  | Mill Reef | Never Bend
Milan Mill
Primatie  | Vaguely Noble
Pistol Packer
Kanara (FR)
1973  | Hauban  | Sicambre
Hygie
Alika  | Auriban
Pretty Lady (Family: 1-e)

## See also

[edit]

* Repeat winners of horse races
* List of racehorses

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Best Mate | Race Record & Form". Racing Post. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
2. ^ a b c Redrup, Gemma (10 March 2023). "Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes: Best Mate – 'We used to get piles of letters and cards for him sent by fans'". Horse & Hound. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
3. ^ "Always wondered what Henrietta Knight's yard was like? Take a look around". Horse & Hound. 29 September 2016.
4. ^ "Best Mate dies at Exeter". BBC. 8 November 2005.
5. ^ "Mate's ashes laid at Cheltenham". BBC. 10 December 2005.
6. ^ "Racing: Best Mate to tread familiar path in quest for hat-trick". The Independent. 15 March 2003. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
7. ^ Best Mate - the Icon (DVD). Duke Video. 2005.
8. ^ Wells, Simon (22 April 2022). "The biggest race meetings at Exeter Racecourse in 2022". The Exeter Daily. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
9. ^ "Best Mate Chase Day". The Jockey Club. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
10. ^ "Best Mate pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2013.

* v
* t
* e

Cheltenham Gold Cup winners

* 1924 Red Splash
* 1925 Ballinode
* 1926 Koko
* 1927 Thrown In
* 1928 Patron Saint
* 1929 Easter Hero
* 1930 Easter Hero
* 1931 no race
* 1932 Golden Miller
* 1933 Golden Miller
* 1934 Golden Miller
* 1935 Golden Miller
* 1936 Golden Miller
* 1937 no race
* 1938 Morse Code
* 1939 Brendan's Cottage
* 1940 Roman Hackle
* 1941 Poet Prince
* 1942 Medoc II
* 1943 no race
* 1944 no race
* 1945 Red Rower
* 1946 Prince Regent
* 1947 Fortina
* 1948 Cottage Rake
* 1949 Cottage Rake
* 1950 Cottage Rake
* 1951 Silver Fame
* 1952 Mont Tremblant
* 1953 Knock Hard
* 1954 Four Ten
* 1955 Gay Donald
* 1956 Limber Hill
* 1957 Linwell
* 1958 Kerstin
* 1959 Roddy Owen
* 1960 Pas Seul
* 1961 Saffron Tartan
* 1962 Mandarin
* 1963 Mill House
* 1964 Arkle
* 1965 Arkle
* 1966 Arkle
* 1967 Woodland Venture
* 1968 Fort Leney
* 1969 What a Myth
* 1970 L'Escargot
* 1971 L'Escargot
* 1972 Glencaraig Lady
* 1973 The Dikler
* 1974 Captain Christy
* 1975 Ten Up
* 1976 Royal Frolic
* 1977 Davy Lad
* 1978 Midnight Court
* 1979 Alverton
* 1980 Master Smudge
* 1981 Little Owl
* 1982 Silver Buck
* 1983 Bregawn
* 1984 Burrough Hill Lad
* 1985 Forgive 'n Forget
* 1986 Dawn Run
* 1987 The Thinker
* 1988 Charter Party
* 1989 Desert Orchid
* 1990 Norton's Coin
* 1991 Garrison Savannah
* 1992 Cool Ground
* 1993 Jodami
* 1994 The Fellow
* 1995 Master Oats
* 1996 Imperial Call
* 1997 Mr Mulligan
* 1998 Cool Dawn
* 1999 See More Business
* 2000 Looks Like Trouble
* 2001 no race
* 2002 Best Mate
* 2003 Best Mate
* 2004 Best Mate
* 2005 Kicking King
* 2006 War Of Attrition
* 2007 Kauto Star
* 2008 Denman
* 2009 Kauto Star
* 2010 Imperial Commander
* 2011 Long Run
* 2012 Synchronised
* 2013 Bobs Worth
* 2014 Lord Windermere
* 2015 Coneygree
* 2016 Don Cossack
* 2017 Sizing John
* 2018 Native River
* 2019 Al Boum Photo
* 2020 Al Boum Photo
* 2021 Minella Indo
* 2022 A Plus Tard
* 2023 Galopin Des Champs
* 2024 Galopin Des Champs

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