Best Mate

The horse was owned by Jim Lewis and trained by Henrietta Knight. He was sired by Un Desperado, a French stallion who won the Prix Eugène Adam in 1986.[3]

Best Mate was known for weaving in his stable. He trained alongside Edredon Bleu.[4]

In 2000 a share of 40% was sold to Markus Jooste for the sum of £242,000.

Best Mate ran in an Irish point-to-point at Lismore in February 1999, but was pulled-up.[4] He made a winning debut under Rules in a Cheltenham bumper in November 1999, and followed up by winning a novice hurdle race at Sandown Park, three weeks later. Next, he 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. Best Mate made a winning debut over fences at Exeter in October 2000, followed up in the November Novices' Chase at Cheltenham and completed a treble by winning 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.[5]

Best Mate won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2002, 2003, and 2004 with jockey Jim Culloty, matching the record of Arkle, but was withdrawn from the 2005 race eight days before the event due to bursting a blood vessel on the gallops. He also missed the 2001 festival due to the foot and mouth crisis where he was the favourite for the Arkle Challenge Trophy. He won the 2002 King George VI Chase and the 2003 Ericsson Chase.

Best Mate never fell at a fence or hurdle. Out of 22 starts, he came first in 14 of them and second in seven, the 22nd race being the one he was pulled up in shortly before his death.[5] Of the seven races in which he finished second, five were Group 1 races, and two were Group 2 races. Like Arkle, Best Mate won three successive Cheltenham Gold Cups. 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. He was the first horse to win the Gold Cup more than once since L'Escargot in 1970 and 1971.

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.

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.[6]

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.[7]

There is now a bronze statue in memory of Best Mate near the farm at which he was trained in Lockinge. At the Cheltenham Festival the following year, a statue of Best Mate was revealed. He was made one of the elite 12 on 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.

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]

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• List of racehorses