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
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. He went into training at Knight's yard in West Lockinge, Oxfordshire.
Racing career
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. 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 He was withdrawn from the 2005 race eight days before the event, having burst a blood vessel on the gallops.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. 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.
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.
Assessment and honours
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.
There is a bronze statue in memory of Best Mate near the farm at which he was trained and another at Cheltenham Racecourse.
The Best Mate Chase is a feature race at Exeter Racecourse in October and the race day is known as Best Mate Chase Day. A memorial to Best Mate stands outside the Exeter weighing room.
Pedigree
See also
- Repeat winners of horse races
- List of racehorses