Best Mate
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Sire:	Un Desperado
Dam:	Katday
Damsire:	Miller's Mate
Sex:	Gelding
Foaled:	January 28th 1995
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 Racing Wins & Honours & Awards
Major Racing Wins
Mersey Novices' Hurdle (2000) November Novices' Steeple 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)
Racing 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 the 2007 meet, along with Desert Orchid
Infobox last updated on: February 14, 2007. Image File history File links Photo_needed. ... A gelding is a castrated animal—in English, a castrated male horse. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... A blood bay horse. ... Jim Lewis is a British racehorse owner, particularly noted for being the owner of thrice Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate and also Edredon Bleu. ... Henrietta Catherine Knight (b. ... The Mersey Novices Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in the United Kingdom for four-year-old and above novices run over a distance of 2 miles 4 furlongs (4,023 metres) at Aintree Racecourse during the Grand National meeting in early April. ... The Scilly Isles Novices Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom for five-year-old and above novices run over a distance of 2 miles 4½ furlongs (4,124 metres) at Sandown Park in early February. ... The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the foremost Chase in the United Kingdom, run at Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. ... The King George VI Chase is a United Kingdom National Hunt horse race for five-year-old and above horses run over a distance of 3 miles at Kempton Park Racecourse on Boxing Day. ... Cheltenham Racecourse is located in Cheltenham, England. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Best Mate (bay gelding, 28 January 1995 - 1 November 2005. Sire: Un Desperado, Dam: Katday) was a famous English trained racehorse and three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was considered and treated as one of the most loved horses in the history of horse racing, with his sudden death while racing coming as a great shock and cause for mourning amongst millions of people after pictures of his last moments were front page news. is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Father with child For other uses, see Father (disambiguation). ... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the foremost Chase in the United Kingdom, run at Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. ...

The horse was owned by Jim Lewis and trained by Henrietta Knight. Jim Lewis is a British racehorse owner, particularly noted for being the owner of thrice Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate and also Edredon Bleu. ... Henrietta Catherine Knight (b. ...

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 just eight days before the race itself having burst a blood vessel on the gallops. He also missed the 2001 festival due to the foot and mouth crisis where he was the hot favourite for the Arkle Challenge Trophy. He also won the 2002 King George VI Chase and the 2003 Ericsson Chase. Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Arkle (19 April 1957 - 31 May 1970) was a famous Irish race horse. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Arkle Challenge Trophy is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in the United Kingdom for five-year-old and above novices run over a distance of 2 miles (3,219 metres) on the Old Course at Cheltenham Racecourse during the Cheltenham Festival in March. ... The King George VI Chase is a United Kingdom National Hunt horse race for five-year-old and above horses run over a distance of 3 miles at Kempton Park Racecourse on Boxing Day. ...

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 November 1, 2005. After the jockey had dismounted, the horse stumbled and went onto his knees. The screens went up, and there was not a pair of dry eyes in sight, not even when another horse Henrietta trains, Racing Demon, won the following race after the tragedy. Best Mate's death was immediately headline news, with his last moments being enlarged and viewed on newspapers all over the country. Headlines included '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'. Exeter Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in the town of Exeter, Devon. ...

Out of all of his races, Best Mate was never out of the first two, as well as never falling at a fence or hurdle. Out of the 22 starts that Best Mate ran in, he came first in 14 of them, and second in the other seven, the 22nd race being the one he was pulled up in shortly before his death. Of the seven races in which he finished second in, five were Group 1 races, and two were Group 2 races. There will always be inevitable comparisons with Arkle because of their three successive Cheltenham Gold Cup wins. However, 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'd raced in more handicaps.[1] It is known Best Mate was very ill when a foal at one point, and due to this his owner and trainer were always very careful not to overdo it with him. Best Mate's career was different from Arkle's in this respect, so the two cannot be compared. Clearly Hen Knight knew her star chaser better than most and campaigned him appropriately, hence the three Gold Cup wins. She did not run him in many handicaps, which shows she cared a lot about his health and wanted to save him for his gold cups. He ran in one handicap chase (2001/2002 First National Gold Cup) where he failed only just by 1/2 length to give 20lbs to the decent Wahiba Sands. Best Mate was the first horse to win the Gold Cup more than once since L'Escargot in 1970 and 1971. As such it was a great performance by horse, trainer and rider. Arkle (19 April 1957 - 31 May 1970) was a famous Irish race horse. ... The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the foremost Chase in the United Kingdom, run at Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. ... Timeform publications Timeform Publications is a publishing company in Halifax, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom founded in 1948 to provide information to fans, bettors, and others involved in the horse racing industry. ...

EU 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 buried beside the winning post at Cheltenham Racecourse on December 10, 2005. Lewis was in attendance even though his wife, Valerie, had died on December 8 after a 7 month battle against cancer. Cheltenham Racecourse is located in Cheltenham, England. ...

[2] There is now a bronze statue in memory to Best Mate near the farm at which he was trained, in Lockinge.

Best Mate has two full brothers currently racing (Cornish Rebel and Inca Trail). Ironically, these two horses are very talented but are quirky and don't have Best Mate's stunning qualities. Jim Lewis quite expected Best Mate to be quirky, but he had none of it in him, just talent and beauty.

At the Cheltenham Festival the following year, a statue of Best Mate was revealed, to remember this great horse, who shall never be forgotten by his public. He has even had a DVD produced all about him, and like 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-eminance, 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 Cheltenham Festival is the most prestigious meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom and has race prize money second only to the Grand National. ...

And few will ever deliver as Best Mate did. A few other horses may have won more races and appeared tougher, but Best Mate had heart, never finishing out of the first two in his life. He put his heart into racing so much that it eventually failed him, and gave out in his 22nd start, which was the tragic end to the life of this wonderful, breathtaking horse. Many argue all owners including Jim Lewis would say Arkle was still the better of the two, and many claim they should not even be compared, but Jim Lewis' words after his Matey's death were that 'He(Best Mate)'ll be up there now, taking on Arkle, and he'll probably beat him!' Best Mate was also made one of the elite 12 on the Cheltenham Hall of Fame in March of 2007.

And as for the burning question of 'Who can fill the void left by Best Mate?', we may well have to wait another 40 years to see anything come close!

R.I.P to this magnificent horse who shall never be forgotten for his contributions to racing.

See also

• Repeat winners of horse races

A list of racehorses which have won the same race on three or more occasions. ...

References

• Times obituary
• Best Mate's pedigree and partial racing stats
• Best Mate's Cheltenham Gold Cup Results