Carberry handed ride on Best Mate

PAUL CARBERRY is to become the fourth jockey to ride Best Mate when the triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner makes his long-awaited reappearance at Exeter tomorrow.

Following the retirement of Jim Culloty, owner Jim Lewis and trainer Henrietta Knight had originally hoped Timmy Murphy would be free to partner the ten-year-old in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup.

Tony McCoy has ridden Best Mate before, but Murphy was the preferred option having taken him to victory at the Devon track last year in the William Hill Chase, but he is set to be claimed by his retaining owner David Johnson.