Mate still likely to go to Kempton
But the Wantage trainer reiterated that the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero would switch to Leopardstown for the Ericsson Chase two days later if the ground at Kempton was firm.
“It all depends on this wretched weather. I think 60 per cent of me would rather go to Kempton because he’s been there before but I don’t want to go there if there’s any danger of it being on the firm side,” said Miss Knight .
“I don’t want to jar him up. We jarred him up the year before last when he was quite stumped up. It took him about six weeks to recover from the race and I don’t want that to happen again.
“I don’t think it will be very soft at Kempton because I don’t think we are going to get that much rain.”
Best Mate finished second to Florida Pearl in the Christmas cracker two years ago but made amends last December when beating Marlborough by one and a half lengths.
He has raced just once since winning a second Gold Cup in March when beaten by Jair du Cochet on soft ground at Huntingdon last month.
“It’s difficult to know. His owner Jim Lewis and I really don’t know which race to go for at the moment because we want to do the right thing for the horse,” she went on.
“We’ve got all the options open. We’ve booked him on the ferry to Ireland which we can cancel if necessary.
“He could still end up at Kempton, I don’t know where he will go.”
Best Mate was put through his paces on the gallops of her Wantage neighbour David Gandolfo yesterday morning.
It had been the intention to work him on Mick Channon’s gallops at West Ilsley but that plan was ditched because of frost.
“He has done a lot of work this morning,” said Knight. He’s as well as ever.”
Meanwhile, Guillaume Macaire has no intention of abandoning his man in the King George.
Macaire saddles rising star Jair Du Cochet in the prestigious contest on Boxing Day.
And he refuses to contemplate deposing regular jockey Jacques Ricou, who has not endeared himself to Britain’s racing fans.
The French trainer described the riding style of Tony McCoy as “like a soldier going to war” and said Ricou had a unique understanding of Jair Du Cochet.
“I know what everyone thinks about Jacques, but he is a French jockey and he rides in French races,” explained Macaire.
“French races over jumps are not run like British races and the style of riding that you need is different.
“Jair Du Cochet has to go at his own speed. He needs to get into a rhythm and Jacques understands him. A British jockey might try to be the boss and he wouldn’t want that.
“Tony McCoy is a jockey I have a lot of respect for. But he rides like a solder going to war, like a man who cannot lose at any cost and who would rather fall at the last than lose by a short head.
“I respect him because there is nothing he wants more than winners and I am the same. But his style does not suit every horse.
“Some of the jockeys who ride in Britain would be more suitable, jockeys like Mick Fitzgerald or Ruby Walsh.
“But it does not matter because Jacques knows the horse better than anyone else and rides him better than anyone else could.”
Elsewhere, French ace Baracouda heads 13 entries for the Cantor Sport Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on Friday week.
Francois Doumen’s star took the three-mile prize in 2000 and 2001, but he was beaten a length by Deano’s Beeno 12 months ago.
Ted Walsh is considering the Grade One contest for Commanche Court, the 2002 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up.
Long Walk Hurdle: Ad Hoc, Baracouda, Beyond Control, Commanche Court, Deano’s Beeno, Jack High, Mr Cool, Rostropovich, Springfield Scally, Teaatral, Therealbandit, Glenmoss Tara, Romany Dream (13).
Rigmarole, a shock 33-1 winner at Cheltenham last month, heads the weights on 11st 12lb for the Ladbroke Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday week.
The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old is among 53 entries for the £100,000 contest over an extended two miles.
The Ditcheat trainer has also put in Sporazene (11st 7lb), who may well have made a winning seasonal reappearance at Newbury but for a last-flight blunder, and Sud Bleu (10st 2lb). The latter was runner-up to Tom Paddington last month, also at Newbury.
Nicky Henderson, who took the prize 12 months ago with Chauvinist, has five possibles in Non So (11st 1lb), Isio (10st 6lb), Regal Exit (10st 5lb), Saintsaire (10st 3lb) and Dancing Bay (9st 12lb).
