Mate simply great in Gold Cup romp

BEST MATE simply lives on a different planet to any other chaser in the universe. That can be the only conclusion, following the total crushing of his rivals in yesterday’s Tote Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

For winning rider, Jim Culloty, the king of Killarney and the king of Cheltenham, it ensured his amazingly successful roller-coaster ride continues unabated. A year ago Culloty piloted Best Mate to a first Gold Cup success and soon followed by landing the Grand National at Aintree aboard Bindaree.

But for the thousands of Irish, particularly Timmy Murphy and Michael Hourigan, it was a case of what might have been. Their Beef Or Salmon made no effort to jump the third fence and crashed out of the contest. Months of planning, months of hoping and praying lost in the Cheltenham turf in a matter of seconds. Hourigan was philosophical.