Mate simply great in Gold Cup romp
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.
"The horse is fine, but what a pity to go out at such an early stage”, he said. "What can you say, that’s racing and there’s always next year.”
Best Mate is surely one of the best Gold Cup winner’s of all time. The fact he is the first to record back-to-back victories since L’Escargot in 1971 speaks for itself. And no rider, not even Tony McCoy, suits this rolls-royce of a horse better.
He was less than impressive, under McCoy, when taking the King George at Kempton at Christmas and Culloty’s quiet style brings the very best out of him. This was a performance which had class stamped all over it. Best Mate hardly touched a twig and lobbed along contentedly in mid-division, until Culloty decided more was required.
Behrajan made a lot of the running, but over six from home it was Best Mate’s stable companion, Chives, who struck the front. Best Mate was soon sauntering in behind and it was only a matter of when he was asked to strike the front. The ice-cool Culloty waited until coming away from the third last and Best Mate answered the call in style. He surged clear in a matter of strides and then bombed across the final two fences to beat Truckers Tavern and Harbour Pilot in the proverbial canter-and by 10 lengths.
Commented Culloty: "They went very fast early on and I was thinking it was going to be a real test of stamina. I was trying to get him switched off and settled. Going to the last ditch I thought I would let him have a quick blow.
"He was up for it and trained to the minute. People asked me if I was nervous and I said I wouldn’t like to be a trainer. Henrietta (Knight, trainer) has had two or three months, I was just nervous for five minutes.
"You just need to think everything through and make sure you are not brought down. He was only a shell of a horse last year and may not come into his prime until next year, when he will be nine.
"It rode a far better race today than last year and this was a better performance. He jumped for fun.”
Knight said: "I came here when Dawn Run won and never thought I would witness such a cheer again. He cantered it. Jim’s ride was immaculate, absolute perfection. When he went to the second last he was going so easily I couldn’t believe it.
"It was unfortunate that Beef Or Salmon fell, but he would had to be very good to win. You won’t see him again until next autumn. We have a choice of going to Exeter or Huntingdon. Then it will be Kempton, before coming back.
"If he gets here next year, like he was this year, nothing will stop him! I was thrilled with Chives as well, he ran a great race. I was very proud of the two of them coming down the hill together. I was under a hell of a lot of pressure, I was almost cracking. He has a brilliant temperament. He’s a trainer’s joy, he eats, sleeps and goes out and does his work.”
Knight’s husband, Terry Biddlecombe, who enjoyed a very moving moment after Best Mate had won, said: "I was very confident all along, the way he has improved. It was just beautiful, the way he jumped the last. I believed in the horse, believed in the jockey and believed in the old girl! Arkle was brilliant and this fellow is as good, or at least we will find out next year.”
Lucky owner, Jim Lewis, remarked: "I’ve got a heart here pounding so much I could beat eggs. History has been made and I just cannot believe it. Henrietta is a weaver of dreams.”
Ferdy Murphy was well pleased with the effort of Truckers Tavern. "He has run a brilliant race and I am sure he would have done better if it had been softer, he is a stone and a half better on soft ground. We shall come back next year and try and beat Best Mate. He is a seriously good horse, the best I have ever had.
"Don’t forget my jockey, Davy Russell. He is a really fine rider with a huge future and I hope I can persuade him to stay with me. He is so good and getting better and I am worried that one of the big southern yards will try and get him to go and ride for them.”
Noel Meade said of Harbour Pilot: "I walked the course this morning and it was in beautiful condition, but I knew it wouldn’t be soft enough for him. He made a few mistakes, but really winged the last three. I will think about running him at Punchestown, but he really needs soft ground.” Paddy Power offered a best-priced 7-2 Best Mate for the 2004 Gold Cup. They were knocked over, however, and quickly shortened him to 5-2. For Best Mate now it is a case of whether he can emulate Arkle and take three Gold Cups in-a-row.
