Mate and Salmon set for Cup clash
A mouth-watering clash between Best Mate and Beef Or Salmon in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup remains on the cards after the pair today figured in a record 49 entries for the race on March 13.
Henrietta Knight’s Best Mate will be bidding to become the first dual winner of chasing’s blue riband for more than 30 years – L’Escargot, successful in 1970 and 1971, was the last horse to win more than one Gold Cup.
Best Mate will also bidding to become the first horse since Desert Orchid in the 1988/89 campaign to win the Pertemps King George VI Chase and Cheltenham showpiece in the same season.
But he will face stiff opposition from Michael Hourigan’s rising young star, who is still a novice but is unbeaten in three starts over fences and was very impressive when taking the Grade One Ericsson Chase on his latest outing.
Beef Or Salmon is one of nine entries from Ireland, which also include last year’s runner-up, the Ted Walsh-trained Commanche Court, his stablemate Rince Ri, last week’s Tramore winner Sackville from the Frances Crowley yard, the JP McManus-owned novice Le Coudray and arguably Ireland’s most popular chaser, the Willie Mullins-trained Florida Pearl.
