Mate team looking at number four

Best Mate is a top-priced 9-4 with Coral to land a fourth tote sport Cheltenham Gold Cup after emulating the mighty Arkle with a third victory in the great race yesterday.

Henrietta Knight’s champion wowed his adoring public with a heroic display as he fought tooth and nail for his place in the history books.

He gave his all under Jim Culloty to hold the determined challenges of Sir Rembrandt and Harbour Pilot.

“Everyone keeps telling me I ought to run him more often, but horses only have limited mileage and you can’t go to the well too often,” said Ms Knight.

“Why should we run him in handicaps? What have we got to prove? Arkle was a great horse and Best Mate is a very good horse – he’s the best there is.

“He’s won three Gold Cups and he’ll be back next year to try and make it four.”

Best Mate’s success prompted a stampede as race goers flocked to the winner’s enclosure to welcome home the superstar. It was nothing less than the nine-year-old deserved.

Thierry Doumen on First Gold set out to sort the men from the boys in the early stages as he cut out a gallop which seemed to go faster as the race went on.

The likes of Truckers Tavern, Irish Hussar and novice Therealbandit were unable to get into contention, the last-named’s chance being hindered by some messy jumping.

As First Gold started to tire, the pack closed in around the home turn with Best Mate, who had not touched a twig, going strongly on the inside rail.

But just when Culloty needed running room there was none, Paul Carberry on Harbour Pilot hemming Best Mate in behind First Gold around the bend and costing the winner important momentum as he momentarily lost his footing.

Culloty, however, remained cool.

With a flick of the reins, he switched Best Mate around the outside of Harbour Pilot and finding exactly the stride he needed, went into the lead in mid-air over the second-last fence.

Still the race was not over as Harbour Pilot and Carberry refused to go down without a fight and tried to regain the advantage.

Realising that now was not the time for heroics, Culloty chose to change tactics, kept it short and simple over the last, and asked his mount for everything on the run-in.

Now it was the turn of Sir Rembrandt to make his challenge as he gained ground all the way to the line under Andrew Thornton.

But this was not a dream that was about to be shattered and the winning post came half a length in time for the 8-11 favourite.

The celebrations, led by Best Mate’s charming owner Jim Lewis, started straight away.

Sir Rembrandt (33-1), running the race of his life, finished a further length and a quarter ahead of 20-1 chance Harbour Pilot, who was third for the second year running.

Beef Or Salmon ran a fine race to finish on the heels of the front three without ever getting in a blow, with First Gold far from disgraced in fifth.

“It is an immense relief,” said Ms Knight. “Just listen to the crowd – this is a horse who has been taken over by the country and I couldn’t bear the thought of letting everybody down.

“I just feel so drained by it all. The pressure was unbelievable, and now it’s over.

“He is such a tough horse, so competitive, and Jim gave him such a tremendous ride. He was a really cool customer out there.”

Rain throughout the day had only served to raise Knight’s fears, she admitted.

“I went out to walk the course after the Triumph because it had looked softer than I had been expecting,” she said.

“Terry (Biddlecombe) and I agreed that there was a strip on the inside - about two horse-widths – that was quicker because it was fresh ground, and we knew that was where we had to go.

“But it hardly helped to calm my nerves.

Culloty had tried to put any pressure he felt to the back of his mind.

“People kept telling me about how we were going to make history, but ‘history is history’, I kept thinking to myself,” said the jockey.

“The ground was softer than ideal but it went perfectly most of the way.

“It looked like I was going well before two out but I knew I was only all right, and that I was never going to sprout wings.

“I wanted a run around the bend, but Paul (Carberry) held me in, which he was entitled to do.

“When I got a run he picked up brilliantly and jumped into the lead. Then coming to the last I just wanted him to pop it. As we all know, it’s better to do that than go for a big one when it isn’t there and turn over.

“He wasn’t stopping on the run-in, no more than you would expect after three miles in soft ground.

“We knew he had all the class and the ability, but what he showed today was that he has got sheer guts – he’s got the bottle as well.”

Lucky owner Jim Lewis revealed that his lucky overcoat only arrived at the track with 20 minutes to spare after he accidentally wore the wrong one to the races.

“I was ready to lose today and it will happen one day, but Jim got out of jail and our dream lives on for a bit longer,” he said.

Trainer Robert Alner said of Sir Rembrandt: “That’s by far and away his best performance. To finish within half a length in a truly-run race was far more than I expected.”

Noel Meade, trainer of Harbour Pilot, who finished third last year, said: “I am disappointed that we have been beaten, but I am very happy with him.

“Paul said he thought he might win going to the last, but the winner is obviously a very good horse.”

Of the incident when he squeezed up Best Mate, Carberry added: “Jim was coming on the inside. I saw him coming and he was trying to push me off.

“This is a Gold Cup, not a maiden hurdle. You don’t give too much leeway in a race like that.”