Best Mate blow for Culloty

Jim Culloty looks like missing Best Mate’s seasonal reappearance after breaking a bone in his thumb in a fall at Exeter.

The Irish-born jockey, who has ridden the nation’s top staying chaser to a hat-trick of victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, faces several weeks on the sidelines.

Culloty had a plate inserted in his hand during an operation last night and is expected to be out until just before Christmas.

That means trainer Henrietta Knight will need to find a jockey for her stable star should Best Mate run in the William Hill Chase at Exeter on November 19.

Culloty sustained the injury when taking a tumble from Only Vintage at the fourth flight in the williamhill.co.uk “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle yesterday.

He was taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and was detained overnight before being allowed to go home this afternoon.

His agent Chris Broad said: “He’s going to be out for a few weeks. It’s a very big blow.

“He’s had an operation on his hand and hopefully he’ll be back just before Christmas.

“He will miss the ride on Best Mate if he runs at Exeter later this month - he won’t be back for that.

“The main thing now is to get him back fit for the big Christmas meetings.

“When they operated they had to put a plate in there because a bit of bone had come away. A horse had trod on his hand and he had an open wound.

“They were going to pin it but when they operated they found it wasn’t as straightforward as they had anticipated.”

The only other rider to have partnered Best Mate in his 19 career outings is Tony McCoy, who finished second on him to Florida Pearl in the 2001 King George VI Chase before going one better the following year when they beat Marlborough.