Mate jockey undecided

Henrietta Knight remains tight-lipped about who will ride Best Mate when the triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner kicks off his campaign at Exeter in November.

With regular pilot Jim Culloty having recently announced his retirement, speculation has been rife about who the lucky jockey will be.

However, the 10-year-old’s trainer maintained that a decision has not been made.

She told At The Races: “It is too early days – Jackie Jenner just rides him every day at home, she knows him very well, and as and when the time comes, we will see who will be able to ride him.

“But at this stage it is too early to say who will be his next partner.”

Best Mate has not raced since his below-par second in the Lexus Chase at Christmas and was pulled out of the Gold Cup having burst a blood vessel on the gallops, although he appears to be thriving as he returns to full training.

Miss Knight added: “He is in very good form and doing some long, steady canters.

“He spends the afternoon in the field and we couldn’t be more pleased with him. We plan to take him to the Haldon Gold Cup on November 1.

“It is a shorter distance than the Gold Cup but he has won the race before and for the first race of the season, I don’t mind running them over a shorter distance when they are not completely wound up because it possibly gives them a bit more chance, and he loves Exeter.”

Best Mate is unbeaten in three visits to the Devon track and strolled to victory in the 2001 renewal of the Haldon Gold Cup.