As we build-up to Cheltenham Festival week (11–14 March), we take a look back at fan favourite, Best Mate, who won three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups.

Best Mate established a level of pre-eminence in racing that remains untouchable. He delivered every time his hooves touched a racecourse. His form is something
to be marvelled at – from 22 starts under Rules, he finished in the top two in every race bar one, and never fell.

It was his longevity as a National Hunt superstar that meant people yearned to see him
in the flesh, flocking to Cheltenham to watch him. He became the first horse since Arkle to win three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups – in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Known to be a weaver in his stable, Best Mate was turned out each day with Edredon Bleu, who also raced in the late Jim Lewis’s blue and maroon striped silks – inspired by the owner’s favourite football club, Aston Villa.

“I’m a big believer in turning horses 
out come rain or shine,” says his trainer Henrietta Knight. “Best Mate was always in charge and bossed Edredon Bleu around. If he’d been a child at school, he would have been the cheeky, arrogant child in class.”

There was one thing Best Mate did not like, however, and that was soft ground.

“I’m not sure he would have won three consecutive Gold Cups if the ground had been on the soft side,” muses Knight. “In that ground, he couldn’t show off his full ability and he didn’t like having to pull his feet out of mud.”

Luckily for Best Mate and all concerned, the ground was officially “good” on all three of his Gold Cup glory days. Perhaps some things are just meant to be.

“Best Mate was unbeatable, unless in soft ground, and even then he finished second,” adds his regular jockey Jim Culloty. “He was the most beautifully balanced horse to ride. When the ground suited him, he could stand off a fence from outside of the wings, but in the wrong ground you could just tell he hated it.

“I would get him into a rhythm and let him lob away during a race, he had such a high cruising speed. He’d come alive at the races and I always knew I was riding the best horse.”

Knight admits the first Gold Cup victory in 2002 was a surprise, but that “[her late husband] Terry [Biddlecombe] always had confidence in him”. By the time the National Hunt specialist lined up for his third consecutive Gold Cup, he had a legion of fans gunning for him.

“Back then, emails and mobiles weren’t such a thing, so we used to get piles of letters and cards for him sent by fans,” remembers Knight. “We would have people turning 
up at the yard wanting to see him in his 
stable, and we held an open day especially for him, so many fans packed in to see him – he was so popular.”

With his rise in popularity came a media storm and increased pressure for all his connections. His final Gold Cup was undoubtedly his most dramatic, and many will remember the emotional embrace between Knight and Biddlecombe in the aftermath.

During the race, Best Mate and Culloty got boxed in by rivals on the inside rail. A wave of panic trembled among spectators and could be heard in the TV commentator’s voice. However, a superb jump at the second last earned him the lead and he battled up the famous Cheltenham hill in front.

“Winning on a horse of Best Mate’s calibre, you just feel relieved crossing the line that you haven’t gone and messed it up,” says Culloty.

In Horse & Hound’s 2004 Cheltenham Gold Cup report, racing reporter Tim Richards summed it up by writing: “In addition to his quick, economical jumping and effortless gallop, Best Mate showed another element – that of the mean street fighter to get himself out of a corner after being boxed in by Paul Carberry on Harbour Pilot from four fences out.

“His thousands of fans had their hearts in their mouths when there appeared to be nowhere to go with first Harbour Pilot and then Sir Rembrandt keeping him in check against the rails. But Best Mate is no softy and he dug deep for Jim Culloty after being switched between horses. Once the second last was in range, he winged it.”

And it wasn’t just Cheltenham where Best Mate raced into the history books – he also claimed the stakes in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day in 2002, under champion jockey AP McCoy.

Best Mate’s early years

Best Mate’s story began across the Irish Sea, when his breeder Jacques van’t Hart purchased Flat mare Katday for 1,250 Irish guineas. It was the start of a road to three-time Gold Cup glory for the breeder and the creation of a National Hunt icon.

Katday was put to stallion Un Desperado and on 28 January 1995, a bay colt was born near Trim in Co Meath. He was sold as a foal at the Tattersalls (Ireland) November Sale at Fairyhouse in 1996. The renowned late bloodstock agent and horse dealer Tom Costello snapped up the foal for 2,500gns.

It was one of Costello’s then young sons who played a part in choosing the very apt name “Best Mate”. Having been nurtured at the Costello yard, Best Mate made his debut in a point-to-point at Lismore in February 1999 and it was here that Knight and Biddlecombe first saw “Matey” during a visit to Ireland.

“We liked Best Mate in the paddock beforehand and Terry, in particular, had really taken to him,” recalls Knight. “When Best Mate pulled up in that race, Terry said, ‘We should buy that horse.’ However, Tom wouldn’t sell until he’d won, so we waited.”

The couple returned to watch Best Mate win a two-runner race. This time their offer was accepted and they purchased him for owner Jim Lewis.

“Best Mate was always a top-class, 
natural jumper,” says Knight. “I never worried in a race that he would fall – he just 
never got it wrong – and he was always straightforward to train.”

Culloty partnered Best Mate in all but four of his races.

“I first sat on Best Mate at Hen’s yard,” remembers Culloty. “He was a goofy four-year-old with big ears, but had a lovely way of going from the start – 
he was a nice, pliable horse.”

Best Mate made his debut under Rules at the very place that would become synonymous with his name – a bumper at Cheltenham in 1999, which he duly won.

“Jim had a great relationship with Matey,” adds Knight. “They just seemed to trust each other and Jim always sat quiet on him during a race.”

With every run, Best Mate kept on improving. He found his way under the skin of racing fans and never let the punters down, finishing second if he didn’t win.

“You just couldn’t fault him on conformation,” explains Knight. “He was everything I look for in a horse and set the precedent for me in terms of what I search for. Everyone always said he was stereotypical of my type of horse. He walked well and he was a showman – he could have excelled in any discipline from eventing to dressage to showing.”

Best Mate’s premature death

In his impeccable form under Rules stretching from 1999 until 2005, the only “PU” which glares off the page is his last race on 1 November 2005 at Exeter – the day we said goodbye to “Matey”. Having been pulled up by jockey Paul Carberry, he collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack, aged 10.

In her book entitled Not Enough Time: My Life With Terry Biddlecombe, Knight says of the moment she lost her stable star: “The end was quick. Best Mate would have felt no pain. It was as though he was in a coma. 
He took his last breath and lay motionless. There was no struggle. His death was extremely peaceful.”

Jim Lewis had hoped Best Mate could be buried at Exeter; however, certain regulations prevented this, so his ashes were buried beside the winning post at Cheltenham a month after he died.

“Best Mate became the people’s champion,” said Lewis at the time. “They loved him and he loved them – he will be at rest at the scene of his greatest triumphs.”

Best Mate undoubtedly changed the lives of those closest to him.

“He put my name on the map, he did so much for my training career and my life thereafter,” reflects Knight. “I was so very lucky to have two champions in my life – Terry and Best Mate.

“I have always lived for horses, but sometimes you need something to help you along and for me that was Best Mate. Horses like him don’t come by very often.”

Culloty describes his success on him as “career-defining”.

“If people remember me as a jockey, it’s because of Best Mate,” he says. “He deserved a long, happy retirement and it’s devastating that never happened. It’s almost ironic that such a healthy horse with such a big heart died of a heart attack.”

Best Mate is immortalised in two bronze statues, one in the village where he was trained and another at Cheltenham Racecourse. He may be gone, but the legacy of Best Mate lives on in the heart of every racing fan who was lucky enough to witness him grace a racecourse. He really was the people’s horse.

“Training Best Mate, I learnt a lot about the importance of patience,” says Henrietta Knight. “When you know you have a talented horse on your hands, it is vital not to hurry it.

“Many of the racehorses who come to my yard for help with their jumping haven’t been given the time to develop and have been produced too quickly, so we take them back to basics.”

Jim Culloty remembers: “Before Best Mate’s debut under Rules, I was actually buying a jacket from a stall at Stratford races and I was haggling over the price with the guy selling me the jacket.

“In the end, he said, ‘If you can give me a horse to watch this season, I will give you the jacket.’ So I replied, ‘A horse called Best Mate in the bumper at Cheltenham next week.’ We won and I got my free jacket!”

After winning the King George, McCoy said: “He’s the model racehorse. The best chaser I’ve ever ridden, simply the best around at the moment. I’d marry him if I had the chance.”

Best Mate fact file

Died as a 10yo, bay thoroughbred gelding

Trainer: Henrietta Knight

Owner: Jim Lewis

Breeder: Jacques van’t Hart

Jockey: Jim Culloty

Form: 11221/1112/1221/111/211/12/P

Best results: won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2002, 2003, 2004; the King George VI Chase in 2002; the 2001 Haldon Gold Cup; the 2002 Peterborough Chase; won 14 races from 22 starts and finished second seven times

Total career earnings: £1,022,436

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

The Horse & Hound Podcast 162: multiple champion trainer Nicky Henderson

As laid-back as they come: watch Cheltenham Festival winner being ridden by small child

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Suppose your Christmas stocking contained a ride on the horse of your dreams… We find out which superstar of yesteryear this top rider would love to have sat on

Jayne Ross is one of the most decorated showing producers, winning her first Horse of the Year Show title in 1966 with the pony Cusop Pirouette. She has ridden countless stars and while admittedly she isn’t one for “horse envy”, there is one racehorse she always admired.

“If I could have Best Mate in my Christmas stocking, my goodness I’d be happy,” says Jayne Ross. “My husband and I knew his trainer Henrietta Knight well and often used to visit. I met Best Mate as a five-year-old at the end of his first season. He used to go out in the field with Edredon Bleu, his best friend as it were. The two of them were so lovely together.”

One of the best-loved racehorses, Best Mate was known for winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup three consecutive times with Jim Culloty.

“From a young horse, you could tell he was special. He was so beautifully put together and I really admired him – not just because of his ability as a racehorse, but because he was such a beautifully balanced and effortless mover. His stride was so organised and engaged all the time, he rarely made a mistake. He was always in such a perfect rhythm,” explains Jayne.

“You watched him walk across the field and he was such an eyeful of a horse; short-coupled but slopey, and he had a lovely outlook. He’d have been everyone’s dream horse to win the Retraining of Racehorses classes.”

You might also be interested in:

The Horse & Hound Podcast: episode 20 – Jayne Ross’s HOYS memories | Autumn horsecare | News round-up

Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes: Best Mate – ‘We used to get piles of letters and cards for him sent by fans’

Best Mate: the three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup victor immortalised in bronze

This three-time Gold Cup winner became the “people’s champion”, earning himself comparisons with the mighty Arkle. Hannah Lemieux delves deeper

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Legendary trainer Henrietta Knight said her ambition is to be back in the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure, as she returns to the job at the age of 76.

The National Hunt trainer, who saddled Best Mate to a historic three Gold Cup wins in a row, is reapplying for her licence, 11 years after she retired.

Mrs Knight told H&H the idea to return came “entirely out of my own head”.

“I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time,” she said, adding that she gave up when her husband, former champion jockey Terry Biddlecombe, was very ill. He died in 2014, and since then Mrs Knight has continued working from her Oxfordshire base.

“For the last seven to eight years, I’ve been very busy, with pre-training, teaching a lot of horses to jump better, or from scratch, and I’ve had a lot of trainers send me horses,” she said. “There’s been some lovely horses in the yard and I thought it would be nice to be training them again, and going to the races myself.”

Mrs Knight said her West Lockinge Farm is ready to go; all the facilities have been in use and are well maintained, so she has only three things to have in place before she can get fully back in action. One is the application process itself.

“Then there’s getting the horses,” she said. “A lot of the young horses here will stay with me but I’ve got to get owners. And there’s staffing, which is a problem throughout the horse world, so there’s a lot to take on. But I’m fortunate enough to have a very good secretary, Dawn Graham, who was with me before, and is very clued up.”

Mrs Knight added that Brendan Powell, a Grand National-winning jockey who has trained hundreds of winners, will be coming on board as her assistant.

“It’s very exciting but there’s a degree of butterflies too,” she said. “You’ve got to get the right horses; and I’m very fussy about the horses I like.

“My ambition is to get back into the winner’s enclosure at Cheltenham; probably not the Gold Cup, but any race there, that’s my aim. Things have changed immensely but I’d be very excited to do it again.”

Asked about Best Mate, the Gold Cup hero in 2002, 2003 and 2004 for Henrietta Knight and owner Jim Lewis, she said: “There may be some out there now, ready to do that, but there will never be a second Best Mate. But if I could get one even half as good as him, I’d be doing well.

“Some people think I’m mad but you have to take a few gambles and risks in life to have success. I probably took one when I started training in 1989, but life is a gamble, isn’t it?”

You might also be interested in:

Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes: Best Mate – ‘We used to get piles of letters and cards for him sent by fans’

Henrietta Knight announces her retirement from racing

The National Hunt trainer of more than 700 winners has revealed to H&H she is retiring from racing

Best Mate laid to rest at Cheltenham

The traditional home of national hunt racing has been chosen as the final resting place for Best Mate's ashes

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Jim Lewis, the owner of the three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate died on 26 February, aged 88.

Born in Birmingham in 1934, Mr Lewis formerly ran bed manufacturing company Silentnight and later a pine furniture import business, which he sold in 2000.

He had a lifelong passion for racing and was a big supporter of Aston Villa football club, which led to his horses running in his recognisable claret and blue colours. Mr Lewis would usually be seen at the races wearing an Aston Villa scarf.

Mr Lewis’s first Cheltenham Festival winner was Nakir, who won the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 1994, sent out by trainer Simon Christian. His best-known horse was Best Mate who, trained by Henrietta Knight and her husband Terry Biddlecombe and ridden by Jim Culloty, became famous for winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in three consecutive years; 2002, 2003, and 2004. He was the first horse to achieve this since Arkle. Best Mate’s other big wins included the 2002 King George VI Chase at Kempton and the Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown in 2003. The much-loved horse and fans’ favourite died suddenly at Exeter in 2005, and his ashes were buried beside the winning post at Cheltenham.

“Best Mate became the people’s champion,” said Mr Lewis at the time. “They loved him and he loved them – he will be at rest at the scene of his greatest triumphs.”

Another of Mr Lewis’s notable horses included Edredon Bleu, who won the Cheltenham Grand Annual Chase in 1998, the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2000 and the King George VI Chase in 2003.

Henrietta told Racing TV she was “incredibly lucky” to have an owner like Jim Lewis and described him as a “colourful person” who had “huge enthusiasm for the game”.

He is survived by his wife Jennifer, three children and four grandchildren.

You might also be interested in:

Cheltenham Gold Cup heroes: Best Mate – ‘We used to get piles of letters and cards for him sent by fans’

Best Mate: the three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup victor immortalised in bronze

This three-time Gold Cup winner became the “people’s champion”, earning himself comparisons with the mighty Arkle. Hannah Lemieux delves deeper

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

While many, many brilliant thoroughbreds have made their mark on the racecourses around the world during their Flat or National Hunt careers, far fewer have stolen the hearts and minds of the public to become truly famous racehorses. So what is it that makes a successful horse into a one widely regarded as a “people’s horse”?

In the vast majority of cases, as well as winning important races, the most famous horses have a back story that racing fans – and the media — are interested in. Those horses who stick around for multiple seasons – an achievement that is easier for most National Hunt horses than those racing on the Flat — have the time for a wider fan base to develop.

With some famous racehorses, the story is almost as much about the people who are around them – Bob Champion with Aldaniti and Sir Henry Cecil with Frankel for example – as it is the horse itself. And not every horse becomes famous during their racing career. The fame of the late, great Galileo only grew after he retired and became the world’s most influential sire, while Shergar’s fame exploded when he went missing, never to be seen again.

As for deciding which horses deserve the title of “most famous racehorses ever”, that’s a tricky task to undertake but we’ve challenged ourselves to take it on, so here is our selection of some of the most famous racehorses of all time…

Horse & Hound’s most famous racehorses

Frankel

Foaled on 11 February 2008, Frankel is now retired from racing and is standing at stud. The British-based horse was unbeaten in his 14-race career and was the highest-rated racehorse in the world from May 2011. By Galileo, Frankel amassed £2,998,302 during his three-year Flat racing career. He was trained by the late Sir Henry Cecil and ridden in his races by Tom Queally. His race record is remarkable and includes wins in the 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Lockinge Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, International Stakes and Champion Stakes.

Red Rum

Red Rum jumped his way into the public’s heart with his three Aintree Grand National wins (1973, 1974 and 1977). Born on 7 May 1965, the prolific steeplechaser was renowned for his jumping ability, having not fallen in 100 races. He remains the only horse to have won the Grand National three times. The 1973 race in which Red Rum secured his comeback victory from 30 lengths behind is often considered one of the greatest Grand Nationals in history. Trained by Ginger McCain and owned by Noel le Mare, he also won the 1974 Scottish National and amassed over £146,000 in prize money throughout his career. He died on 18 October 1995 and remains one of the most famous racehorses to have ever entertained the public over fences.

Galileo

Galileo (30 March 1998 – 10 July 2021) enjoyed a successful Flat racing career (six wins from eight starts as a two- and three-year-old), but it was as a sire that he made his indelible mark on the racing industry as the most successful thoroughbred stallion of all time. After winning The Derby, Irish Derby Stakes, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2001, he was named the 2001 European Champion Three-Year-Old Colt. After retirement, Galileo became one of the most sought after sires in the world. First crowned leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 2008, he then consecutively earned the title from 2010 until 2020. In 2020, he set the record for the number of Derby winners sired at five: New Approach, Ruler Of The World, Australia, Anthony Van Dyck and Serpentine. At the time of his death he had sired 91 Group One winners, while 20 of his sons – including Frankel and Australia – have also sired Group One victors.

Arkle

Named after a mountain in Sutherland, Scotland that bordered the Duchess of Westminster’s Sutherland estate, Arkle (19 April 1957 – 31 May 1970) won three Cheltenham Gold Cups before his career was brought to a premature end by an injury. Owned by Anne Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster, he was trained by Tom Dreaper at Greenogue, Kilsallaghan in County Meath, Ireland, and ridden during his steeplechasing career by Pat Taaffe. At 212, his Timeform rating is the highest ever awarded to a steeplechaser.

Desert Orchid

Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 – 13 November 2006) has been described as “the most charismatic racehorse of the 20th century”. Adored by his public, at its height Dessie-mania was just as impassioned as Beatle-mania. Trained by David Elsworth, ‘Dessie’ won a remarkable four King George VI Chases, a Cheltenham Gold Cup, an Irish Grand National and a Tingle Creek, among many others. During his racing career he was partnered by five different jump jockeys: Colin Brown, Richard Linley, Simon Sherwood, Graham Bradley and Richard Dunwoody. Desert Orchid won 34 of his 70 starts, amassing £654,066 in prize money, but he never ran in the Grand National at Aintree as he was “too beloved” by the public.

Secretariat

Champion American Flat horse Secretariat (30 March 1970 – 4 October 1989) won the American Triple Crown, setting and still holding the fastest time record in all three races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. During his racing career, he won five Eclipse Awards, including Horse of the Year honours when he was two and three years old. Trained by Lucien Laurin, “Big Red” as he was also known, amassed over $1.316m in prize money. His win in the Belmont Stakes was record-breaking, storming home 31 lengths clear of the rest of the field.

Kauto Star

Record-breaking Kauto Star (19 March 2000 – 29 June 2015) earnt his place in the record books – and any list of famous racehorses – with five wins in the King George VI Chase. The French-bred National Hunt champion racehorse, who was trained by Paul Nicholls and owned by Clive Smith, also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, in 2007 and 2009. He earned a total of £3,775,883 in prize money and bonuses. He was the top-rated steeplechaser during the 2006/7, 2008/9, 2009/10 and 2011/12 season, winning the Tingle Creek Chase in both 2005 and 2006 and the Betfair Chase four times in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

Winx

Winx (foaled 14 September 2011) won 33 consecutive races as a Flat horse, predominantly in Australia. These victories included 25 Group One races, amassing over £14m in prize money. Winx became the first horse in history to win the prestigious Cox Plate four times. She retired on 13 April 2019 at Randwick racecourse after winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes for the third time. She is now a broodmare. Trained by Chris Waller, Winx was the world’s top-ranked filly or mare and the world’s top-ranked turf horse in 2016. She retained this ranking in 2017 and in 2018 was co-ranked as the best horse in the world.

American Pharoah

American Pharoah (foaled 2 February 2012) won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2015. He won nine of his 11 starts and amassed $8,650,300 in prize money for his connections. This famous racehorse now stands at stud at Ashford Stud in Kentucky. He was bred and owned throughout his racing career by Ahmed Zayat, trained by Bob Baffert, and ridden in most of his races by Victor Espinoza. He was the American Champion Two-Year-Old in 2014 and the American Champion Three-Year-Old in 2015, and was also the American Horse of the Year in 2015.

Denman

Fondly known as “The Tank”, Denman (17 April 2000 – 5 June 2018) was a much-loved National Hunt horse, who was trained by Paul Nicholls during his illustrious career. He won 14 of his 24 races, including the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Hennessy Gold Cup in both 2007 and 2009. He was well-known for his rivalry with stable mate Kauto Star throughout his career. Owned by Paul Barber and Maggie Findlay, Denman had a front-running style and was tough and gutsy, which caught the imagination and hearts of racing fans during his career.

Enable

Enable (foaled 12 February 2014) is one of the great horses of modern day Flat racing. During her career, which ran from November 2016 to October 2020, she won 15 of her 19 races, including 11 Group One races. She amassed over £10m in prize money for her owner, the late Khalid Abdullah, who also owned Frankel. She was trained by John Gosden and ridden predominantly by Frankie Dettori, who regularly documented his love for this horse. She won the Cheshire Oaks, Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks, three King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes’, the Yorkshire Oaks and two Prix de l’Arc de Triomphes. She also won the Breeders’ Cup Turf, becoming the first Arc winner to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf in the same year. She has retired to stud as a broodmare.

Best Mate

Best Mate (28 January 1995 – 1 November 2005) was a three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup between 2002 and 2004. He was much-loved by the public and trained by Henrietta Knight to win 14 of his 22 races, and finished second in seven more. He also won the King George VI Chase in 2002 and amassed over £1m in prize money. Best Mate never fell at a fence or hurdle. Of the seven races in which he finished second, five were Grade One races, and two were Grade Two races. Jim Culloty was Best Mate’s jockey for most of his biggest successes and he was owned by Jim Lewis. This famous racehorse suffered a suspected heart attack and died in front of his adoring fans while racing at Exeter.

Seabiscuit

The subject of books and films, Seabiscuit (23 May 1933 – 17 May 1947) was a champion Flat horse in the United States who became the top money-winning racehorse up to the 1940s. He beat the 1937 Triple-Crown winner, War Admiral, by four lengths in a two-horse special at Pimlico and was voted the 1938 American Horse of the Year. He only won a quarter of his first 40 races, but after moving to trainer Tom Smith, he went on to achieve great things. Among the many books and films documenting this famous racehorse’s life, the movie Seabiscuit, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Aldaniti

Aldaniti (25 June 1970 – 28 March 1997) won the Grand National in 1981. His jockey on that day, Bob Champion, had recovered from cancer, while Aldaniti had recovered after suffering a career-threatening injury. The horse was trained by Josh Gifford and owned by Nick Embiricos. Aldaniti starred as himself in the 1983 film Champions alongside John Hurt. He finished third in the 1979 Cheltenham Gold Cup and second in the Scottish Grand National. He sustained a serious leg injury at Sandown in November 1979 and was off the racecourse for over a year, which made his Grand National win all the more remarkable.

Shergar

No list of famous racehorses would be complete without Shergar (3 March 1978 – c. February 1983), who was bred and owned by HH Aga Khan IV and trained by Michael Stoute in Newmarket. From his eight races, he won six, including the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, all in 1981. After this successful season, he was retired to the Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, Ireland. In 1983 he was stolen from the stud, and a ransom of £2m was demanded; it was not paid, and negotiations were soon broken off by the thieves. In 1999 a supergrass, formerly in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), stated they stole the horse. The IRA has never admitted any role in the theft and the horse was never found.

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

This three-time Gold Cup winner became the “people’s champion”, earning himself comparisons with the mighty Arkle. Hannah Lemieux delves deeper into his success

Best Mate’s origins

Died as a 10yo, bay thoroughbred gelding

Trainer: Henrietta Knight

Owner: Jim Lewis

Breeder: Jacques van’t Hart

Jockey: Jim Culloty

Form: 11221/1112/1221/111/211/12/P

Best results: won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2002, 2003, 2004; the King George VI Chase in 2002; the 2001 Haldon Gold Cup; the 2002 Peterborough Chase; won 14 races from 22 starts and finished second seven times; total career earnings of £1,022,436.

Best Mate established a level of pre-eminence in racing that even 15 years after he left us, still remains untouchable. He delivered every time his hooves touched a racecourse. His form is something to be marvelled at – from 22 starts under Rules, he finished in the top two every race bar one, and never fell.

It was his longevity as a National Hunt superstar that meant people yearned to see him in the flesh, flocking to the likes of Cheltenham to watch him. He became the first horse since Arkle to win three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups, in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Best Mate’s story began across the Irish Sea, when his breeder Jacques van’t Hart purchased Flat mare Katday for 1,250 Irish guineas. It was the start of a road to three-time Gold Cup glory for the breeder and the creation of a National Hunt icon.

Katday was put to stallion Un Desperado and on 28 January 1995, a bay colt was born near Trim in Co Meath. He was sold as a foal at the Tattersalls (Ireland) November Sale at Fairyhouse in 1996. The renowned late bloodstock agent and horse dealer Tom Costello snapped up the foal for 2,500gns.

It was one of Costello’s then young sons who played a part in choosing the very apt name “Best Mate”. Having been nurtured at the Costello yard, Best Mate made his debut in a point-to-point at Lismore in February 1999 and it was here that trainer Henrietta Knight and her late husband, Terry Biddlecombe, first saw “Matey” during a visit to Ireland.

“We liked Best Mate in the paddock beforehand and Terry, in particular, had really taken to him,” recalls Knight. “When Best Mate pulled up in that race, Terry said, ‘We should buy that horse.’ However, Tom wouldn’t sell until he’d won, so we waited.”

The couple returned to watch Best Mate win a two-runner race. This time their offer was accepted and they purchased him for owner Jim Lewis.

“Best Mate was always a top-class, natural jumper,” says Knight. “I never worried in a race that he would fall – he just never got it wrong – and he was always straightforward to train.”

Jim Culloty partnered Best Mate in all but four of his races. “I first sat on Best Mate at Hen’s yard,” remembers Culloty. “He was a goofy four-year-old with big ears, but had a lovely way of going from the start – he was a nice, pliable horse.”

Best Mate made his debut under Rules at the very place that would become synonymous with his name – a bumper at Cheltenham in 1999, which he duly won.

“Jim had a great relationship with Matey,” adds Knight. “They just seemed to trust each other and Jim always sat quiet on him during a race.”

With every run, Best Mate kept on improving. He found his way under the skin of racing fans and never let the punters down, finishing second if he didn’t win.

‘He was a showman’

“You just couldn’t fault him on conformation,” explains Knight. “He was everything I look for in a horse and set the precedent for me in terms of what I search for. Everyone always said he was stereotypical of my type of horse. He walked well and he was a showman – he could have excelled in any discipline from eventing to dressage and showing.”

Known to be a weaver in his stable, Best Mate was turned out each day with Edredon Bleu, who also raced in Jim Lewis’s blue and maroon striped silks – inspired by the owner’s favourite football club, Aston Villa.

“I’m a big believer in turning horses out come rain or shine,” says Knight. “Best Mate was always in charge and bossed Edredon Bleu around. If he’d been a child at school, he would have been the cheeky, arrogant child in class.”

There was one thing Best Mate did not like, however, and that was soft ground.

“I’m not sure he would have won three consecutive Gold Cups if the ground had been on the soft side,” muses Knight. “In that ground, he couldn’t show off his full ability and he didn’t like having to pull his feet out of mud.

Luckily for Best Mate and all concerned, the ground was officially “good” on all three of his Gold Cup glory days. Perhaps some things are just meant to be.

“Best Mate was unbeatable, unless in soft ground, and even then he finished second,” adds Culloty. “He was the most beautifully balanced horse to ride. When the ground suited him, he could stand off a fence from outside of the wings, but in the wrong ground you could just tell he hated it.

“I would get him into a rhythm and let him lob away during a race, he had such a high cruising speed. He’d come alive at the races and I always knew I was riding the best horse.”

Knight admits the first Gold Cup victory in 2002 was a surprise but that “Terry always had confidence in him”. By the time the National Hunt specialist lined up for his third consecutive Gold Cup, he had a legion of fans gunning for him.

“Back then, emails and mobiles weren’t such a thing, so we used to get piles of letters and cards for him sent by fans,” remembers Knight. “We would have people turning up at the yard wanting to see him in his stable, and we held an open day especially for him, so many fans packed in to see him – he was so popular.”

With his rise in popularity came a media storm and increased pressure for all his connections. His final Gold Cup was undoubtedly his most dramatic, and many will remember the emotional embrace between Knight and Biddlecombe in the aftermath.

During the race, Best Mate and Culloty got boxed in by rivals on the inside rail. A wave of panic trembled among spectators and could be heard in the TV commentator’s voice. However, a superb jump at the second last earned him the lead and he battled up the famous Cheltenham hill in front.

“Winning on a horse of Best Mate’s calibre, you just feel relieved crossing the line that you haven’t gone and messed it up,” says Culloty.

And it wasn’t just Cheltenham where Best Mate raced into the history books – he also claimed the stakes in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day in 2002, under champion jockey AP McCoy.

‘The people’s champion’

In his impeccable form under Rules stretching from 1999 until 2005, the only “PU” which glares off the page is his last race on 1 November 2005 at Exeter – the day we said goodbye to “Matey”. Having been pulled up by jockey Paul Carberry, he collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack, aged 10.

In her book entitled Not Enough Time: My Life With Terry Biddlecombe, Knight says of the moment she lost her stable star: “The end was quick. Best Mate would have felt no pain. It was as though he was in a coma. He took his last breath and lay motionless. There was no struggle. His death was extremely peaceful.”

Jim Lewis had hoped Best Mate could be buried at Exeter; however, certain regulations prevented this, so his ashes were buried beside the winning post at Cheltenham a month after he died.

“Best Mate became the people’s champion,” said Lewis at the time. “They loved him and he loved them – he will be at rest at the scene of his greatest triumphs.” Best Mate undoubtedly changed the lives of those closest to him.

“He put my name on the map, he did so much for my training career and my life thereafter,” reflects Knight. “I was so very lucky to have two champions in my life – Terry and Best Mate.

“I have always lived for horses, but sometimes you need something to help you along and for me that was Best Mate. Horses like him don’t come by very often.”

Culloty describes his success on him as “career-defining”.

“If people remember me as a jockey, it’s because of Best Mate,” he says. “He deserved a long, happy retirement and it’s devastating that never happened. It’s almost ironic that such a healthy horse with such a big heart died of a heart attack.”

Best Mate is immortalised in two bronze statues, one in the village where he was trained and another at Cheltenham Racecourse. He may be gone, but the legacy of Best Mate lives on in the heart of every racing fan who was lucky enough to witness him grace a racecourse. He really was the people’s horse.

‘What Best Mate taught me’

“Training Best Mate, I learnt a lot about the importance of patience,” says Henrietta Knight. “When you know you have a talented horse on your hands, it is vital not to hurry it.

“Many of the racehorses who come to my yard for help with their jumping haven’t been given the time to develop and have been produced too quickly, so we take them back to basics.”

‘Watch this horse’

“Before Best Mate’s debut under Rules, I was actually buying a jacket from a stall at Stratford races and I was haggling over the price with the guy selling me the jacket,” remembers Jim Culloty.

“In the end, he said, ‘If you can give me a horse to watch this season, I will give you the jacket.’ So I replied, ‘A horse called Best Mate in the bumper at Cheltenham next week.’ We won and I got my free jacket!”

AP McCoy on Best Mate

“He’s the model racehorse. The best chaser I’ve ever ridden, simply the best around at the moment. I’d marry him if I had the chance,” said McCoy after winning the King George. “He won’t have to improve to win a second Gold Cup. If he does improve, I think I’ll have to kidnap Jim Culloty.”

Horse & Hound, 3 January 2003

From the Horse & Hound archive

Tim Richards reports from the 2004 Gold Cup…

“In addition to his quick, economical jumping and effortless gallop, Best Mate showed another element – that of the mean street fighter to get himself out of a corner after being boxed in by Paul Carberry on Harbour Pilot from four fences out.

“His thousands of fans had their hearts in their mouths when there appeared to be nowhere to go with first Harbour Pilot and then Sir Rembrandt keeping him in check against the rails. But Best Mate is no softy and he dug deep for Jim Culloty after being switched between horses. Once the second last was in range, he winged it.”

Horse & Hound, 25 March 2004

First published in Horse & Hound; 5 November 2020

You may also be interested in…

Arkle: the ‘immortal’ racing superstar who won three Cheltenham Gold Cups

The story of this equine gladiator, deemed “immortal” by his supporters, knows no bounds. Julian Muscat investigates Arkle’s supremacy –

Horse & Hound’s 140th anniversary legends: Sir Harry Lewellyn’s Foxhunter

Legends of the sport: Showjumper Marion Mould with her pony Stroller *H&H Plus*

The teenage girl on a pony that conquered the world stage has become the stuff of showjumping legend. Penny Richardson

Horse & Hound’s 140th anniversary legends: Milton – John Whitaker’s wonder horse who won over £1m during his career

Through the highs and lows of equestrian sport, Horse & Hound has been there – documenting the many achievements of Britain’s top riders and sharing their experiences on the world stage. We all have our treasured memories from the last few decades of competition, but what would some of our best-loved celebrities single out as their proudest moments? Next up, as we celebrate H&H’s 135th birthday with a bumper issue (dated 20 June), is former National Hunt trainer, Henrietta Knight…

Former event rider Henrietta Knight joined the racing greats after training triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate. Now retired from the sport, Henrietta has more recently concentrated on breeding Connemara ponies at her Lockinge Stud.

“My proudest moment was Best Mate’s third Gold Cup win in 2004,” she recalls [pictured afterwards with her late husband, Terry Biddlecombe]. “I remember a feeling of complete and utter relief. There had been so much pressure before the race, from everyone who was behind the horse – the owner, the media, the public… Could he do it a third time? When he passed the post first, I was just so relieved. He had delivered.

“It was unreal, but the emotions don’t end there,” she says. “You look back, watch the replays, read the press, talk to people about it. It was the most amazing day – a feeling that stays with you for a lifetime.”

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

H&H’s 135th birthday: William Fox-Pitt — ‘it had never happened to me before, it was a huge moment’

As we celebrate H&H’s 135th birthday with a bumper issue out today (20 June), we asked some of equestrian sport’s

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Henrietta continues: “That particular win proved that you don’t have to run Gold Cup horses too many times before a championship race. People said that we wrapped Best Mate in cotton wool, because we never ran him between January and the Gold Cup in March. We were widely criticised at the time, but that’s what trainers do now; they hardly ever run their top horses. I feel that we set a precedent, and I’m proud of that.

“I often think how fortunate I was to have Best Mate in my yard. Nobody had really heard of me before that, but he put me on the map. The idea of female trainers was in still in its infancy in those days, even though Jenny Pitman had won the Grand National and the Gold Cup. Then along came Best Mate, who helped show that lady trainers were equal to men – if not better.”

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Henrietta Knight is best known for training Best Mate to three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups before she retired in 2012 — however, she also has a passion for Connemara ponies. We visit her at her picturesque West Lockinge Farm to find out about her Connemara operation. Don't miss the full feature with Henrietta in this week's native pony special issue of Horse & Hound magazine (29 September)

Henrietta with her 12-year-old Connemara broodmare, Castle Fuchsia, who is in foal to Contepomi Cashel

The yard at West Lockinge Farm where Henrietta's Connemara ponies are stabled.

Henrietta feeds this year's foal Lockinge Celina, who is out of her broodmare Sweet Charity — the mare was gifted to Henrietta on her 60th birthday ten years ago.

It is unlikely Henrietta's Connemaras will be gracing these gallops but they are used by the racehorses visiting West Lockinge Farm for pre-training

The stunning house at West Lockinge Farm is where Henrietta lives — her home for 30 years and where she lived with her late husband Terry Biddlecombe.

The main yard at West Lockinge Farm is where Henrietta's most famous racehorse, Best Mate, was stabled — she trained him from this yard to win the 2002, 2003, 2004 Cheltenham Gold Cups.

Henrietta's home is adorned with racing photos, newspaper cuttings and books — she is an author herself and was a teacher before taking up the reins to train racehorses.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Henrietta Knight's new book 'Not Enough Time: My Life With Terry Biddlecombe', charts the former trainer's life with her late husband, the ex-champion jockey. Here she remembers the fateful day that Best Mate, who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times in a row, died at Exeter Racecourse in 2005

On that fateful day, when Best Mate returned to the racecourse he loved, nobody could have foreseen the tragedy that was to unfold.

Thousands of fans were there and attendance numbers were exceptionally high.

It was business as usual; everybody was longing to see the former wonder horse. Terry and I did the saddling up, as we always did, and we felt happy with our star. In the designated box, while we positioned his tack, his ears were pricked. He was trembling with the excitement of the occasion and he intently watched everything that was happening around him.

As he absorbed the atmosphere, Best Mate stared across to the racecourse with his usual eagerness – and when he walked around the paddock, he strode out as though he owned the place.

He had never been beaten at Exeter and this was his fourth visit. He loved playing to his public and was a proper show-off. The only difference that day was that he was being led up by his new lass, Gemma Bennett.

His former minder, Jackie Jenner, had left our employment at the end of April. There were some outstanding photographs of Best Mate in the preliminaries that day and Gemma had turned him out superbly. She was rightly proud of her new charge. Jim Lewis and his supporters thronged the centre of the parade ring wearing their customary Aston Villa scarves. This was Jim’s favourite football club and Best Mate’s racing colours were maroon and pale blue.

Terry legged up the jockey, Paul Carberry, who had been invited to ride Matey that day. Jim Culloty had retired from race-riding and the two other jockeys who had previously ridden and won on Best Mate were unavailable at Exeter. Timmy Murphy rode Contraband for David Johnson and A. P. McCoy rode Ground Ball for J. P. McManus.

‘I remember thinking how magnificent he looked’

After watching Best Mate canter down to the start on that November day, I remember thinking how magnificent he looked.

There was no hint of anything amiss. He strode out majestically and his coat gleamed in the autumn sunshine; even his dapples showed up. In keeping with tradition, I then walked down the racecourse to watch the race unfold and listen to the commentary close to the last fence. I could see the action from there without being among the huge crowd of racegoers. The grandstand was packed with people.

My nerves were tingling with anticipation, but I was pleased with our horse. He had never looked better. I felt proud to be training him. There were 11 runners in the Haldon Gold Cup in 2005 and, as they streamed over the fence in front of me, Best Mate looked happy, he was up with the pace. He jumped with his usual fluency and glided through the air.

Then the runners disappeared around the corner, out of my sight and I could no longer clearly hear the commentary. I waited anxiously for them to approach the final bend and held my binoculars to my eyes with shaking hands.

Would I see Best Mate close to the front? On the two occasions he had previously won the race, he had always been prominent when they had turned into the straight.

All of a sudden I spotted the runners. They were closely bunched, but there was no sign of Best Mate among them. Then I saw him: on the inside of the course, pulling wide of the fences. Instantly, I knew that something must be horribly wrong. My heart sank. He hadn’t been pulled up in any race since that very first point-to-point in Ireland. Indeed, on every other occasion, in the 21 races he had contested, he had finished in the first two. He had either won or been second.

In a flash, I was under the railings and making my way further down the track. Best Mate was approaching me in a trot and his stride appeared normal, but as he got closer he faltered and his gait changed. He veered across the course towards the outer railings, close to the last fence.

There was a lack of co-ordination in his hind limbs and his eyes were glazed. As he wobbled further, Paul jumped off in the nick of time, just before his mount gently keeled over on his right side onto the beautifully manicured green grass. I was with him instantly, but I knew immediately that his life was ebbing away.

Continued below…

Best Mate voted Horse of the Year

The steeplechasing superstar was crowned the British Horse Racing Board's Jump Horse of the Year

‘He took his last breath and lay motionless’

Some years before, I had been riding my treasured three-day event horse when he had suffered a heart attack and his behaviour had been exactly the same. The end was quick. Best Mate would have felt no pain. It was as though he was in a coma. He took his last breath and lay motionless. There was no struggle. His death was extremely peaceful.

A sudden numbness came over me. Was this for real, or a bad dream? In no time at all, I was surrounded by scores of spectators and members of the press. A new stand had been erected that day, beside the final fence. It was crammed with racegoers – most of them Best Mate fans. He had died in front of their eyes and they had seen everything first-hand. The shock was indescribable.

There was an eerie silence as people gathered around the fallen star, and then the dreaded green screens were put up so that the racegoers could no longer see him.

I took a grip of myself and remembered what my darling Mum had always instilled into us as children: don’t cry in public. I tried to blank out the full horror of the occasion. At least the horse hadn’t suffered – it would have been far worse if he had broken a leg.

But his supporters in the racing world had lost their idol. He had acquired a massive fan club and he could not possibly have lost his life more publicly. The race had been televised and millions of people had watched his dying moments. I needed to pull myself together and face up to the truth.

Terry came down the course as fast as he could to find me. He had watched the race unfold on the big screen beside the paddock. He put his arms around me and his eyes were full of tears, but we had a job to do and it was not the right time to mourn.

‘There were wet eyes and handkerchiefs everywhere’

People wandered about on the track in disbelief. Jim Lewis and his wife Valerie were totally shattered. There were wet eyes and handkerchiefs everywhere.

For my part, I went straight to Paul Carberry and kept the crowds away from him. I walked back beside him to the weighing room and he carried Best Mate’s saddle. It was a solemn walk but I needed to return to the buildings, as we had another runner, Racing Demon, in the following race. It was his first chase and there was no reason for him not to run. Racing had to continue. The gallant victor of the Haldon Gold Cup – Monkerhostin – was being greeted by his own supporters in the unsaddling enclosure, but the crowds were noticeably subdued.

I was approached by many people – they came up to me from all angles – but I managed to stay calm and talk sensibly. I even did a television interview on a racing channel. It wasn’t easy, but I stressed how lucky we were to have trained such a wonderful horse and I explained that he was born and bred to race.

He had died doing the job that he enjoyed and thankfully he had not suffered. I remembered the words of Byron: ‘Those whom the gods love, die young.’ I remember saying to the press that all horses have to die some time – we all have to go – but it’s doubly tragic when it happens so unexpectedly.

Racing Demon, with Timmy Murphy, duly won the novice chase. This, too, was an extremely moving occasion. As I walked to greet the horse, Timmy put out his gloved hand and gave my own hand a tight squeeze. When he walked into the winner’s enclosure, the crowd gave Demon a huge reception.

There were massive cheers and I remember saying to Timmy: ‘This is unbelievable.’ He said: ‘They do have hearts, you know.’ I will never forget that demonstration of affection. It touched me immensely.

Not enough time: My Life With Terry Biddlecombe is published by Head of ZeusPrice: £20Visit: www.headofzeus.com

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Popular former National Hunt trainer Henrietta Knight has written a new book, which is out today (Thursday, 8 October).

“Not Enough Time, my life with Terry Biddlecombe” reflects on Henrietta’s marriage to her late husband Terry.

The book is billed as a “rollercoaster story of a great love” and a “story of triumph and tragedy in equal measures”.

The pair trained popular chaser Best Mate, who famously won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three times in a row. The gelding sadly died in 2005 when he suffered suspected heart attack at Exeter racecourse.

Henrietta and Terry were an usual pairing, she a bluestocking biology teacher, he a “hell-raising ex-champion jockey”, with alcoholism and two failed marriages behind him. The pair married in 1995.

Terry died last January aged 72. He suffered a stroke in 2011 and Henrietta retired from training in May 2012 to care for him.

As a jockey Terry was champion in 1965, 1966 and jointly with Bob Davies in 1969. He won the 1967 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Woodland Venture and finished 2nd on Gay Trip in the 1972 Grand National.

He played a major part helping Henrietta with training at West Lockinge Farm in Oxfordshire. The pair enjoyed much success.

When Henrietta gave up training, her horses went to Mick Channon. She remains involved with racing as well as breeding and showing Connemaras. She is also a showing judge.

After Terry died, Best Mate’s owner Jim Lewis said: “They were known as the odd couple, but in actual fact there was nothing odd about them at all. They were simply madly in love with each other.”

The book is published by Head of Zeus and costs £20.

It is Henrietta’s third book, after writing “Best Mate: Chasing Gold” and “Best Mate: Triple Gold”.

Read an extract of the book

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A portrait of Best Mate, commissioned by his owner Jim Lewis, has been unveiled at Exeter Racecourse

A commemorative portrait of legendary racehorse Best Mate now hangs in ‘The Best Mate Room’ at Exeter Racecourse. The painting, entitled “Best Mate, Final Triumph. Exeter 2004” depicts the horse in the paddock at Exeter racecourse, just prior to his final win.

When Best Mate returned to Exeter the following year (November 2005) for his seasonal comeback in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup, he tragically died from a heart attack while racing. Jim Lewis, who owned the 10-year-old gelding, originally hoped he could be buried beside the racetrack rails at Exeter Racecourse but red tape and Devon County Council scuppered these plans and the chaser was cremated instead.

Best Mate’s ashes were eventually scattered at Cheltenham – the scene of his three Gold Cup victories, but the new painting will pay tribute to the gelding’s affiliation with Exeter racecourse. Lewis commissioned artist L Brooksby to paint the portrait. “The commission was appropriate as I am the official artist to Exeter racecourse,” she told HHO.

The painting is to be reproduced as limited edition fine art prints at £75 each and will be available at Exeter Racecourse or by clicking website. Jim Lewis will be donating 30% of the proceeds to Best Mate charities.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A life-size bronze sculpture of Best Mate, who died tragically at Exeter racecourse in November, will be unveiled at Cheltenham Racecourse tomorrow.

The sculpture, which has been commissioned by the racecourse, is the work Philip Blacker and commemorates the life of the three times Gold Cup winner. Best Mate’s owner, Jim Knight, and his trainer Henrietta Knight will jointly unveil the statue at 1:10pm tomorrow, marking the beginning of the 2006 National Hunt Festival.

The statue will stand near the parade ring at Cheltenham and is identical to the statue at Village Green, Lockinge, near to the stables of Henrietta Knight. Cheltenham’s Managing Director, Edward Gillespie said: “This statue will remind those who saw him win three totesport Cheltenham Gold Cups and those of generations to come that here was a Champion whose achievements compare with the greats of our sport.”

The sculpture will add to Cheltenham’s collection of likenesses: Golden Miller (5 Gold Cup wins 1932 – 1936), Arkle (3 Gold Cup wins 1964-1966) and Dawn Run – the only horse yet to have won both the Smurfit Champion Hurdle (1984) and totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup (1986) – have all been cast as half life-size sculptures already. Each of these was raised by public subscription.

Best Mate’s fans and admirers are invited to contribute towards the statue, and those who give £100 or more will have their names inscribed around the bronze. Cheques should be payable to “Cheltenham Racecourse (Best Mate Statue)” and addressed to Best Mate Statue, Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 4SH

This year’s Cheltenham is set to be thrilling, with the cream of Britain, Ireland and France’s jumping talent competing for a record £2.87 million in prize money. The Festival is the tote’s highest turnover meeting (including Royal Ascot), with totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Day the highest turnover race day in the entire racing calendar.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Best Mate’s ashes will be laid to rest behind the winning post at Cheltenham racecourse in a brief public ceremony prior to racing at 11.00am on Saturday, 10 December.

Best Mate’s owner, Jim Lewis, is pleased that Henrietta Knight’s star chaser will be honoured in a place that will always be in view of the race-going public.

He said: “Best Mate became the ‘people’s champion.’ They loved him and he loved them. He will be at rest at the scene of his greatest triumphs.”

Edward Gillespie of Cheltenham racecourse added: “One cannot overstate the contribution Best Mate has made to our sport and, as the highest achieving champion since Arkle, he will continue to witness the race he made his own.”

Hedgehunter back in action

Last year’s Grand National winner, Hedgehunter, will start his campaign to follow in the footsteps of Red Rum and recapture the prestigious Aintree title when he races over hurdles at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

The decision to run the nine-year-old over a mixture of hurdles and fences mirrors his preparation for the big race last year. Trainer Willie Mullins will undoubtedly hope that things go more smoothly in Hedgehunter’s preparation this time, after he suffered a series of set backs prior to Aintree last year.

Boost for racing wannabes

A mammoth recruitment drive aimed at remedying a shortage of good racing staff, while dispelling misconceptions of an industry focused purely on jockeys and trainers, will be launched in 2006.

The campaign, “More Careers in Racing”, is described as the biggest push in the past 20 years. Phase one of a tailor-made recruitment website will go live in January, offering career information, with phase two opening the door to a job postings board in April-June.

British Horseracing Board (BHB) head of industry, recruitment and training Sara Hay-Jahans said: “People don’t think about racing as a first choice,” she said. “Even those going into equine studies don’t think of it as a natural career choice.”

Non-triers rule revisited

The Jockey Club is to redraft the “non-triers” rule to make it clear what is required from jockeys if they wish to avoid coming before the disciplinary panel. Following the recent case involving the running of the Henrietta Knight-trained Harringay, the current rule has been called into question. The new draft is currently with the Jockey Club’s lawyers and is expected to be in place before the end of the year.

Awards for stable staff

The search for racing’s best stable staff is on, with nominations for the £50,000 Stable Staff of the Year Awards now being taken. The competition is now in its second year and is organised by the British Horseracing Board to acknowledge the vital but often unrecognised role that stable staff play in British racing and breeding. For more details visit: www.britishhorseracing.com

Stars shine at Tattersalls

Tattersalls saw a record year come to a close yesterday as the final lots of the marathon nine-day December Sale went under the hammer. Bloodstock buyers spent more than 185 million guineas at the organisation’s sales across the year, an increase of a staggering 50% on last year’s figures. The five-year-old mare Moments of Joy, out of the 1997 Yorkshire Oaks winner My Emma and in foal to Refuse to Bend, topped the December Sale at 1.65million guineas.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A week after Best Mate’s tragic death, his owner Jim Lewis has chosen to lay the horse’s ashes at Cheltenham, the scene of his three victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Lewis originally hoped to have Best Mate buried beside the racetrack rails at Exeter Racecourse, where the 10-year old died from a suspected heart attack on his seasonal comeback in last week’s William Hill Haldon Gold Cup. But red tape and Devon County Council scuppered these plans and the chaser was cremated instead.

Since then Lewis has been torn between Cheltenham and Exeter as the resting place for Best Mate’s ashes. It emerged yesterday that he has settled on Cheltenham, the scene of the gelding’s biggest victories, but a plaque will be laid at Exeter, near the place where the triple Gold Cup champion died.

“Obviously it was not an easy decision to make as there are very good reasons he should be at Exeter and very good reasons he ought to go to Cheltenham,” Lewis told the Racing Post.

“Once this weekend’s meeting is out of the way, we will decide how and where we want to do it. I am sure it will be a fitting place for a triple Gold Cup champion.”

Lewis and his family have been overwhelmed by the public’s reaction towards Best Mate’s death, receiving over 300 condolence cards.

• Read Jim Culloty’s memories of riding Best Mate in this week’s Horse & Hound (10 November, 05)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Best Mate’s owner Jim Lewis will decide in the next few days on the final resting place for Best Mate’s ashes, following the cremation of the three-time Gold Cup winner yesterday morning.

Best Mate’s body was transported from Exeter racecourse to the equine crematorium at Cheltenham after Devon Country Trading Standards department blocked plans for the burial to take place outside the racetrack rails at the spot where he died.

MPs have demanded an explanation as to why permission was refused for Best Mate to be buried at Exeter. Agencies including the Environment Agency, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and Trading Standards ruled that burial at Exeter racecourse would not be permitted, despite both Lewis and the racecourse wishing for the horse to remain there.

Best Mate honoured

Officials at Cheltenham have put plans into motion to name a race in memory of Best Mate. A permanent memorial will also be constructed to commemorate his achievements at Prestbury Park.

The triple Gold Cup winner’s tribute race might not appear in the programme at next year’s Festival. According to Edward Gillespie, managing director at Cheltenham, the racecourse will take time choosing a suitable race.

Red Blazer moves home

Red Blazer will fill Best Mate’s empty box at Henrietta Knight’s Lockinge stables.

Knight saddled the 14-year-old Red Blazer to nine successes from 27 starts before he was retired after finishing last in a chase at Kempton in February 2003.

Channel 4 will pay tribute to Best Mate with Saturday’s edition of The Morning Line showing a celebration of his achievements. French racing will also honour Best Mate by renaming Sunday’s Tierce Handicap at Auteuil’s new winter jumps festival as the Prix Best Mate.

Terrible week for Knight

Henrietta Knight has been fined £1,000 and Timmy Murphy banned for 14 days over the running and riding of Harringay at Towcester. The 9-4 chance finished fifth in the two-mile novices’ hurdle, beaten by more than 13 lengths. The stewards ruled the mare had been “tenderly ridden” and fined Knight, as well as suspending Murphy and banning the horse from running between 8 November and 17 December. Knight is shocked and disappointed and has stated that she will take legal advice.

Groom found dead

Paul Matthews, a groom for James Fanshawe in Newmarket, was found dead on Wednesday. Matthews, 41, is the second member of the stable’s staff to die this year. Police are investigating his death but circumstances do not appear to be suspicious. Matthews joined Fanshawe two years ago, having previously worked for John Gosden and Henry Cecil.

British horses disappoint in Oz

Distinction and Franklins Gardens, the two British-trained contenders in the Melbourne Cup, both ran well below their best. Stewards reported afterwards that Franklins Gardens was sore on his off-foreleg after the five-year-old had been virtually pulled up when trailing home last of the 24 runners. His participation had been in doubt on Saturday after a hind leg problem was discovered following morning exercise. Distinction, who finished in sixth place in the Melbourne Cup a year ago, proved a big disappointment to jockey Mick Kinane, finishing 19th.

Ouija Board set for Japan

Ouija Board will continue her international exploits in the year’s richest race on turf, the Japan Cup in Tokyo on 27 November. The four-year-old was runner-up to Intercontinental in last weekend’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Trainer Ed Dunlop has high hopes for the quicker ground in Japan, feeling it will be more favourable than at Belmont.

End of Race Tech handlers

The contracts of 55 stall handlers currently employed by RaceTech expire tomorrow, with many of the men preparing to leave the industry for good. The team, who will work together for the last time at Doncaster are rumoured to be unfurling a banner displaying the word “conspiracy” although there are not believed to be any plans to disrupt the races.

And finally…

Lester Piggot will turn 70 on Saturday. Piggot rode his first winner, The Chase, at Haydock Park in 1948 when he was 12 years old. The legendary jockey went on to ride over 4,000 winners in Britain, capturing nine Derby titles between 1954 and 1983 and three Prix de l’Arc de Triomphes.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Best Mate wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup at his first attempt in 2002 to the delight of his trainer Henrietta Knight

The following year Matey stormes home in first place to win his second Cheltenham Gold Cup and becomes the first horse in 30 years to achieve back-to-back wins.

In 2004, the legendry bay joins Arkle and Cottage Rake as post-war triple Gold Cup winners.

Best Mate missed the 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup due to a training injury. He died of a suspected heart attack when he returned to the track at Exeter on 1 November 2005.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The racing world is in shock following the sad news that Best Mate collapsed and died after taking part in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter earlier today.

The triple Gold Cup winner was having his first run following an enforced break earlier this year, after breaking a blood vessel during his final preparations for a fourth consecutive Gold Cup attempt in the spring.

His jockey Paul Carberry appeared to have realised something was wrong during the later part of the race and pulled the 10-year-old chaser up in the home straight, where he collapsed and died. It is suspected that Best Mate suffered a heart attack.

Best Mate’s trainer Henrietta Knight told BBC news: “I was on the track where he came down and I was the first one there. I knew immediately he had died.”

Best Mate sealed his place in racing history in 2004 when he joined the elite group of horses to have won three Cheltenham Gold Cups. The previous horse to achieve this illustrious treble was the legendary Arkle.

The big tough Irish-bred chaser, owned by Jim Lewis, had never finished outside the first two throughout his career, being beaten to the post on only a handful of occasions.

Previously described by his trainer as “not just one in a million. Best Mate’s one in a several million. He’s a horse in a lifetime”, today Knight said: ” He died doing what he enjoyed doing.”

British Horseracing Board Chairman Martin Broughton, paid tribute to the outstanding chaser, saying: “Best Mate captivated the public with his outstanding Gold Cup treble and the sadness of his death in tragic circumstances will be shared by all racing lovers. His wonderful achievements will be remembered forever.”

• View HHO’s pictorial tribute to the great chaser >>

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Britain’s most highly-rated representative at the 22nd Breeders’ Cup meeting, Ouija Board, produced a good performance in the Filly and Mare Turf on Saturday, but was unable to reproduce last year’s outstanding win, and finished second behind Intercontinental.

Her connections were pleased with her performance, which follows a difficult season beset with problems at home. She is expected to remain in training for the rest of this season and travel to either Japan or Hong Kong for her next race, before retiring to stud at some point in the future.

The only European horse to win a race at the meeting was Shirocco. The French horse carried all before him to take the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The Turf was the only race in which the European raiders truly shined, as France and Ireland shared the first four places between them.

The highest-placed British horse after Ouija Board was Stellar Jayne, who finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff for the Godolphin stable.

Carberry chosen for Best Mate

The uncertainly surrounding who will ride Best Mate (pictured) in his return to the track has come to an end. Paul Carberry has been chosen to ride the public’s favourite as his campaign to claim a fourth Cheltenham Gold Cup gets underway at Exeter tomorrow. It will be the famous gelding’s first run since missing the 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup, but the soft ground is unlikely to be in his favour.

Irish Turf Club hit by fire

A fire destroyed the registry office of the Irish Turf Club on Saturday night. The building was completely gutted by the flames. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation but arson has not been ruled out. It is hoped that most of the records kept in the office will have survived the blaze in their fireproof cabinets.

Former jockey awarded damages

A former jockey, who was seriously injured in an accident with a car while crossing a road at the head of a string of 60 racehorses in Lambourn, has been awarded £115,000 damages. Terry Sturrock suffered multiple broken bones and a collapsed lung as well as psychological trauma in the accident, which resulted in the death of the horse he was riding. The injuries were so severe that Sturrock was unable to return to his job as a senior work rider.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Against all odds, Ascot has been true to its word and the royal meeting will be back home next June. It has taken just one year to finish the £200 million project to create “the best race course in the world” which will be officially opened on the first day of Royal Ascot next year.

Architect Rod Sheard and a force of 600 workers have been working solidly for the 375 days since Ascot closed and were, at one stage, five weeks behind schedule. The towering new stand, six storeys high and 400 metres long is evidence that the work has happened.

The track was the only remaining doubt, but top jockey Jimmy Fortune returned satisfied from a test run. According to Fortune the bend, which has always been the main problem of Ascot’s track, has been nicely cambered and feels solid.

If Sheard’s previous projects are anything to go by, the Ascot redevelopment is sure to impress race-goers. His past commissions include the Millennium Stadium, Wembley and the Sydney Olympic Stadium.

Compared with the old Ascot, visitors will be able to move much more freely around the stands and feel much closer to the horses. A remarkable array of catering facilities, including a panoramic restaurant for 300 are also included in the plans. Direct escalators will run from all floors to paddock levels and horses will move from the paddock onto the course through a tunnel in the centre of the stand.

Starcraft to run in $4 million classic

Top US dirt horse Starcraft is set to run in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Belmont Park. The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner is entered for both the Classic and the Mile on October 29. Starcraft was a champion in Australia before transferring to Newmarket.

Optimistic news for Best Mate

Henrietta Knight is increasingly optimistic that the burst blood vessel episode which destroyed Best Mate’s attempt for a fourth consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup was a one-off. There has been no sign of a recurrence in the build-up to his comeback in 19 days’ time at Exeter convincing Knight that there is no reason why Best Mate should not return to contest the Gold Cup once again.

Stud cashes in on Bahamian Bounty

The National Stud is making the most of its newest treasure, Bahamian Bounty, by making available 40 shares in the stallion for £30,000 each, valuing him at £3 million. The stud will retain a 60% stake and has also decided to increase Bahamian Bounty’s stud fee from £6,000 to £10,000. The stud is also marketing 10 shares in its newest recruit, Bahamian Bounty’s son, Pastoral Pursuit at £20,000 each.

Rain ruins Rakiti’s chances

Rakiti may have run his last race in Britain and possibly the last race of his career after the rain that poured on Newmarket through Wednesday and Thursday effectively ended the horse’s participation in Saturday’s Champion Stakes. The six-year-old is one of 15 declared runners for the Emirates Airline-sponsored showpiece, but chances of him attempting to land the Newmarket prize he won in 2003 appeared slim on Thursday, after just over 12mm of rain.

Kinane suffers set back

Injured jockey Chris Kinane’s move to a rehabilitation hospital has been delayed after he underwent his 16th major operation since suffering horrific head injuries when kicked by a horse in the paddock at Wolverhampton six months ago. Kinane, who is the former assistant to Alvechurch trainer Ian Williams, was recently nominated in the ‘Pride of Racing’ initiative. Doctors hope this operation will be the last brain operation Kinane has to endure. He will remain in the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Birmingham while doctors wait for his condition to stabilise sufficiently for him to be moved.

Carter warned off

The Jockey Club has warned off former jockey Gary Carter for a period of five years and fined him £2,000 as part of its clampdown on race-fixing and other elements of the gambling industry. This case is the first to result from the Jockey Club’s new powers, obtained from the High Court, to examine private mobile phones and computer records of unlicensed individuals.

Lambourn gallops saved

The public gallops around Lambourne in Berkshire — the traditional home of National Hunt trainers — are to be bought and run by the Jockey Club. Owned by the Nugent family since the 1930s, the Mandown gallops are regularly used by 19 training yards. The Jockey Club will take over the 500 acres of grass and all-weather gallops and schooling grounds on 1 December.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Top jump jockey Jim Culloty, 31, has decided to hang up his racing boots after a hugely successful career, during which he partnered Best Mate to all three of his historic Gold Cup victories. His major wins also include the 2002 Grand National on Bindaree.

The jockey’s decision is understood to be due to health reasons. Culloty recently became a father for the first-time and has bought a farm in County Cork. His retirement has lead to extensive speculation about who will partner Best Mate when he returns to the track later this year.

A good week for

George Duffield, who received the Goodwood Lifetime Achievement award for 2005 from the Duke of Richmond at a lunch in London. The now-retired jockey has wins in the Sussex and Nassau Stakes to his name, so the recognition was well deserved.

But a bad week for

The British Horseracing Board (BHB), which has confirmed that it will not be appealing against the Court of Appeal’s decision to rule in favour of William Hill in the four-year saga surrounding a dispute about data rights. In a statement, The BHB has said it wishes to draw a line under the case and will be now be reviewing its future strategy.

Support for racing employees

The National Trainers’ Federation and the Stable Lads’ Association is looking to stamp out bullying and harassment on racing yards with the introduction of a joint agreement to tackle the problem. All training yards will receive a copy of the agreement, which covers all employees.

In addition, Racing Welfare and the Samaritans have launched a 24-hour telephone helpline for distressed stable employees, part-funded by the Racehorse Owners’ Association. The Samaritans organisation also hopes to offer management training to racing employers who are struggling with the pressure of personnel issues.

Chris Kinane trust fund

Racehorse owners are being asked to donate to the trust fund, set up to help severely injured assistant trainer Chris Kinane. The money will be used to provide him with the best medical attention during his slow recovery and help fund his rehabilitation. Full details of how to make a donation to the fund can be found at: www.chriskinanetrust.org

Racing hits the spot

Crowds in Britain are hitting new modern-day highs and a record crowd of 47,000 for the Irish Derby festival at The Curragh and a generally well-attended June boosted crowds there too, following a small decline in attendances compared with last year. It’s a long time since racing has been as popular with the public on both sides of the Irish Sea.

For all the latest racing reports see the latest issue of Horse & Hound 

Get up to 19 issues FREE

UK’s No1 weekly for Horses for Sale

Latest results and reports

TO SUBSCRIBE CLICK HERE

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate will not defend his title for a third time next week after he broke a blood vessel on the gallops this morning (Thursday 10 March).

The 10-year gelding was training on Mick Channon’s gallops in West Ilsley when he fell back. Trainer Henrietta Knight “immediately knew something was wrong”, according to a Cheltenham statement, and went to check him.

“He was pulled up and we found blood coming from both his nostrils,” says Knight. Best Mate had come down with a virus in January, which Knight feels may have caused the bleeding. “He has obviously not shaken [it] off,” she says.

As soon as she saw what happened, Knight decided to give the chaser plenty of time to recover. “[He] has never broken blood vessels in his life before and the vet said he needs to be put out in a field for a long rest,” she says.

Best Mate will not run again this season and will obviously miss the chance to win his fourth totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, which will take place on Friday 18 March. “It’s absolutely shattering but it is better that it happened on the gallops rather than at Cheltenham,” says Knight.

“Of course it’s a huge disappointment, particularly for the team that looks after Best Mate and they have a massive support group who see Best Mate as the symbol of an era,” says Cheltenham managing director, Edward Gillespie. “But let’s not overdramatise the situation. [Best Mate] was withdrawn because he was not 100%. Our major concern here is the welfare of the horse.”

The gelding, who has only ran once at Exeter and once at Leopardstown this season, was the odds-on favourite for the Gold Cup. The mantle has now passed on to Kingscliff, the eight-year-old trained by Robert Alner and ridden by Andrew Thornton, whose presence at Cheltenham was in doubt until a month ago due to a back problem.

“Come Friday, there will be another winner,” says Gillespie. “Kingscliff is a wonderful young horse. But there’s also plenty of others who could be worthy Cheltenham Gold Cup winners.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Best Mate has been crowned the British Horse Racing Board’’s Jump Horse of the Year at the board’’s inaugural Jump Racing Awards.

The nation’s darling, who achieved a historic third successive victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, to match the record of the great Arkle in the 1960s, was a fitting winner of the title.

As the star of Henrietta Knight’s stable, Best Mate raced himself into the public’s heart upon his first Cheltenham victory three years ago, and has been a hotly backed favourite in the race ever since, battling home to victory this year after an anxious moment when he was boxed in by eventual runner-up Sir Rembrandt.

The twelve awards to mark equine and human achievement in the 2003-2004 Jump Racing season were based on, and coincided with, the publication of the Anglo-Irish Classifications.

Each award was won by the highest-rated horse (or human) in the respective classification, providing the horse was trained in Britain or if not, achieved the category-topping rating on British racecourse.

Best Mate also took the title of Champion Three-Mile Chaser, dominating this category for the second year in a row.

Trainer Henrietta Knight said that they were “very proud and delighted that he has won the accolade.

“Matey is having a summer holiday in the field at the moment, and he won’t start being ridden again until the end of July. After that we’ll start thinking about his winter programme, and if the weather and ground is right, then his first outing is likely to be at Exeter in late November,” she added.

It was a clean sweep for Martin Pipe’s stable clan as far as the non-equine awards were concerned. Winning duo Martin Pipe and Tony McCoy took the champion trainer and jockey awards. This partnership came to an end with the end of the season as McCoy moves on to pastures new, but both will be keen to continue independently their long-standing positions at the head of the tables.

David Johnson’s fourth win as Champion Owner was testament to Martin Pipe’s unrivalled skills, as well as the businessman’s successful buying policy. Meanwhile, conditional jockey Jamie Moore took the conditional title, which is at least in part down to Martin Pipe’s firepower.

BHB Chairman Peter Savill said: “The launch of BHB’s Flat Awards earlier this year was universally welcomed, and provided much deserved official recognition of British Racing’s champions in 2003. I am in no doubt that the Jump Awards will have exactly the same impact.”

“There could not be a more fitting Horse of the Year than Best Mate, whose achievement of winning three Cheltenham Gold Cups in a row has for so long seemed out of reach of any horse in modern times.”

“He has shown everything that makes the sport great – fast and fluent jumping, talent and courage, as demonstrated at Cheltenham in March, when he really had to fight to win.”

BHB 2004 Jump Racing Awards

Champion Novice Hurdler Fundamentalist

Champion Novice Chaser Strong Flow

Champion Two-mile Hurdler Hardy Eustace

Champion Two-mile Chaser Azertyuiop/Moscow Flyer

Champion Two-and-a-half-mile Chaser Moscow Flyer

Champion Three-mile Chaser Best Mate

Champion Conditional Jamie Moore

Champion Jockey A P McCoy

Champion Trainer Martin Pipe

Champion Owner David Johnson

Horse of the Year Best Mate

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

By Tim Richards

Best Mate raced into history yesterday as he became a three-time winner of the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. He is the first horse to achieve the feat since Arkle completed the hat trick in 1966.

First Gold, under Thierry Doumen, set a quick pace and made the running for most of the race, but a bold jump at the second last put Best Mate in touch. There was an anxious moment as the nine-year-old was boxed in by Harbour Pilot and Sir Rembrandt, who had made fantastic progress on the outside, but Jim Culloty held on and Best Mate proved just too good.

Owner Jim Lewis admitted that during the nail-biting finish, he had been “preparing for the worst”.

“I was saying my prayers and looking up to heaven, asking my mum and dad for a bit of help. I was ready to lose and it will happen one day, but Jim got out of jail and our dreams live on for a bit longer,” he said.

Crossing the post only half a length behind the champion was Sir Rembrandt, a 33-1 outside chance. Only one-and-a-quarter lengths separated him from third placed Harbour Pilot.

A year of extensive treatment for an injury sustained last season has clearly paid off for Beef or Salmon. The eight-year-old had a great run to finish a close fourth. Keen Leader performed at nothing like his best, but stayed on to take sixth place behind First Gold.

Therealbandit was sent out with high hopes of emulating Captain Christy’s feat of 1974, when the novice won the race. Since then, 18 first season chasers have attempted to take the title, and none have succeeded. Therealbandit never really managed to convincingly shake off his novice status, and made a poor showing in the race.

Of the “Famous Four” who returned to Cheltenham this week to defend their titles, only “Matey” triumphed.

In the bonusprint.com Stayers’ Hurdle, Baracouda fought a valiant battle coming from behind, and at the second last, the crowd emitted an expectant roar. But his historic hat-trick was not to be, and revenge was sweet for Iris’ Gift. He turned the tables to defeat the defending champion, to whom he came home a close second in this race last year.

Earlier in the week, Irish outsider Hardy Eustace defeated hot favourite Rooster Booster to win the Smurfit Champion Hurdle. On Wednesday, Moscow Flyer’s occasionally erratic jumping let him down in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. He does however maintain his record of being unbeaten in his finishes.

One favourite who fulfilled his promise was jockey Ruby Walsh. He had started the festival at 5-2 to land the title, and confirmed his festival champion status when he returned victorious in the final race yesterday, the Victor O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle. On board a mount he had not been due to ride, this was his third win of the festival, and he was a popular man to be crowned leading festival jockey.

Trainer Paul Nicholls notched up four wins to take the title of leading trainer at the festival, but the real champion was undoubtedly Best Mate.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Best Mate’s runaway victory in today’s Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup was delivered in the style of a true champion.

After the magnificent eight-year-old had cantered over his field for a 10-length victory his ecstatic trainer Henrietta Knight said with a beaming smile: “He is not a horse in a million – he’s a horse in several million.”

Best Mate became the first horse since L’Escargot in 1971 to win back-to-back Gold Cups. But forget that statistic, he didn’t just win, he pulverized the best chasers in England and Ireland, coming home 10 lengths ahead of Truckers Tavern, with Harbour Pilot two-and-a-half lengths back in third.

He jumped into the lead coming down the hill three fences from home with Jim Culloty swinging off him. The moment he touched down safely the crowd roared. They knew they were witnessing history.

Sure enough Best Mate skipped over the penultimate fence and the cheering reached a crescendo as he jumped the last. Culloty said: “The only thing going through my mind was ‘don’t deck him’.

“On the run-in the crowd was going madand I thought perhaps there was something coming to challenge me. With the sun in my eyes I was looking for shadows and I couldn’t see any.”

Ms Knight says Best Mate, who started 13-8 favourite, will have two runs next season, one in the King George V1 Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, before returning to bid for his Gold Cup hat-trick.

The last horse to achieve that was the mighty Arkle, arguably the greatest steeplechaser there has ever been. At this stage it would be going over the top to put Best Mate in the same bracket as the Irish legend.

But Ms Knight has insisted: “Best Mate always thinks he is Arkle.” In 12 months time it may not be unrealistic to draw a comparison between the two. Best Mate is already as short as 6-4to make it three in a row.

Much of the Irish interest vanished when second favourite Beef Or Salmon fell at the third fence. But take nothing away from Best Mate. This was the coronation of a true champion.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Best Mate and Tony McCoy returned to a hero’s welcome after winning the Pertemps King George V1 Chase in front of a massive Boxing Day crowd at Kempton.

McCoy, who had earlier broken his own record for the fastest 200 winners in a season on Lord Sam, stood high in his stirrups, punched the air and on dismounting declared: “This horse will not need to improve to win a second Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.

“If he does improve on this I think I’ll have to kidnap his regular jockey Jim Culloty!” he added with a laugh. “No, seriously, Jim has done a lot for Best Mate and it’s his ride.”

McCoy had finished second on Best Mate behind Florida Pearl in last year’s King George and returned afterwards to say he would have won if he’d ridden the horse before.

This time he called on his mount’s stamina and Best Mate responded with a compelling show of class and guts in rain-soaked ground which made the Sunbury course no place for faint hearts.

Best Mate was brilliant over the final three fences and as the Nicky Henderson-trained pair Marlborough and Bacchanal attacked him all the way up the home straight there was never a moment when he was going to be thwarted.

He battled away for a determined one and a half-length triumph over Marlborough with Bacchanal four lengths back in third.

Bookmakers reacted by making Best Mate around 2-1 favourite to win his second Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. McCoy added: “He is getting very professional and is the model racehorse.”

Trainer Henrietta Knight was absent at Wincanton where she saddled Edredon Bleu to win the big race at the Somerset track. Her husband former champion jockey Terry Biddlecombe had spoken to Hen on the mobile “several times” in the first few minutes of post-race euphoria.

The superstitious Ms Knight hardly ever watches her horses in action, particularly the stars, and the incorrigible Biddlecombe roared: “I’m not sure how much of the race Hen saw, but she says she saw me on the winners’ rostrum with myarm round a pretty promotional girl!”

He went on: “Hen has done a wonderful job with Best Mate, putting so much work into the horse and looked after him so well. You won’t see Best Mate now until the Gold Cup. This was only his ninthchase and we won’t burn him out, we want him to last for two or three more seasons.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now