Best Mate (born 25 January, 1995 in Ireland, died 1 November, 2005) was a famous British racehorse and three times winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He was considered and treated as one of the most loved horses in the history of British Isles horse racing, with his sudden death while racing coming as a great shock and cause for mourning amongst millions of people after pictures of his last moments were front page news.

The horse was owned by Jim Lewis and trained by Henrietta Knight.

Best Mate won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2004 with jockey Jim Culloty, matching the record of Arkle, but was withdrawn from the 2005 race eight days before the race itself having burst a blood vessel on the gallops. He also missed the 2001 festival due to the foot and mouth crisis where he was red hot favourite for the Arkle Novices Chase.

Best Mate collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack after being pulled up by jockey Paul Carberry whilst competing in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter on November 1, 2005.

EU regulations prevented the burial of his body on the Exeter course as Lewis and many racing fans desired. Instead Best Mate was cremated and his ashes buried beside the winning post at Cheltenham Racecourse on December 10, 2005. Lewis was in attendance even though his wife, Valerie, had died on December 8 after a 7 month battle against cancer. ^*

External link

• Times obituary

famous horses | Thoroughbred racehorses | Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom | Racehorses bred in Ireland

National Hunt racehorses | Famous horses