Best Mate produced an impressive performance to win the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup this afternoon. It was a first Gold Cup triumph for jockey Jim Culloty, trainer Henrietta Knight and owner Jim Lewis.
The seven-year-old, tackling the trip of three and a quarter miles for the first time took the blue riband event of steeplechasing by a length and three-quarters from Irish raider Commanche Court. See More Business, the winner in 1999, was eight lengths further back in third.
"I always said he was the perfect racehorse. Jim always had him in the right place," Miss Knight told Channel 4.
Looks Like Trouble, the defending champion, made it a true test as he and See More Business set a punishing pace with Lord Noelie, a stable companion of the winner, and Florida Pearl heading the chasing pack. There was little change in the order as the race began in earnest on the second circuit. Looks Like Trouble was a spent force four fences from home as See More Business went on, but Best Mate was going ominously well for Culloty on the inside.
Commanche Court also threw down the gauntlet but Best Mate touched down two lengths in front at the last and had enough stamina to hold a former Irish National winner on the punishing climb to the line.
Commanche Court's trainer Ted Walsh was gracious in defeat: "It is so hard to win a Gold Cup, you see people here for 25 years, 50 years never good enough to win one. I hope I'll get my turn but it was a privilege to be second to such a good horse and beat a Gold Cup winner. But I must say I'm heartbroken at the moment. It was a wonderful occasion and I'm delighted he ran so well and I only hope to get back here again some day."
Nicholls was overjoyed with the run of his veteran See More Business. He said: "It's like winning it all over again. Delighted with him and
obviously a very good young horse has won the race, he's a star of the future. See More's been there and won the race and I was just elated for the horse to come out and run so well. Joe gave him a fantastic ride.
Filed by Laura Reynolds
