The racing world was in shock on Tuesday following the death of triple Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Best Mate of a suspected heart attack on his seasonal return at in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter.
Jockey Paul Carberry tracked the leader Ashley Brook for the first half of the race on Henrietta Knight's triple Gold Cup winner but he started to nudge the horse on as the leaders moved clear.
The jockey began to ease him in the home straight, eventually pulling him up, and screens were swiftly put up around him.
The Grade Two contest went to the Philip Hobbs-trained Monkerhostin (10-1), who romped away under Richard Johnson to a comfortable four-length success over Kauto Star.
Knight's husband and assistant Terry Biddlecombe said: "Paul is a good jockey and he knew something was wrong. The only consolation is it was pretty instantaneous and he wouldn't have felt any pain."
Best Mate had been forced to miss an attempt at a fourth consecutive Gold Cup when he burst a blood vessel in his final workout before the big race.
He had not raced in public since finishing second in the Lexus chase at Leopardstown last Christmas, but connections had reported that all had been well with the 10-year-old in his
preparations for his reappearance.
Henrietta Knight said: "I have ridden a horse before who suffered a heart attack while I was on board and I have to say this looks reminiscent of that. The legs go, they wobble and then they go down.
"I was actually on the track where he came down and I was the first one there. I knew immediately he had died. As I saw him go down I knew I was seeing a dead horse and I just wanted it
to be over as quickly as possible.
"I am very proud of him - he looked an absolute picture today
on a course he loved. He was a joy to work with and a privilege to train.
"Obviously I am very sorry for the jockey and for Mr and Mrs Lewis, who are distraught. It is probably harder for a lot of people watching the race than it is for Terry and I, as we are more used to this sort of thing happening."
"He was a very, very popular horse with a tremendous following and now there is a big vacuum."
Best Mate had his first success at Sandown in the Ewell Novices' Hurdle in December 1999. Later that season he finished second in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and followed that up with victory in the Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree.
The following year he was successful again at the Liverpool venue in the Martell Aintree Hurdle. In the 2001-2002 season, Florida Pearl got the better of him in the King George at Kempton, but the following March he turned in an impressive performance to claim the first of his three Gold Cups.
Best Mate also landed the King George in 2002; the Ericsson Chase (now the Lexus Chase) in 2003 and the William Hill Chase at Exeter last season.
