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What a choker
National hunt racing can take you to incredible highs and then flips you over and makes you think how you can ever like the bloody sport .
RIP
My God I can’t believe this. I just got back from my lectures and knew something was wrong, and it was like I expected the headline I saw on the front page of the RP…
I’m glad I chose my lectures over going to Haldon today. :(
Gutted. He was my favourite steeplechaser in recent years, and remained so despite criticism of his connections etc. What a tragic and undeserved end.
Still can’t believe it. R.I.P Best Mate.
Been in NYC for the Breeders Cup and thought I’d sign in to see how the proper racing was going – it goes without saying that this is a terrible shock. My heart goes out to all concerned.
Sick as a chip. :(
A fantastically good looking horse, real stamp of a chaser.
Regardless of the debate on how good a chaser he actually was, and how good the horses were that he beat, he won 3 Cheltenham Gold Cups, and nobody can ever take that away from him. A remarkable achievment.
R.I.P. Matey.
Absolutly terrible news.
You never know what’s around the corner in Racing, be it good, bad, or devastating.
What a horse – all our thoughts should be with all connections, especially Hen, Terry & Jim – thanks for all the memories.
:( RIP.
(Edited by Jay Torbitt at 4:51 pm on Nov. 1, 2005)
Hello there,
I found out the breaking news via the RSS feed I have to and from the BBC website – some of the bileous, callous comments on the Forums there have to be read to be (dis)believed.
Connections have, of course, been berated in many quarters for not running Best Mate more frequently per season, so there could be a horrible irony read into the horse perishing in his first race in what was mooted as going to be potentially a busier campaign for him than usual.
Opportunistic snipes will point out that all the kid gloves treatment and keeping of the horse from the track for fear of injury, etc. couldn’t save him from meeting his tragic end today, but that’s really not helpful talk. If something, be that a genetic predisposition or cruel fate, decreed that Best Mate was going to die aged ten, I can’t imagine how the manner in which he was raced (or not raced) up to today would have influenced that more.
There is already talk on the same forum of Cheltenham renaming the Gold Cup after him. I don’t know whether that would be wholly appropriate, as if any horse were to have that honour bestowed on him it would surely have been Arkle, but something along the lines of the Pillar Chase could always carry his name in the fullness of time.
R.I.P. Best Mate – not THE great, but A great, and for that we honour your memory now and always.
Jeremy<br>(graysonscolumn)
(Edited by graysonscolumn at 4:59 pm on Nov. 1, 2005)
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
A terrible loss to racing, connections and the racing fans. He will be remembered fondly though and go down as a great of his era with his 3 gold cup wins.
so sad nice touch that he will be buried at exeter.i would also like to spare a thought for paul carberry he must be feeling like you would not believe.
R.I.P.  BEST MATE
Absolutely gutted. I never saw the horse in the flesh, but even so it was so obvious he was a stunning animal to look at and had a fantastic attitude.
Such a shame for it to end like this, and I really feel for connections. For Hen, Terry and Jim but in a way more so for Jackie Jenner and his new lass. Also, as Keith said, for Paul Carberry, a really sad end to what I thought was a fascinating horse/jockey combination.
I’m still numb about it to be honest but will be raising a glass to him tonight and no doubt will shed a tear or two.
grey, as a matter of interest I checked out that board.<br>I almost thought I was on the BF forum, but even they tend not to cast their nets that far out.<br>Sick isn’t really the word. Pathetic is more the word.
Carberry must feel distraught. The horse was not given any more than a reasonable blow-out, everyone knew why he was there. No-one can aportion blame to anyone here. It was merely a tragic, unpredictable, turn of events. No more than that.
What can I say? totally gutted and numb, I can’t believe he’s gone, I’d rather have him still with us even if he were never to win another race, what a jumper of obstacles he was, best I’ve seen, a very special horse and true champion, he will be sadly missed by everyone concerned and involved in racing.
RIP Best Mate
<br>
(Edited by Jim JTS at 10:27 pm on Nov. 1, 2005)
What awful news.
I switched on the radio in my van when leaving a customer to hear Clare Balding being interviewed and saying things about how sad it was, and I just knew that it must be about Best Mate dying.
Even sadder when you think about the horse’s connections, such a grand bunch.
A true Champ.<br>Some very nice comments on here,  the horse deserves every one.<br>A chaser to admire, his 2003 Gold Cup win sticks with me like it was yesterday, skipping up the Cheltenham hill…… I feel priviledged to share in his memorable achievements.<br>Thanks Matey.
Terrible news.I first heard at 3.30 and I havent stopped crying since.My heart goes out to Hen,terry ,Jim and Valerie.<br>Thank you Matey for the three wonderful Gold cup wins .At least in my lifetime I witnessed that and also the three Grand National wins by Red Rum…….Fantastic.
My season (life) centres around the Gold Cup, so to witness a triple winner first hand was amazing, thank you Best Mate, even backed him (on looks) in the bumper he won at Cheltenham.
Total class, jumped, travelled and tough. Bar a bad ride and F&M he would have won at 5 consecutive festivals.
More pictures of Matey in my house than my missus says it all!<br>
   When Hen & Terry first set their eyes on the horse in the mist, they couldent  have believed the horse in the field was to be such an influence on the world of jump racing & the lives of so many of us.<br>     Rest in peace Matey,never to be forgotten.
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