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I know this was never to have happend but had Best Mate raced Moscow Flyer in a big Grade 1 chase over 2 and a half miles (the Melling Chase at Aintree springs to mind) who would of won? Both horses had won races over 2 miles 4 furlongs before and such a race would of decided the best chaser of the early/mid-noughties This race would of been the race of the early 21st century had it been pulled off. It would of been similar to the proposed Montjeu/Dubai Millemium that was talked about but was never to have taken place. I would of loved to have seen a class between Best Mate and Moscow Flyer and millions of other NH fans would have too.
Agreed. Moscow would have hammered Best Mate over 2m4f. Was a far superior beast imo…
The most important factor in any race is the ground. Moscow Flyer won at Aintree twice over 2 1/2 miles I believe, but against moderate opponenets on good ground. Best Mate could not be described as moderate in anyone’s book
If we are talking about the time of the year when the ground is most likely to be soft or Heavy my cash would be firmly on Best Mate. Moskow Flyer would be reaching the end of his tetherwith 2 to jump and Best Mate has enough class to take the spoils.
History has proven time and time again the speed 2mile horses very seldom wins these clashes.
History has proven time and time again the speed 2mile horses very seldom wins these clashes.
Maybe you’re right, FoF.
Remittance Man, Viking Flagship, Edredon Bleu, Flagship Uberalles, Direct Route, Native Upmanship, Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop, Monets Garden etc etc etc. All of them generally useless over 2m4f, and at the mercy of stayers over such a trip.
I seldom use this emoticon, but……..
are we assuming that Moscow Flyer doesn’t fall in this contest, something that Best Mate would be very unlikely to do – and wasn’t there a time when it was debated as to whether Best Mate would stay 3 miles. I was someone who adored Moscow Flyer and didn’t feel a great deal for Best Mate, and, in retrospect I think it was because Best Mate was too perfect and reliable and therefore wasn’t very exciting…..I wish I could see into the future and see how Best Mate will be viewed in 20 years time…
Remind me again. How many times did Moscow Flyer unseat or fall after the Champion Chase won by Azertyuiop (where he was far too fresh anyway, having not raced for three months)?
In 20 years time, they’ll be saying the same thing as they are saying now.
Moscow Flyer had immeasurably better form in the book than Best Mate did, and over 2m4f it would have been no contest.
I think FOF is right about the ground and that could have swung things. Also not mentioned is the course. 2m 4f at aintree is a lot different to Cheltenham say
Definatelt MF at Aintree. Cheltenham might have been "Mateys" (cue groans…)
Moscow Flyer over 2m4 (if he stays on his feet!) would have destroyed Matey. Over the Melling Chase C&D it would look embarrassing. You would need Ryanair C&D before it would get anything like interesting.
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I think it also depends on what ‘Moscow’ turned up…
Great horse. A legend in fact – but anyone who watched some of his Irish races would see that he made hard work beating some moderate opposition at times.
Best Mate in the season of his 2nd Gold Cup – would have given him a very good race in the Ryanair – fast pace, good ground, he would have been staying on up that hill like a train. Don’t forget, he was favourite for the Arkle, and if not for foot and mouth, he may have won it – then maybe people would not question his turn of foot.
Not to say he would have got within 12 lengths of Moscow over 2 miles – but the further they went, the better his chance would have been – would have been a great spectacle.Its funny how Best Mate is viewed. Okay in the last season of the triple Gold Cup, he was not vinatge and it took all the class he had to win the 3rd GC when not at his best and on a downward slope. But for some reason, this is what people remember – not the top class runs from earlier in his career.
How about if you turned it the other way round – brought it 4 furlongs closer to Best Mate’s optimuim trip, 2 miles 6 furlongs – and 6 furlongs out of Moscow’s comfort range – on good/ good to soft at Cheltenham? What do people think?
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History has proven time and time again the speed 2mile horses very seldom wins these clashes.
Maybe you’re right, FoF.
Remittance Man, Viking Flagship, Edredon Bleu, Flagship Uberalles, Direct Route, Native Upmanship, Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop, Monets Garden etc etc etc. All of them generally useless over 2m4f, and at the mercy of stayers over such a trip.
I seldom use this emoticon, but……..
C’mon Grassy, even you can’t claim half of the above list to be 2 milers?
History has proven time and time again the speed 2mile horses very seldom wins these clashes.
Maybe you’re right, FoF.
Remittance Man, Viking Flagship, Edredon Bleu, Flagship Uberalles, Direct Route, Native Upmanship, Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop, Monets Garden etc etc etc. All of them generally useless over 2m4f, and at the mercy of stayers over such a trip.
I seldom use this emoticon, but……..
Listen to Bruce Grasshopper you are a long way from taking the pebble out of my hand.
None of the above got into a champion v champion clash like this.
You don’t get many for obvious reasons
The most famous one was
Dunkirk V Arkle at kempton
2.2 furlong later Dunkirk had gone such a pace Arkle trying to hsake arke he had nothing left in the tank. Unfortuanetly he fell and was killed but Arkle had already swept past him at the time.
Running against a top class horse is a lifetime of differnece to winning over 2.4m on good ground against a bunch of no hopers.
The pace is stronger and the trip becomes much harder to get.
Moscow Flyer was all over a 2 mile horse they ran at Aintree because it was easy puckings and the ground suited them.
The only time he ran on soft over the trip he was beaten easily.
Best Mate was the horse they said was a 2 1/2 to 3 mile horse and said wouldn’t get the Gold Cup trip. He was no slouch over 2 1/2 having finished 2nd to Barton when he was all wrong at Aintree,
Moscow Flyer won a lot of very bad races at very short prices. He also won good races but never by far. Azertyuiop 1 1/2 lengths….Well Chief 2 lengths for example.
He was and always will be a top class 2 mile chaser. Put him in against a Horse like Best Mate who was a triple Gold Cup Winner ( not some mickey mouse no hoper) over 2 1/2 in soft or heavy he simply have way too many guns for him. as Moscow just wouldn’t get the trip.
This is an easy one to answer- Best Mate would have won [Nap]
Anyone who said that MF would have won easily is seriously deluded or,more likely, just a hater of Best Mate
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