Posted on 11/01/2005 7:35:00 PM PST by N. Beaujon
HORSE racing lost one of its greatest champions in action yesterday when triple Gold Cup winner Best Mate suffered a suspected heart attack on his return to action at Exeter.
Trainer Henrietta Knight was first on the scene after jockey Paul Carberry - riding the ten-year-old for the first time - dismounted after the fourth-last fence of the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup when it became clear the horse was struggling.
Screens were quickly erected around the stricken Best Mate, but vets were unable to save the gelding, who amassed more than £1 million in prize-money, having won 14 and finished runner-up in seven of his 22 races.
Best Mate had been forced to miss an attempt at a fourth consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup in March when he burst a blood vessel in his final workout before the big race.
He had not raced in public since finishing second in Ireland last Christmas, but connections had reported all had been well in his preparations for his reappearance. He even won the prize for best-turned out runner prior to yesterday's race, although his lack of a recent run meant he started the race at odds of 12-1 - his biggest starting price since making a winning debut in 1999 at a National Hunt Flat race at Cheltenham - scene of his successive Gold Cup triumphs from 2002-2004.
"It's just something that nobody could have foreseen but he was a great horse and he always will be a great horse," said Knight. "I don't imagine that any other horse will win three Gold Cups in our lifetime....
(Excerpt) Read more at sport.scotsman.com ...
wha' happened... is John Kerry OK?
lol. I'm sorry I meant to post that to the Saddle club. Dont know how it ended up on general chat but your comment is funny!
Anne
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