Best mate the legend

[bobsleighist]

SIMPLY THE BEST, WE ALL MISS YOU.XXX

[makkano1]

the best horse ever, superb tribute aswell to him, such a shame he died so early. A true legend theres not many horses that have been able to do what hes and not many that will ever be able to do what hes done

[shaolin69ninja]

because of timeform they said he would have been rated closer to arkle but he had not run in enough handicaps which i a joe he was too good to run in handicaps. probibly the second best horse only to flying bolt shame timeform did not get his rating right

[12313728]

what a horse.ever time matey ran i backed him.1st gold cup odds i had 9/1 wow.anyway 3 gold cups is wicked,unlucky kauto star,but not quite good enough.best mate will always be remember by us.thank you jim and god bless you val.(r.i.p) im 31 years old and im 100% sure i will never see a other horse win 3 gold cups in a row.now thats saying somethink!! thats a proper,well breed,keen,trainned for it,horse too do it,thats why matey did it,bless you best mate.xx

[12313728]

is still waiting for a other horse since best mate too win 3 cheltenham gold cups.i will say this now,im sure i will never see a other horse win 3 gold cups back too back like best mate did in my life time.kauto star was close,but you have got too win 3 on the bounce too be any where as good as best mate.r.i.p matey!! a once in a life time horse!!

[KaylaFutureCowgirl10]

Best Mate i misss u :'( ... u were the best that there ever waz .... very good video

U WILL NEVER B 4GOTEN

[foriamonlyahorse2]

THAT is how hard it is to win THREE Gold Cups!! I backed Imperial Commander today...horses for courses...Cheltenham is a killer & it takes a special one to win there time & time again.

So glad to see KS get up though in what was a horrific fall. Could have easily ended in tragedy.

RIP Matey..the ignorant will still crow you were ordinary...you beat fields of high class horses..not just one or two!

[tinsleylol]

Denman for tomorrow, he's the best after Best Mate!

[looksliketouble]

best mate best jumper ive seen brave as a lion but would never have beaten jairdu cochet in the gold cup if he wasnt killed 2 weeks b4 the race ive bundles of respect 4 best mate 3 time gold cup winner but if you watch jairdu cochet win the old pillar at cheltenham he found gears and SPRINTED away frm the field b4 you all send me hate mail its only my opinion anyway on this day we see jairdu cochet mark 11 long run the next star horse frm france ps this has been wrote b4 2days rsa chase

[katherinepennels123]

Absolutely amazing horse,what a legend!!

may he R.I.P

[philip1mus]

best mate never fell he never unseated and was never outside the first 2 apart from his last race of course. and after watching all of his races on dvd he made 1 mistake in all his races where he hit the top of a fence my argument here is if you are comparing the 2 how well would best mate and kauto star have done back in the 60s when fences were bigger but more importantly more solid i think best mates record jumping wise would look the same but kauto star would have had one race over fences.

[azertyuiop32]

the only mistake i remember best mate making was in the lexus when he got beat from beef ot salmon. is this the mistake you are talking about.

best mates best attribute was his jumping. he was so athletic and his jumping must have gained him so many lengths in races. considering he won 3 gold cups plus denied a fourth he was very under rated.

[skyandkit]

I remeber getting in the car after school and my dad telling me he had died.

Very very sad, RIP Best Mate!

[Gplusrdsquared]

Lost a lot of money on Best Mate, because he wasn't quite textbook. I still feel more sorry for Henrietta Knight, she has gone downhill since.

[5overlord]

Best Mate would have proven to be a formidable opponent to any staying chaser we've seen ( other than Arkle, of course). Having said that, if he was competing in this year's Gold Cup I have him down for a 3rd place finish.

[foriamonlyahorse2]

@5overlord Well his proud colours were never lowered at Cheltenham so who's to say he would not have pulled out a little more...horses for courses.

[SIDESLAM]

LEGEND and very much missed.

Simon holt shouting home ''3 GOLD CUPS !!!!

Will be with me for life, what a horse, R-I-P Matey

Thanks for the good times.

[mazza2210]

won me a lot of money did best mate

[guccilittlepiggy1]

0.49 is an amazing picture....my fav horse of all time....bloody love ya...

[sigball]

kauto star...hes a plater isnt he?

[dailystar1]

Plater??,,,yout having a laugh arnt you..hes a 3 time gold cup winner hes rated in the high 170's how can he be a plater????

[dazwald]

A galloper.... Kauto would have done a 10 length job on him on the bit.

[pureirish1988]

greatest of this generation!!!!!!!!

[cutiehorseybabe]

great horse

not as good as dessie if i saw so my self but no one is in my life we need a new champion just like dessie and best mate .he was a great horse full of strength RIP

[horsegirl1414]

best mate amazin rip x

[aaronphelan]

Superb! fantastic image of Jim Culloty holding his three fingers in the air. brings back some brilliant memories. Best Mate was a champion and Jim Culloty a real gentleman. Always gracious in victory and defeat.

[lurcherdog13]

The handicapper also rated Master Minded 2lb above Dessie...what a laugh that was!!! The handicapper does not take into account a horses courage or will to win - Best Mate & Dessie pulled it out when it was required - BOTH are better than people think!

[azertyuiop32]

well said lurcherdog. average horses dont win 3 gold cups, good horses dont win 3 gold cups.

GREAT horses win 3 gold cups. thats what best mate was.

[decades0fexperience]

very true. This horse best mate was one of the best jumpers of a fence for many a year. Take his 2004 gold cup triumph - how many horses could have been knocked about then have his stride cut short at a crucial stage, then get himself back on balance and meet the 2nd last fence so perfectly. Cheltenham is all about balance and momentum and to take that fence like that was pure natural talent.

[Bogeyman100200]

As much I loved Dessie  - To Kauto - i relly love Kauto

Denman was better and so classsy

[lurcherdog13]

All those know it all know nothings!! Where are you now..making up excuses for Kauto Star?

The Gold Cup is a murderous race & it takes an amazing horse to win once, but a truly very tough & special one to win THREE times!!

Denman may achieve this, who knows, but those who dissed Best Mate now hang your ignorant heads in shame!!!

[lurcherdog13]

Very over-rated? He was rated 179 - that was his rating - what's wrong with that? Every trainer in the country would love a 179 rated chased in their yard!

Best Mate needed looking after as quite fragile. His trainer clearly knew this & fate was to prove this to be so true.

An even more remarkable horse in that case - 3 tough Gold Cup wins & a King George (plus runner-up) - only a complete sad & ignorant tw*t would diss that.

[aquamarineeyes]

I completely agree with u lurcherdog. Any horse that wins one Gold Cup is good but winning three is nothing short of amazing. In saying that though, would Matey have beaten Burrough Hill Lad or Desert Orchid at their peaks? Don't think he would've. Nonetheless, Matey was something special. In my opinion he never got the manic adulation of Dessie.

[lurcherdog13]

The Gold Cup, as I mentioned, is an extremely tough race that really takes it out of a horse. Best Mate may have lacked the tip top class of a Dessie or Kauto, but he was still a high class horse with a great appetite for the complexities of Cheltenham.

I think with Dessies good looks, colour, exhibition style jumping & his charisma any horse would struggle to compete with him. Best Mate would have probably beaten Dessie around Cheltenham but not Kempton. BHL would have been more difficult.

[aquamarineeyes]

again I agree with u. Dessie hated left handed tracks. I had to laugh recently when I read that if Dessie & Burrough Hill Lad had raced The Grand National their weights would've been 12st 2lbs (for Dessie) & 12st 5lbs (for BHL). Why did the handicapper need to stick the knife in all the time? What was Arkle's weight again? Something like 14st? lol!

[lurcherdog13]

I see the HC point as BHL put in the odd brilliant performance whereas Dessie was consistently good at the top level over many years.

The handicapper also said Dessie could not give 2 staone & a beating to TOP CLASS Delius in the Racing Post handicap - he was right..he gave him 2 stone & an absolute hammering going away by 8 lengths! The third horse Seagram who won the National the next year, received 2 stone 7lb was beaten 19 lengths!

Dessie would have dealt with whatever was served up!

[dailystar1]

spot on mate..some trainers would even like horses rated anywhere above a hundred!! let alone the high 170's

[thommobhoy]

Doesn't come close to Moscow Flyer for sheer quality.

Won three gold cups in a very poor era of staying chasers. Just look at Sir Rembrandt for example. He wouldn't get to within 20lbs of Kauto Star.

Very overrated and the real racing punters know it.

[arklehimself]

Truly clueless comment from thommobhoy.

Who was third in Kauto Stars Gold Cup? A horse rated 20lb below Sir Rembrandt at his best. The close up sixth horse was old man Monkerhosten who does not stay 3m2f.

If you can crab winning three gold cups then you must be a warped, empty hearted & sad insecure individual with no true love of racing - REAL racing fans APPRECIATE Best Mate.

[arklehimself]

Oh, by the way, Moscow Flyer was the best of his generation over 2-2.5m, & yes he was more classy...but so what? Matey was a stayer & was well above average...just spolit at the moment with an exceptional one in KS & previously with DO.

[lurcherdog13]

RIP Matey - those who do not recognise your achievements of THREE Gold Cup wins have no place in racing.

I watched you go down & just like Persian Punch, it broke my heart.

:o(

[blazeingglory]

bril song

[blazeingglory]

i hate his trainer as he should hav stoped racing he was amazing i loved him RIP

[SexyBear77]

You retard- so you've met Hen Knight then? Worked on her yard? Seen how she treats her horses? Nope, didnt think so. Just to put you straight, she is a lovely, highly experienced trainer, and her horses are looked after like royalty. Do you really think he would have won 3 Gold Cups if the trainer didnt know what they were doing?

[prestonwasntmad]

Well said I worked for Hen in 2001 her horses are her babies she thinks the world of them. She's the kindest woman to her horses. Not many other trainers go around at ten at night feeding all 70 of her horses polos!!!

For all you muppets that don't know about racing you should keep your traps shut.

[punditpete]

If you worked for Hen then obviously you have an idea of her training methods and how she approaches the racing game.

This is only my opinion so please dont shot me but from a punters point of view I think she tells the jockey to go easy on the horses and not give them a hard time. I backed a horse of hen's today at market rasen. The horse was 16/1 and luckily for me finished third each way. It finished very well after being held up a full 30 lengths of the pace. beaten about 7 lengths in end.

[mckeever1]

legend of a horse..video ruined with that poxy song.....come onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

[russelltrigger]

Great Horse!!

Despite a Villa fan still a shame!

[lambrini35]

a great horse

[bish610]

This song is rigth 4 this horse. he died in the race my dad had a runner in ashley brook. best mate the greatest horse to of lived put is heart into racing. Tht horse made racing. Now racing must pay him back. I love this horse he will never be 4goten

[lurcherdog13]

Ashley Brook - the horse that should be where Kauto Star is now. Crushed a future Gold Cup winner by 24L.

I watched him beat Backbeat at Exeter by 30L on the bit. I backed him at 20-1 to win 2005 Arkle & that mistake at the last & being cut up on the run in cost him. Cost me too as had he won I would have won the Sun King Of The Punters competetion...lost by 6 pts only in 6th place!!

If they sort his confidence problems then he could win Champ. Chase this year.

[DirkyBoy101]

Best Mate was a great horse. Best Mate almost looks like one of the horses at my barn, a dark bay thoroughbred named Encore

[peepipe]

Met Mr Lewis yesterday whilst working. (Best Mate's owner) Told him that I really missed Best Mate. He said there will be another of his horses running in the spring of next year called Great Mate so watch this space.

[HeckyPeck94]

That song is so sad, it really matches the video. Nearlly made me cry, how sad :(

RIP Best Mate - Such a special little pony :(:(

[Speedy4527]

A fantastic achievement. A loss to the game too soon.

[XxNuttyMareXx]

R.I.P Best Mate. Sleep well old boy. We love you <3

[stevanroth]

What a legend, up the Villa.

[horselover100]

lovely horse, we will miss u!

[pur3alex]

its sooo sad i loved best mate cos he was a legend

[niccihutchings88]

best mate was a very brave horse with a big heart, i was at exeter when he died and i can safely say that there wasnt a dry eye on the course but when racing demon won the next race hennrietta could hold back the tears no longer and it was a very touching moment.

[shamardal84]

The best of my time <3

[Buttons02]

True Fuckin Brilliant racing Ledgend Luv U!XXX

[123charmed]

like ur video

[117th]

Fantastic horse I agree, and super pics, but what the hell is the story with that stupid bloody Brian Adams track???

[dannyatom]

it was the only track that fitted the video

[hazzyp666]

best mate was the best horse ive ever see

missin ya matey

[Emsibuddy2]

This video really shows who Best Mate really was. A legend. I miss him so much. Thanks for making this video.

RIP Matey

[Kelse99]

Best mate will never compare to the likes of Arkle, Golden Miller and Tied Cottage, i dont think he compares to L'Esgargot either, he was a great horse though, a handsome bugger with a fluid jump, but i could never see this horse give 2 1/2 stone to Gold cup contenders and still beat them like Arkle did, he will go down in history but not the best ever known, maybe if injury and ilness hadnt of prevented him from his 4th GC try it may have changed my opinion, missin ya matey

[thommobhoy]

nice vid m8 but it was nowhere near the best horse ever. Moscow Flyer was a much better chaser through Best Mates days.

[dannyatom]

i would like to point out that out of all the race that best mate raced in he only came lower the 2nd in 1 which is the one he died in

[myBabeyPony]

@dannyatom Very true. ^  And he was "the best mate"

[MrConnolly25]

@thommobhoy you cant compare moscow flyer and best mate as moscow flyer was'nt a staying chaser he was a 2 miler and visually 2 milers always look more impressive as the races are faster and shorter if you made a match race say at a fairer distance of 2 1/2 miles best mate would have wiped the floor with moscow also best mate was a much better jumper as moscow unseated his jockey a few times and to top it off moscow never won 3 succesive championship races at cheltenham matey was imperious

[thommobhoy]

@MrConnolly25 wiped the floor with moscow? LOL.... im not even going to bother replying to that... do you forget the melling chase moscow won over 2m4f??... best mate beat handicappers to win his 3rd gold cup, FACT.

[MrConnolly25]

@thommobhoy moscow may have won the melling but thats at aintree not cheltemham and i dont recall best mate being in opposition i think the second time he won it he had unseated at the festival aintrees 2m4f is an easy 2m4f as you know.the real fact is best mate was a far better jumper than moscow flyer and the facts will always state best mate won 3 succesive gold cups moscow did not win 3 succesive champion chases.another fact is moscow flyer was a great just not as great as best mate

[thommobhoy]

@MrConnolly25 im sorry mate but you are way wrong here.... ask any true national hunt racing fan who the classier horse was and 9 out of 10 will say Moscow Flyer. Moscow won a champion chase at the age of 11 against two of the best 2 mile chasers we have seen in the modern era (Well Chief & Azertyioup) and he did it very easily aswell. Best Mate only just beat Sir Rembrandt to win a 3rd gold cup with Truckers Tavern back in 3rd... I mean, come on... Point proven.

[XxLadyClaireXx]

RIP Matey

[XxSexySamwisexX]

good, amazin, Nice pics though! I WANNA HORSE NOW!

[dannyatom]

Plz comment on this video to let me no how 2 improve it

[Aldaniti]

Nice one Dannyatom. This is the first time I've looked at Youtube, mainly to see what chance Yeats has in our Melbourne Cup. Thought I'd punch Best Mate in to Search to see what happened.

He was a wonderful horse and one of my favourites.

Any way I can obtain some of those photos.???

And I haven't yet worked out how to rate your video. Personally I'd give you 15 out of 10. :) Great stuff mate.