Channel 402 Best Mate Time of our Lives - SKY

Good stuff, happy memories.

seems like yesterday.

newbon aint got a clue though.

Was at Chelt for his 3rd win, it was an amazing day and have never experienced an atmosphere like it.

whod have thought another one would come along probably even better than he was.

Yeah, somehow seemed more joyful then though, perhaps because there was no consistent rival to him and so there was none of this sometimes vitriolic debate that surrounds Kauto/Denman.

Enjoyed that. Dear old Matey!

same here i just hope kauto and denman get out in one piece

Absolutely, would be horrible if anything happened to either of them, both earned their days in the sun. Getting sentimental in my old age

It was a sad day when Dessie died, but he had had a wonderful retirement and it was his time. When Matey went it was truly gut wrenching, it's horrible when we lose any horse on the track, but Matey seemed almost immortal, I spent the day in shock. What a horse, I watched his 3rd GC from the winners enclosure on the big screen, so sure was I that he would do it and I needed to be in pole position when they brought him in. It was just the greatest day.

You think Florida Pearl wasnt a serious rival? He was but he couldnt touch Matey over staying trips other than the time McCoy was asked to ride him like a non-stayer in the King George otherwise he would never have beaten him.

Quvega Joined: 06 May 10
Replies: 149 04 Nov 10 22:56   
Yeah, somehow seemed more joyful then though, perhaps because there was no consistent rival to him and so there was none of this sometimes vitriolic debate that surrounds Kauto/Denman.

I was there for all 3 wins and the time will never be bettered in racing for me ... that was my finest hour in racing as well as Best Mate's giving me my biggest win ever. Had so much confidence in the horse could have the house on him when it mattered something I couldnt say for Kauto (jumping) and Denman.

No way would Best Mate not be favourite for the Gold Cup this year after his first win you couldnt get 5s him nowhere near. And yes I rate Florida Pearl King George winner higher than Imperial Commander also 5s.

Kauto v Denman v Best Mate all at their peak name the three.....horrific task.

Easy over the Gold Cup with Denman setting a very strong pace up front. Matey travelling off his lead jumping beautifully, Kauto not able to travel within himself as normal lacks fluency on this undulating track and when the need for stamina kicks in Ruby starts rowing. Over the last it is the great unknown whether Best Mate would go past the formidable Denman ridden to his strengths. I think he would on good ground Matey was never fully tested in a Gold Cup. On dead or soft ground Denman would prevail. The perfect race to bring out the best in these 2 all-time great stayers.

Easy over the King George trip with Kauto and Best Mate cruising the whole way, Denman mistakes and struggling with this speed track drops back, 2 out Kauto displays more speed than Matey as these 2 KG winners dual it out. but Kauto shows the better speed and goes three or four lengths clear.

^^^^

Kauto v Denman v Best Mate

=

Kauto and Denman dominating the finish with Best Mate hopelessly outpaced 10 lengths back in third.

^^^ interesting but doubt matey would be pulverised at cheltenham myself

Was just trying to wind up eric_morris tbh [:p]. But I do think Kauto and Denman are different gear to Best Mate.

me too guess we'll never know

If only we could bet on it we would see who would be laughing then

It isnt rocket science to see Best Mate was exceptional at Cheltenham and elsewhere but he got the 3m 2f extremely well off a strong pace, Kauto doesnt and we know he is the best jumper most of us have seen while Kauto is an unbalanced horse who we know hits a fence every other race and struggles to handle Cheltenhams undulations blundering or falling on several occasions there.

At up to 3 miles my money would be on Kauto at other tracks but in a Gold Cup I would have my biggest ever bet on Matey against Kauto and Dessie and would collect. The stronger the pace in the race the better. I have collected on all 3 in a Gold Cup to 4 or 5 figures so have hhad to consider them in detail for this race successfully before. The disappointing thing is I wouldnt get a price Matey because in reality gobsh1tes like TD Gunner know all of this and wouldnt be so brave to offer a good price Matey if it happened.

Cell 1	Cell 2
Cell 3	Cell 4

Denman at peak might be the fly in the ointment but certainly not Kauto or Dessie.

Can we add this to the aftertimers thread Eric

eric_morris seems very angry this morning

ha ha totally relaxed here, it is normally the angry ones who try to imply someone else is angry if they have no answer

Was unaware you asked me a question eric_morris ...

Now who is wound up?

eric_morris Joined: 27 Jun 10
Replies: 540 07 Nov 10 04:44   

The disappointing thing is I wouldnt get a price Matey because in reality gobsh1tes like TD Gunner know all of this and wouldnt be so brave to offer a good price Matey if it 



quite clearly you.

That isnt anger that is an observation.

best Mate struggled to beat Harbour Pilot and Sir Rembrandt.Rather think Kauto and Denman would have beaten those 2 handicappers quiet comfortably.
Only real good horses around in Best Mates time imo were Florida Pearl who unfortunately  never stayed the Gold Cup trip,and Jair Du Cochet who unfortunately died just before he would have beaten Best Mate,imo of course.

Best Mate didnt like dead ground you would know that if you knew anything about him ... re the Sir Rembrandt, Harbour pilot race.

Turpin Green on good ground would have been beaten way further than 5 lengths by Best Mate, shame i cant get my money on these forecasts

i would think i know as much as most of the public re Best Mate.
Ground werent great i admit,but still think Denman in particular would have beaten them easily,and despite the ground Kauto too.
I am not putting BM down,but he did beat some pretty average animals in his Gold Cups,and had Florida stayed he would have won one of those,and Jair Du Cochet imo would have won another.
However,BM did win 3 GC's,thats a fact and fair play to him.
But imo their have been a fair few better in my lifetime.

We will disagree on that other than Denman would have loved the ground in Best Mates 3rd Gold Cup, Matey hated it and was probably on the decline by then anyway he had won 3 Gold Cups and was getting on, as we will see with Kauto soon and maybe have already seen with Denman. Surprised you didnt know he hated dead ground. Nothing I have seen would have beaten Best Mate in his 2nd Gold Cup when they new in the race for the first time that he got the trip and he was ridden accordingly unlike the previous year when he was purposefully held onto and delivered very late for pace to make sure he got home.

Florida Pearl was classier than Denman imo but Matey was special over all trips. McCoy was told to ride Matey as if he might not stay in the King George and he unjustly came in for tons of criticism after the race for leaving it too late against Florida. The same mistake wasnt made the following year. They didnt even bother the next year he would have been odds on leaving the race to second string Edredon Bleu to win this pace over stamina race. They took the hard option and took on a peak form Beef Or Salmon on his home turf and totally demolished them.

LOL Kirkybabes

They took the hard option and took on a peak form Beef Or Salmon on his home turf and totally demolished them.

Thats ok if you think that Beef was in PEAK form that day and was a inferior horse to Le Coundray(what was his rating btw??)

Unfortunately Best Mate beat some pretty average animals,not his fault,but its fact,and gives people reasoning to think he was not a great GC horse compared to some of the Greats.

And i am well aware of best mates going preferences thanks.

Ha ha he got an amazing round of applause in Ireland after that demolition job as they saw a great horse that day unlike a bitter punter like you who'd done his gonads on him trying to get him beat so often.

Turnip Green?

Well i suppose he beat a 170 horses about 8l, stick to the bluster Kirky, and as usual , ignore the Content

a 150 horse, wrong button!!!

I aint going to repeat my common sense view on beaten horses, some performing above themselves at optimum conditions etc as it went over your head last time.

Well you keep on banging on about Turnip Green

Touche............

We all know how important the ground is in Horse racing,but we still have to mention the opposition a horse faces,thats important too.

Oh dear, and this thread started off all nice and warm and fluffy.

Yes and that means not ignoring a 5 length defeat of Turnip Green and defeat of an under par restrained Denman in Kautos 2 victories.

For me there have been much better Gold Cup winners than Kauto, Dawn Run to name just one, amazing opposition that year.

So you want to ignore Truckers Tavern, Sir Rembrant, Commanche Court, Le Courdray and Marlbrough


But NOT Turpin Green

I already covered his 3rd Gold Cup above, it may pay you to read what I type after asking questions.

Also his first Gold Cup, and his second Gold Cup there was no 2nd he could have won much further if Jim hadnt been so cautious around the bottom turn allowing him to just coast along ... a more impressive Gold Cup winner you will never see. I aint typing it all out again, read it.

You seem to think that your comments are fact when they are just opinion. Probably why you have had at least four usernames.

No usernames are normally a reflection of child-like stalkers who have been proven wrong (ring any bells your denegrading of Best Mates chances before each of his 2nd and 3rd Gold Cups) following a poster everywhere he goes with the intention of having digs in otherwise constructive threads (see this one) ending up with some mummies boy ringing to get someone banned as they end up looking stupid and cant take it.

No usernames are normally associated with people who dont post at all


As i didnt join Befair until Oct 2003 thats the 1st one out of the window(do some homework before you comment) and as for 2004 i was only betting AW evening during the winter due to work and the time difference.

I already covered all that above. People can se from this thread alone your rage against Best Mate, you were desperate for him to lose each year ... didnt happen. Lets close this now its going nowhere.

ring any bells your denegrading of Best Mates chances before each of his 2nd and 3rd Gold Cups)


Zilzal1 joined Oct 93

Best Mates 2nd Gold Cup March 2003

OK, i'll Close it now

Spot the obvious mistake in this .. lol.

Typo YBM, Typo

Yes a very revealing one imo.

OCT 93, Yep, Betfair was around in 93..............

zilzal we want your 1st account name man.

This is the only account ive ever had...

Really

Not everyone is like you

Release the demon zilzal repeat 'Best Mate was an all-time great'.

LOL, He was a very good racehorse who did a remarkable treble, However on Bare form, he cant be there sadly.

The Horse i really loved was Gloria Victus, the owner(Terry) was a friend of a friend and visited my shop every so often and i still have a print of Racing Post Day 2000, which imo was one of the Great Handicap performances. It was a sad day at Cheltenham in March

The best levels staying chaser I've seen. Gloria Victis had a lot of potential real shame about him. How long have you worked at Anne Summers?

best mate was the most beautiful racehorse i ever saw.i left work immediatley the day he died just went home in tears.i have a portrait of him above my fireplace signed by culloty,biddlecombe and hen.i loved that horse like no other.but im afraid kauto beats him at kempton or cheltenham