Best Mate suffers a heart attack at Exeter

[Big Andy]

Best Mate's much-anticipated racecourse return ended in tragedy as he died after suffering a suspected heart attack in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter. Paul Carberry tracked the leader Ashley Brook for the first half of the race on Henrietta Knight's triple Gold Cup winner but he started to nudge the horse on as the leaders moved clear. The jockey began to ease him in the home straight, eventually pulling him up, and screens were swiftly put up around him. The Grade Two contest went to the Philip Hobbs-trained Monkerhostin (10-1), who romped away under Richard Johnson to a comfortable four-length success over Kauto Star. from sportinglife. :sad

[Football-Tipper]

Best Mate Dies....... Best Mate's much-anticipated racecourse return ended in tragedy as he died after suffering a suspected heart attack in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter. Paul Carberry tracked the leader Ashley Brook for the first half of the race on Henrietta Knight's triple Gold Cup winner but he started to nudge the horse on as the leaders moved clear. The jockey began to ease him in the home straight, eventually pulling him up, and screens were swiftly put up around him. The Grade Two contest went to the Philip Hobbs-trained Monkerhostin (10-1), who romped away under Richard Johnson to a comfortable four-length success over Kauto Star. Knight's husband and assistant Terry Biddlecombe said: "Paul is a good jockey and he knew something was wrong. The only consolation is it was pretty instantaneous and he wouldn't have felt any pain." Best Mate had been forced to miss an attempt at a fourth consecutive Gold Cup 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 that all had been well with the 10-year-old in his preparations for his reappearance.