Best Mate

bookiebasher · 01-11-2005 3:27pm #1

best mate died of a heart attack today at exeter

scojones · 01-11-2005 3:32pm

Yep, had a heart attack after the race. Story can be found here http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/4385902.stm

Sad news for the owners, they really loved this horse.

wheres me jumpa · 01-11-2005 3:32pm

yeah just heard.

http://www.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,1-1201146,00.html

beer enigma · 01-11-2005 4:02pm

Thats a real tragedy...you have to wonder if they missed sometheing there as he missed out on a 4th Gold Cup when he burst a blood vessel just before the race last year....

Dr. Dre · 01-11-2005 4:08pm

It's always sad when the greats die

What a shame.

sector · 01-11-2005 4:12pm

Shocking, I hope the bookies do a refund!

edit: that was in bad taste now that i've read it. by way of a mark of respect i mean to say.

Bluetonic · 01-11-2005 4:21pm

Lovely quote from Jim Lewis.

Owner Jim Lewis said: "He was a great racehorse - there can have been very few in the world like him.

"He helped us raise thousands of pounds for charity and he made a lot of difference to many people's lives.

"What a pleasure he was to own and how much he meant to me. I will never forget him."

RIP

bookiebasher · 01-11-2005 4:30pm

as a mark of respect bruce betting are going to refund all single bets struck on best mate in all of there 40 shops

Crumbs · 01-11-2005 4:43pm

I wonder will there be refunds on bets struck on the other two horses who died racing today?

I don't mean to be flippant. Best Mate was a very good horse who'll be missed but bookies offering refunds is just a cheap stunt imo.

johnor · 01-11-2005 4:45pm

On Sky News this morning they were talking about the possibility of Henritta Knight retiring Best Mate after the race today depending on how the running went. Real Shame, fantastic horse.

Bluetonic · 01-11-2005 4:50pm

As someone mentioned to me early God took the wrong Best today.

ziggy · 01-11-2005 4:52pm

This post has been deleted.

20 Times 20 Times · 01-11-2005 4:56pm

OMG im just after reading this , and a wee tear nearly came to my eye. NOw while ive kept really quiet with teh whole gambling thing this horse won me a GOOD few pound and im sorry to see it go

walshb · 02-11-2005 8:43am

Tragic to hear of this. One of the greatest horses ever and had a huge following here in Ireland. Isn't he the horse who the English owners brought over during the year as a thank you to the Irish people???, and isn't it ironic that Carberry was riding Best Mate yesterday, him being the rider who showed Best mate the utmost contempt when he looked back and called him on during the final yards of that race in Ireland....I could be wrong but I'm sure he was the rider....

Guy:Incognito · 02-11-2005 8:55am

Bluetonic wrote:

As someone mentioned to me early God took the wrong Best today.

Your an idiot.

Bluetonic · 02-11-2005 10:10am

Stekelly wrote:

Your an idiot.

You have been reported for abuse, no need for that under any circumstances.

Fandango · 02-11-2005 11:35am

Bluetonic wrote:

You have been reported for abuse, no need for that under any circumstances.

Id like to correct you. Under some circumstances i can understand it. Your comment was hardly in good taste was it. I fail to see how his comment deserves being reported but yours doesnt.
Anyway, very sad indeed to see such a class horse go like that. He will be sorely missed in the racing world. I also saw on Sky News a pic where kids burned a horse to death with fireworks over the last few days. There are some damn sick people in this world.

fade2black · 02-11-2005 11:40am

Bluetonic wrote:

You have been reported for abuse, no need for that under any circumstances.

Bluetonic your comments were idiotic and I certainly won't be taking any action with my limited power on this forum. Maybe some higher power will, but I'd be surprised.

threebeards · 02-11-2005 11:41am

Bluetonic wrote:

As someone mentioned to me early God took the wrong Best today.

You're way out of line with that comment and I agree with Stekelly.

ErinGoBrath · 02-11-2005 11:58am

Bluetonic wrote:

As someone mentioned to me early God took the wrong Best today.

After a comment like that I don't think your in any position to report anyone. Very poor taste.

Back to the main topic, it's such a shame to see Best Mate pass on. A fantastic horse and the most impressive I've ever witnessed. He always came up trumps for me and made me a small fortune.

RIP Best Mate

Bluetonic · 02-11-2005 12:07pm

Fandango, fade2black, threebeards and ErinGoBrath I posted up something which was said TO me, it was not a comment BY me as at any stage I did not and have not refer to it as an expressesion of a personal opinion or belief of mine.

As you can see on the 7th post on this thread I expressed my own personal opinion (RIP) along with some qoutes from Jim Lewis.

Dr. Dre · 02-11-2005 12:09pm

If it was something you didn't agree with, then why on earth did you post it?

Roddy23 · 02-11-2005 12:13pm

Best Mate - Legend!

Im with SteKelly on this one.

Bluetonic · 02-11-2005 12:15pm

Dr. Dre wrote:

If it was something you didn't agree with, then why on earth did you post it?

I don't have an opinion on it at all, it's a complete non issue for me.

If I had of began my post with "Somebody just said to me....." which has exactly the same meaning as how it was phrased I'm sure it would have been a non issue.

I doubt this is the time or the place to discuss it and I'm open to non abusive PMs to discuss further if anyone feels agreeved.

threebeards · 02-11-2005 12:38pm

Bluetonic wrote:

As someone mentioned to me early God took the wrong Best today.

Seems to me that you're in agreement. :rolleyes: As Dr. Dre said, if you weren't in agreement why did you post it?

Anyway, the issue here shouldn't be Bluetonic.

Best Mate. RIP

Fandango · 02-11-2005 1:51pm

Bluetonic wrote:

Fandango, fade2black, threebeards and ErinGoBrath I posted up something which was said TO me

I might bring up every racist/sexist/prejudice/bigoted joke i have ever heard and type them here. No reason, just because they were said TO me. If you dont have an opinion on it, dont agree with it, and know full well its in awful taste, why did it even enter into your mind to type it?? As someone said earlier, Your An Idiot! (TO me again)

Bluetonic wrote:

As you can see on the 7th post on this thread I expressed my own personal opinion (RIP) along with some qoutes from Jim Lewis.

I think your comment is slightly insulting towards the other Best also?? What ya think?

wb · 02-11-2005 3:50pm

Not sure if anyone saw the picture in the Sun. Basically it was of best mate collapsing. I was appalled that they published such a picture. I have e-mailed them saying so:

sport@the-sun.co.uk

I would like to express my sadness and anger at your publication of a picture of the Racehorse 'Best Mate' collapsing. I have never felt compelled to write a complaint to a newspaper before, but this time, you have crossed the line. Many racing forums are discussing a boycott of your paper.I know that many racing fans are appalled by this, and it only adds extra pain to his owners, trainers and all involved with him.
'Best Mate' was one of the greatest racehorses of our time, and was held with great affection by racing fans. Your picture is highly insensitive to all of us who were saddened by his untimely death. A more appropriate picture to remember him by would have been a picture of what he done best: Winning a race.

W. Bailey
Dublin, Ireland

beer enigma · 02-11-2005 5:43pm

Here's a much better pic to remember him by........

http://www.racingpost.co.uk/news/splash.sd

RasTa · 02-11-2005 7:44pm

Aye what a legend. Although im still not over Persian Punch
RIP Mate

Master...Card · 02-11-2005 9:26pm

Pure gutted over his death. Definitely something amiss after him bursting the bloodvessel though, he should have been retired there and then. As they say the good die young and Knight should have taken that into account- then in 10 years time we could be looking at him healthy and happy being led around Cheltenham for all the fans to reminesce on what a class horse he was. They were gonna retire him after yesterday anyway- she definitely knew he wasn't fit to run again. Oh well, some people would do anything for money.

RIP Matey.

scojones · 02-11-2005 10:24pm

Master...Card wrote:

They were gonna retire him after yesterday anyway- she definitely knew he wasn't fit to run again. Oh well, some people would do anything for money.

RIP Matey.

Show us proof that she knew he wasn't fit to run again. I absolutely hate your comment. Infact I dispise it. You are making assumptions based on absolutely nothing. Quit speculating. You are saying that they knew Best Mate was not fit to run and they did it for the money. That is utter crap. If they knew Best Mate was not up to it he would not have ran. People like you deserve to be smacked across the head with a very large book.

fade2black · 02-11-2005 11:36pm

I wonder if they'll name a race after him.

scojones · 03-11-2005 3:54am

fade2black wrote:

I wonder if they'll name a race after him.

There's speculation that they will be having a race named after him at Exeter. I imagine it will happen.

Hobart · 03-11-2005 11:24am

Bluetonic wrote:

Fandango, fade2black, threebeards and ErinGoBrath I posted up something which was said TO me,

If somebody SAID to me that you were an idiot beyond the porportions of idiocy, would that be ok for me to post? Is it ok to wish somebody dead in the third person? I not saying that you are an idiot btw. Apologies to any idiots I have offended by appearing to associate them with Bluetonic.

Fandango · 03-11-2005 11:58am

wbailey wrote:

Not sure if anyone saw the picture in the Sun. Basically it was of best mate collapsing. I was appalled that they published such a picture. I have e-mailed them saying so:

sport@the-sun.co.uk

I would like to express my sadness and anger at your publication of a picture of the Racehorse 'Best Mate' collapsing. I have never felt compelled to write a complaint to a newspaper before, but this time, you have crossed the line. Many racing forums are discussing a boycott of your paper.I know that many racing fans are appalled by this, and it only adds extra pain to his owners, trainers and all involved with him.
'Best Mate' was one of the greatest racehorses of our time, and was held with great affection by racing fans. Your picture is highly insensitive to all of us who were saddened by his untimely death. A more appropriate picture to remember him by would have been a picture of what he done best: Winning a race.

W. Bailey
Dublin, Ireland

I remember the pictures of that Cameroon footballer dying on the field in the tabloids also. Some people will do anything to sell theyre paper. They should be severly fined for printing things like that. As for a race named after him, that would only be fitting for such a great horse so im sure they will.

Fandango · 03-11-2005 12:04pm

sjones wrote:

Show us proof that she knew he wasn't fit to run again. I absolutely hate your comment. Infact I dispise it. You are making assumptions based on absolutely nothing. Quit speculating. You are saying that they knew Best Mate was not fit to run and they did it for the money. That is utter crap. If they knew Best Mate was not up to it he would not have ran. People like you deserve to be smacked across the head with a very large book.

They were thinking of retiring him as far as i know but i sincerely doubt they sent the horse out even contemplating something like this could happen. These trainers and owners absolutely love their horses, especially ones with the character and personality of Best Mate.

fr wishy washy · 03-11-2005 12:23pm

Triple gold cup winner alright but Difficult to say exactly where he fits in the list of greats because they raced him so selectivley.Comparisons with Arkle don't really stand up as you never saw him hump big weights against inferior opposition on all types of grounds as you would have with Arkle.

Still a good horse though.

masterK · 03-11-2005 1:14pm

Master...Card wrote:

Pure gutted over his death. Definitely something amiss after him bursting the bloodvessel though, he should have been retired there and then. As they say the good die young and Knight should have taken that into account- then in 10 years time we could be looking at him healthy and happy being led around Cheltenham for all the fans to reminesce on what a class horse he was. They were gonna retire him after yesterday anyway- she definitely knew he wasn't fit to run again. Oh well, some people would do anything for money.

RIP Matey.

Anybody who claims that Knight ran best mate knowing he wasn't 100% is talking absolute rubbish, they treated the horse like a parent would a child. The were always overly cautious with him. As for doing anything for money, if that was the case why did they only run him 3 times a season, the could have easily made a lot more money from him if the had wanted and I won't even get started on the amount of money raised for charity by Knight and Jim Lewis. Finally if they were planning on retiring him why did they spend best part of the last year training him back to full health and have him entered in the new Haydock Group 1 chase, the King George and the Gold Cup?

[nicK] · 03-11-2005 1:44pm

Hobart wrote:

Apologies to any idiots I have offended by appearing to associate them with Bluetonic.

apology accepted..

RedorDead · 03-11-2005 2:06pm

Fandango wrote:

I remember the pictures of that Cameroon footballer dying on the field in the tabloids also. Some people will do anything to sell theyre paper. They should be severly fined for printing things like that. As for a race named after him, that would only be fitting for such a great horse so im sure they will.

Unfortunately it wasnt just the tabloids that carried the photos.

The Irish Times and Irish Independent both had photos of when he was pulled up and as he was collapsing. The tabloids dont really surprise me by anything they do anymore, but i expected more from the Broadsheets.

It was actually quite saddening seeing him lying on the ground, eyes open looking up at Paul Carberry. Nice that Henrietta Knight was the first person on the scene though.

RIP Best Mate.

threebeards · 03-11-2005 3:32pm

wbailey wrote:

Not sure if anyone saw the picture in the Sun. Basically it was of best mate collapsing. I was appalled that they published such a picture. I have e-mailed them saying so:

sport@the-sun.co.uk

I would like to express my sadness and anger at your publication of a picture of the Racehorse 'Best Mate' collapsing. I have never felt compelled to write a complaint to a newspaper before, but this time, you have crossed the line. Many racing forums are discussing a boycott of your paper.I know that many racing fans are appalled by this, and it only adds extra pain to his owners, trainers and all involved with him.
'Best Mate' was one of the greatest racehorses of our time, and was held with great affection by racing fans. Your picture is highly insensitive to all of us who were saddened by his untimely death. A more appropriate picture to remember him by would have been a picture of what he done best: Winning a race.

W. Bailey
Dublin, Ireland

Any response from the sun W Bailey?

Bluetonic · 03-11-2005 3:43pm

I hope the jobsworth in Devon County County Trading Standards Department is happy.

Cremation for Best Mate
03/11/2005 - 15:22:04

Champion racehorse Best Mate, which died during a race on Tuesday, was cremated today.

The triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner collapsed with a suspected heart attack at Exeter Racecourse during the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup.

He was cremated because Devon County County Trading Standards Department refused burial outside the racetrack rails at the spot where he died – the wish of owner Jim Lewis.

An Exeter Racecourse spokesman said they would await instructions from Mr Lewis about the disposal of Best Mate’s ashes.

Master...Card · 03-11-2005 5:06pm

sjones wrote:

Show us proof that she knew he wasn't fit to run again. I absolutely hate your comment. Infact I dispise it. You are making assumptions based on absolutely nothing. Quit speculating. You are saying that they knew Best Mate was not fit to run and they did it for the money. That is utter crap. If they knew Best Mate was not up to it he would not have ran. People like you deserve to be smacked across the head with a very large book.

That's my opinion and I'm not a statistical person and I'm not going to look for any statistics on him or any other horse for that matter. Okay?:mad:

fade2black · 03-11-2005 5:17pm

Master...Card wrote:

That's my opinion and I'm not a statistical person and I'm not going to look for any statistics on him or any other horse for that matter. Okay?:mad:

I'd keep an odd eye out for someone running at ya with a phone book so...

Master...Card · 03-11-2005 6:22pm

fade2black wrote:

I'd keep an odd eye out for someone running at ya with a phone book so...

Thanks for the advice- and this is supposed to be a have your own say website.... Pah.

Master...Card · 03-11-2005 6:27pm

masterK wrote:

Finally if they were planning on retiring him why did they spend best part of the last year training him back to full health and have him entered in the new Haydock Group 1 chase, the King George and the Gold Cup?

Do you not read the papers? Matey was being retired after that race at exeter. Case closed. Twat.

fade2black · 03-11-2005 6:41pm

Name calling usually ends in a banning Master Card.

Master...Card · 03-11-2005 6:46pm

Sorry for the name calling moment of rage going on there don't ban me please. FTR Fade2Black I wasn't calling you a name it was specialK or whoever that was aimed at.

fade2black · 03-11-2005 6:52pm

I know Mastercard but you have to respect other people's opinions as well...you're new to this forum so we're giving you the benefit of the doubt but MasterK and a few others on this thread are regular posters on this forum and you're not going to make any friends by insulting them. The forum thrives on debate and name calling is usually reserved for the real muppets, of which MasterK is not.

Master...Card · 03-11-2005 7:55pm

I'm sure he isn't a Muppet, I do have respect for other opinions I was just telling him that the horse was in fact being retired after Exeter, after he so strongly f**ked his opinion at me with incorrect facts.

Morgans · 03-11-2005 8:52pm

He was being retired after Exeter, only if the horse suggested from the run, that he wouldnt be a force at the top level again. My guess is if he pulled up but healthy, he would have been retired. Had he finished in the first three, he would be racing against KK at Haydock next month. It wasnt to be. It is you who are putting accross incorrect facts.

As for Henrietta Knight and connections only doing it for the money. That statement is simply ignorant at best, and tells any sensible reader how closely you follow racing. If you were to choose one trainer that deliberatley takes their time with their horses, it would be Henrietta Knight.

Best Mate

Comments