Best Mate to miss totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup - statement from Henrietta Knight

Best Mate, who has won three successive totesport Cheltenham Gold Cups, will not run in chasing´s championship race next week on Friday, March 18, after breaking blood vessels in his final piece of work this morning.

The 10-year-old chaser dropped back during his work on Mick Channon´s gallops at West Ilsley and trainer Henrietta Knight immediately knew that something was wrong.

She said: 'He was pulled up and we found blood coming from both his nostrils. He has obviously not shaken off the virus that affected him in January.

'Best Mate has never broken blood vessels in his life before and the vet said he needs to be put out in a field for a long rest - he will come back next season.

'It´s absolutely shattering but it is better that it happened on the gallops rather than at Cheltenham.'

The totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup is the feature race on the final day of the new four-day Cheltenham Festival.