Cheltenham Consider Mate Memorials

Triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate is likely to be remembered at the scene of his greatest triumphs in the form of a statue.

Best Mate won chasing´s blue riband event between 2002 and 2004 and Cheltenham´s managing director, Edward Gillespie, is keen to acknowledge the horse´s accomplishments.

He said: 'I´m thinking about a statue because his achievements are up there with Golden Miller and Arkle .

'What I´m very conscious of is that, unlike Desert Orchid, we´ve all been denied that wonderful roadshow of him in retirement.

'Therefore I believe there is significant appetite for a permanent memorial to Best Mate and that would be a physical memorial so people could go and see him.

'I´m making an assumption our board would feel that having a statue here in the same way as we have for Arkle, Golden Miller and Dawn Run would be a good idea and as with them each of those would be funded by enthusiastic supporters.

'I´m confident a statue would be on our agenda and it´s really a matter of working out how we can achieve that and we have already begun to work on that issue.'

Gillespie would also like to name a race at Cheltenham in Best Mate´s honour.

He continued: 'On the race front it would be wholly appropriate for there to be a race named at Cheltenham in his honour.

'It is really a matter of finding a race which does the horse´s reputation and standing justice in what is already quite a full calendar.

'Both (a statue and a race) will be part of our objectives and we would certainly aim to achieve both. We just need to get the level of grief and celebration correct.

'Cheltenham is the focus in terms of his achievements and he was without doubt the highest-achieving champion in 40 years.'

(C) PA Sport