Mate back next season Henrietta Knight`s rising star Best Mate will not run again this season after his gruelling slog in the mud at Aintree on Saturday. The six-year-old has looked a potential superstar over fences as a novice chaser this season and put up a brave performance back over the smaller obstacles when second in the Martell Aintree Hurdle behind Barton at the rain-drenched Liverpool track. 'He`s come out of the race very well but he`ll be retired for the season now. He`s been on the go a long time and he deserves a holiday,' reported Miss Knight today. 'We`ll step him up to three miles back over fences next season. He won a point-to-point as a four-year-old so I`ve got no worries about him getting the trip. I hope he could be a Gold Cup horse, that would be the plan.' Stablemate Edredon Bleu missed Aintree because of the ground and the trainer is hoping for a dry spell before he goes for the replacement Champion Chase at Sandown at the end of the month. 'He`s going to keep his powder dry for Sandown. I`m glad he didn`t go to Aintree because it would have been a disaster on that ground as he absolutely hates it,' the trainer added. 'It`s been a horrible season with foot and mouth and all the rain. I just hope the rain stops and we get some decent ground for him.'
