by Robert Pratt and Chris Court

 

TRIPLE Gold Cup winner Best Mate has been prevented from being buried at Exeter racecourse "because of government legislation" and he will be cremated instead.

Henrietta Knight's champion collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack after being pulled up on his reappearance in the William Hill Haldon Gold Cup at the Devon track on Tuesday.

Afterwards owner Jim Lewis revealed Best Mate would be buried at Exeter, but official permission was refused.

Explaining the situation, Lewis said on Wednesday: "We wanted to have him buried at the racecourse but there is some European legislation which forbids this to happen. There were regulations brought in by the European Parliament following foot and mouth.

"We've made fairly vigorous representations to them from the Exeter directors but we got nowhere at all.

"So the plan now is he'll be cremated, probably tomorrow, then we will have a memorial service for him when we commit the ashes. I guess that would probably be next week.

"We'll have to draw a line and it's someone else's chance to have a good old dream now."

Three bouquets attached to the running rail now mark the spot where Best Mate fell.

Exeter's managing director, Geoffrey Billson, added: "We tried very hard to meet the wishes of the owner to have the animal buried here rather than cremated.

"But under European legislation and the Fallen Stock Act, sadly, we cannot do that."

Various agencies, including the Environment Agency, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and Trading Standards, said burial at the racecourse would not be allowed.

"So sadly we are going to have to go to the fall-back option which is having him cremated," said Mr Billson.

Vicki Robinson, assistant manager at Exeter, added: "We are upset we couldn't fulfil the owner's wishes because of government legislation.

"A racehorse, or apparently any equine, is not allowed to be buried in the ground anymore."

Lewis was moved by the extensive and sensitive coverage Best Mate's death received in the media.

"The tributes in the newspapers were remarkable and I would like to say thank you to all of those people who contributed to that," he told At The Races.

"Today seems a bit empty and they say you miss them the most when they're gone and we've got to prepare ourselves for that now.

"We've had loads of messages, messages from all over the world, and it is very moving but it is great support as well.

"We thank everybody for being so supportive. We do appreciate it."

Best Mate, winner of chasing's blue riband event between 2002 and 2004, is likely to be remembered at the scene of his greatest triumphs in the form of a statue.

Cheltenham's managing director, Edward Gillespie, is keen to acknowledge the horse's accomplishments, and 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 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 it 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."

Tony McCoy described Best Mate as "the best steeplechaser we've seen around for a long time" as he paid tribute to the horse.

The champion jockey rode the bay gelding on two occasions, both of which came in the King George VI Chase at Kempton when he replaced the horse's regular partner Jim Culloty.

McCoy finished second to Florida Pearl on Boxing Day, 2001 but went one better 12 months later when Best Mate defeated Marlborough by a length and a half.

"I was lucky enough to have ridden him in two King Georges and won once. But apart from that he won three Gold Cups and he was the best steeplechaser we've seen around for a long time and for that to happen to him was very sad," McCoy told Sky Sports News.

Describing the horse's qualities, he said: "He was a very good stayer, a very good jumper, a very well-balanced horse and mentally he was very relaxed and very professional. And that's why he was capable of winning three Gold Cups.

"Arkle won three Gold Cups and it was a long time before another horse came along to achieve the same as he did so I'm sure it will be pretty much the same with Best Mate.

"It will be a long time before we see a horse who can achieve what Best Mate did."