Sport

Mate to face nine as he bids for Cup treble

Best Mate will need to overcome nine rivals in order to become the first horse since Arkle in 1966 to land three consecutive Gold Cups at Cheltenham on Thursday.

Trainer Henrietta Knight reports the gelding's preparation for the £350,000 contest to have gone smoothly, though she did suffer a setback today when forced to withdraw Rosslea from tomorrow's National Hunt Chase due to lameness. All the leading contenders stood their ground at this morning's 48-hour declaration stage and William Hill make Best Mate a 1-2 shot to achieve an historic Gold Cup treble.

The star French-trained hurdler Baracouda will also be bidding for a Cheltenham triple in the Stayers' Hurdle on Thursday and he faces a maximum of 11 rivals including last year's runner-up Iris's Gift.

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Athletics, Track And Field
France
Horses
Hurdles