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2002 Cheltenham Gold Cup

The 2002 Cheltenham Gold Cup was a horse race which took place at Cheltenham on Thursday 14 March 2002. It was the 74th running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and it was won by Best Mate. The winner was ridden by Jim Culloty and trained by Henrietta Knight. The pre-race favourite Looks Like Trouble finished thirteenth.

It was the first running of the Gold Cup for two years, as it had been cancelled in 2001 because of a foot-and-mouth crisis.

Race details

  • Sponsor: Tote
  • Winner's prize money: £174,000.00
  • Going: Good
  • Number of runners: 18
  • Winner's time: 6m 50.1s

Full result

  * Horse Age Jockey Trainer SP
1   Best Mate 7 Jim Culloty Henrietta Knight 7/1
2 Commanche Court 9 Ruby Walsh Ted Walsh (IRE) 25/1
3 8 See More Business 12 Joe Tizzard Paul Nicholls 40/1
4 6 Marlborough 10 Dean Gallagher Nicky Henderson 12/1
5 5 What's Up Boys 8 Paul Flynn Philip Hobbs 33/1
6 ½ Alexander Banquet 9 Barry Geraghty Willie Mullins (IRE) 12/1
7 ¾ Moscow Express 10 Shay Barry Frances Crowley (IRE) 66/1
8 12 Cyfor Malta 9 Rodi Greene Martin Pipe 25/1
9 3 Foxchapel King 9 David Casey Mouse Morris (IRE) 12/1
10 7 Lord Noelie 9 Richard Guest Henrietta Knight 16/1
11 ¾ Florida Pearl 10 Conor O'Dwyer Willie Mullins (IRE) 10/1
12 6 Bacchanal 8 Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson 6/1
13 dist Looks Like Trouble 10 Richard Johnson Noel Chance 9/2 fav
Fell Fence 22 Sackville 9 John Cullen Frances Crowley (IRE) 33/1
PU Fence 21 Go Ballistic 13 Carl Llewellyn Henrietta Knight 66/1
PU Fence 20 Behrajan 7 Norman Williamson Henry Daly 11/1
PU Fence 19 Shotgun Willy 8 Timmy Murphy Paul Nicholls 25/1
PU Fence 12 Shooting Light 9 Tony McCoy Martin Pipe 10/1

* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter. PU = pulled-up.
† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.

Winner's details

Further details of the winner, Best Mate:

  • Foaled: 28 January 1995 in Ireland
  • Sire: Un Desperado; Dam: Katday (Miller's Mate)
  • Owner: Jim Lewis
  • Breeder: Jacques Van't Hart
  • 2002
  • sportinglife.com
  • telegraph.co.uk – ""Best Mate surges to Gold Cup glory"" – March 14, 2002.

Kevin McNamara