Best Mate joined racing's greats today when he clung on to win an exciting Cheltenham Gold Cup for the third successive year. Henrietta Knight's brilliant nine-year-old emulated the feat of the legendary Arkle - but he had to dig very deep to hold off Sir Rembrandt and Harbour Pilot. Best Mate, trained by Henrietta Knight and ridden by Jim Culloty, hit the front approaching the final fence and held on up the hill to justify odds of 8-11.

Entries for all 20 races at the 2004 National Hunt Festival have now been revealed following the publication of the horses engaged in the National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup, Weatherbys Champion Bumper, Christie's Foxhunter Chase and Cathcart Chase Challenge Cup.

Following two victories at last year’s (2003) National Hunt Festival, the record-breaking Martin Pipe is just 10 victories behind the late Fulke Walwyn in the list of most successful trainers at jump racing’s biggest event.

Tony McCoy, with 14 wins to date, is the most successful current jockey at the National Hunt Festival. Since partnering Kibreet to success in the 1996 Grand Annual Chase, the record-breaking rider has gone on to land a further 13 successes, with his two greatest triumphs coming in 1997 when he partnered Mr Mulligan to land the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup and took the Smurfit Champion Hurdle aboard Make A Stand.