RACING: Best Mate joined steeplechasing's immortals by winning his third Cheltenham Gold Cup in a row yesterday - but it was close! Only half a length seperated him from the 33 to 1 outsider Sir Rembrandt, with the Irish pair Harbour Pilot and Beef Or Salmon breathing down his neck in third and fourth, and while Prestbury Park erupted in celebration afterwards, at least part of it must have been with relief.

If the pre-race billing suggested this was going to be some sort of canter into history alongside the only other treble winners, Golden Miller, Cottage Rake and Arkle, then a lot of people were guility of false advertising.

Instead, we had a gut-wrenching slog up the straight that Best Mate only looked sure of winning right on the line.

This was no silky smooth exhibition in the style of last year. Instead the latent toughness that allowed Best Mate survive his difficult early life in Ireland came to the fore in his grim struggle to breach the gates of racing immortality.

It must have been a horrible thrill for trainer Henrietta Knight to watch her pride and joy achieve what has increasingly seemed like his destiny but if there was one cool dude among the 60,000 strong crowd, it had to be Jim Culloty.

The Killarney-born rider is no "mouth and bollocks" caricature of a steeplechase jockey but he wouldn't be the proud Kerryman he is if confidence wasn't an automatic birthright.

Those biting their lips with worry as he chose to stay on the inner and track Harbour Pilot, usually good for at least one howler in every race, needn't have worried. Harbour Pilot made his error at the second and then proceeded to run the race of his life. So much so that when Culloty searches out the race video in his dotage he is still likely to wince at how Best Mate so nearly met disaster before the turn-in.

With the French star First Gold still in front, as he was from the start despite a bad error at the fourth last, Culloty tried to ease off the fence between the leader and Harbour Pilot. The only problem was Paul Carberry reacted with all the dudgeon of a Cork full-back at a Munster final.

"This is a Gold Cup, not a maiden hurdle. You don't give much leeway," Carberry later explained.

With typical determination, he refused to give way and from travelling smoothly, Best Mate was suddenly fourth and faced with a hill that suddenly had become a mountain.

"We walked the track beforehand and we decided the only thing to do was to go down the inner . Down the middle was very cut up so I had to gamble on the inner," Culloty revealed afterwards.

"I would have done exactly the same in Paul's position. He was just doing his job. It was a case of not panicking. I knew there was time left and I finally managed to get out going to the second last. At the end of the day, it was sheer guts that got us home and I'm so relieved," he added.

As Sir Rembrandt closed all the way to the line, the 31-year-old jockey wasn't alone in that relief but none will have greeted the post with more gratitude than Knight.

From today, the pressure will again mount towards a possible four in a row in 2005. Paddy Power go just 2 to 1 about Best Mate achieving that but yesterday evening was an oasis of achievement for the trainer.

"I just can't tell you the relief," she gushed. "It was much worse this year and I couldn't watch the first circuit and a half. The first year was wonderful because it was unexpected, the second was a relief but this is something else. I think I'll need tranquilisers for the fourth!"

Owner Jim Lewis immediately said he would like to take Best Mate to Punchestown next month for the Heineken Gold Cup where he could run into Harbour Pilot and Beef Or Salmon once again.

Harbour Pilot's trainer Noel Meade also proposed a possible tilt at the Irish National for his horse while Michael Hourigan was pleased with Beef Or Salmon's return.

"He's come a long way since Christmas and even though he jumped a little slow he's run a good race," he said.

But as expected, the day belonged to Best Mate, the first true champion of the new century.

If he didn't quite do it in the style expected, there is always the wonderful prospect of him still being at his physical peak next year.

In the meantime, all the arguments about where this latest legend ranks at the top table can rage furiously. But this three in a row means no one can dispute Best Mate his right to a seat.