RACING: Commanche Court came agonisingly close to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory yesterday, but the Irish horse eventually had to give best to jump racing's new superstar, Best Mate.

Istabraq's public decline on Tuesday has left a yawning gap in terms of "names" for the general public to hang on to, but Best Mate looks set to try and fill the role.

Henrietta Knight has never hidden her regard for the seven-year-old. She has called him the "perfect horse" and "poetry in motion". Yesterday, Best Mate put achievement on the bones of that potential.

But to do so, he had to overcome a titanic challenge from Commanche Court, the ultimate pro, who for a couple of strides looked on the verge of Cheltenham immortality.

"Going to the second last my glasses were shaking and I thought we might get back at Best Mate. No one would have loved to win it more, but the other horse was better," said Commanche Court's trainer Ted Walsh.

"I'm proud of my horse and I'm proud of my jockey (Ruby Walsh). It's five years since he won the Triumph, he's won an Irish National and he is back here again. I very well may retire him now - I just might," he added.

"It's hard to be second. Paul Nicholls (trainer the third See More Business) is alright. He has won a Gold Cup. I hope I get my turn but it's a privilege to be second to such a good horse. Maybe I'll win it with Rince Ri."

Walsh was reflecting the general view that in Best Mate there is a young winner who might just take a stranglehold on this toughest of games.

The doubts about him beforehand were about stamina and inexperience, but in Jim Culloty, Best Mate had the aid of a jockey who seemed to have iced water in his veins.

The 28-year-old has come a long way from his native Killarney, through the frustration of being repeatedly jocked off the best of Knight's horses in favour of Tony McCoy, and so often being the nearly man.

But while Shooting Light was pulled up by McCoy after a circuit yesterday, reflecting the champion's maddening festival. Culloty was reaching for a career high.

The 1999 winner See More Business and the favourite Looks Like Trouble were all out down the hill, making the best of their way home, when Culloty eased Best Mate into position.

In behind, Florida Pearl and Foxchapel King began to weaken but Commanche Court arrived with Best Mate and the battle was joined on the turn-in.

Culloty clung to the inside, just in case that stamina did wear out, and his main challenger was less than fluent at the second last, but Best Mate always looked in control up the hill.

"I was a nervous wreck, worried that I would cock it up because I thought the horse was good enough. It's just unreal, this is what every jockey aims for, it's the pinnacle," Culloty said.

Knight, famous for not being able to watch her horses run, admitted: "I watched every fence. I watched on TV. I usually do watch this horse." Her husband, the former Gold Cup winning rider Terry Biddlecombe, added: "I don't know about this horse being the next Arkle, but he could be the second Arkle!" That's a tag that Florida Pearl knows all about but this time he faded into 11th on ground that was just that bit too dead.

"It wasn't ideal but if he had blown out at the second last I'd have said it mattered. I was happy five out but it didn't happen," said Florida Pearl's rider Conor O'Dwyer.

Sackville fell at the last but his stablemate Moscow Express stayed on for seventh and trainer Frances Crowley said: "He has run a great race and is so honest. Sackville ran well too but they quickened away from him." It was Commanche Court, owned by businessman Dermot Desmond, that came closest to becoming just the third Irish winner of the Gold Cup in the last 25 years.