Jair du Cochet upset hot favourite and dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon. The French-trained six-year-old, who had a successful season as a novice last season, was an easy eight-length winner as Best Mate struggled on the soft ground.
Jacques Ricou kept 100-30 shot Jair du Cochet up with the steady pace and began to apply the pressure after the third last.
Last year's winner Best Mate, who was never jumping fluently, was unable to mount a challenge and Jair du Cochet, despite clouting the last, came home a comfortable winner.
Valley Henry, fourth in last year's Gold Cup, was third.
Winning trainer Guillaume Macaire confirmed that Jair du Cochet would now be heading for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, where Best Mate will be defending his crown.
Best Mate's trainer Henrietta Knight felt that the ground explained the unexpected defeat of her eight-year-old star.
"He can't use his beautiful action when it is like that - but take nothing away from Jair Du Cochet, who is a very good horse," she said.
"Best Mate was 100% fit today. That wasn't a problem at all, it was just the ground. It was horrible out there.
"He had to be beaten sometime, didn't he? I'd rather it was today than at Cheltenham."
Despite his defeat, Best Mate remains the 6-4 favourite to complete a hat-trick of Cheltenham Gold Cup successes next March.
Tote Peterborough Chase
Huntingdon, 2m 4f
1 Jair du Cochet (J Ricou) 10-3
2 Best Mate (J Culloty) 8-13f
3 Valley Henry (J Tizzard) 7-1
6 ran. Dist: 8l, 1�l
MMIX
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