Racing: On a bitterly cold day Best Mate managed to leave a sizeable number of the 20,000-strong Leopardstown crowd red-faced with embarrassment by turning in the sort of performance which will be remembered for years to come.

Britain's top steeplechaser orchestrated his return to Ireland into an Ericsson Chase procession that left his big rival Beef Or Salmon licking his wounds and the sceptics facing a lick of little else but crow.

As Jim Culloty steered the Gold Cup holder to a sauntering nine-length defeat of Le Coudray, with Beef Or Salmon another four lengths back in third, the wonder was that victory for the great horse was ever doubted. A rare defeat at Huntingdon last month had loosened the faith of those who had previously eulogised the Irish-bred star to such an extent that yesterday's highlight was deemed to be Beef Or Salmon's big chance.

But the young pretender couldn't land a blow as Best Mate vindicated the decision to bypass the King George with a display that had even the opposition shaking their heads in admiration.

"I was probably the only one who didn't want Best Mate to come here because I knew my fellah was in great form," said Le Coudray's trainer, Christy Roche. "But Best Mate is some serious horse, a fantastic horse."

Nearby, the former Gold Cup-winning trainer Mick O'Toole looked at a big-screen replay and mentioned the name that still manages to set some teeth on edge. "He must be the best since Arkle," said O'Toole, and, yesterday at least, few were willing to argue. They couldn't after what they had just witnessed, a display that had Ladbrokes slashing Best Mate's odds of completing a historic Gold Cup hat-trick in March to just 5 to 4. That would put Best Mate alongside the legends of the game, three-in-a-row heroes like Cottage Rake, Arkle and Golden Miller. But based on yesterday, Best Mate won't look like an uppity interloper if he brings it off.

"The last month has been hell. There has been a lot of stick and it got very anxious at times but he proved he is the best there is today," said trainer Henrietta Knight, who controversially switched her pride and joy from the King George to Leopardstown before Christmas. Edredon Bleu's victory at Kempton on St Stephen's Day justified that move and yesterday rammed the point home.

"I am thrilled with the response he has got here. He is an Irish horse and the reception he has received brings a tear to the eye," said Knight. "I was never as fearful about the ground as some were in England. I had the former jockey Fran Woods walking the track for me for the past couple of weeks and I trust his judgment. There were a few critics but I knew we were doing the right thing," she added.

Culloty never had a worry and reported: "I was never out of a canter. I wasn't even in top gear. I thought they would go faster."

The pace was too much for Beef Or Salmon, though, as he was being niggled a long way out and jockey Timmy Murphy reported the horse had "gurgled" during the race. "He is twice the horse that that performance shows," said Michael Hourigan. "There may be something wrong with him. A lot of horses are coughing and we'll have him scoped. We may have an excuse. But I still have faith in him because today he wasn't even able to confirm last year's form."

A total of 950,133 was bet on the Ericsson, an all-time record for a single race in Ireland.