Best Mate just held on to beat Sir Rembrandt by half a length in chasing’s blue riband event, with Harbour Pilot a further length and a quarter back in third and Smith believes this was not Best Mate’s finest performance at Prestbury Park.

“I’ve left him on 175 and that would be on his Gold Cup win of last year and his win in Ireland (Ericsson Chase) at Christmas. I don’t think he produced the same quality of performance in this year’s Gold Cup,” he explained.

“Basically, what I have done is taken Best Mate out of the race and imagined what I would have done with the second and third.

“I would have seen Sir Rembrandt as a below average Gold Cup winner, putting him on 168 with an average winner being 170. Harbour Pilot is up to 167 from the low 160s while Beef Or Salmon (fourth) is on 165.”

Best Mate encountered some trouble at the top of the hill and was momentarily hemmed in by Harbour Pilot, who was on his outside. Jim Culloty was then forced to switch him off the rail and go wide to get a run.

Smith believes those traffic problems possibly hindered Best Mate.

“I believe Best Mate ran to 170 but he was hampered at the wrong time and the most important thing is that it cost him momentum at the top of the hill,” Smith said.

“Just in terms of the merit of the form, it was definitely not his best Gold Cup. The key point to remember was the circumstances of the race may have prevented him showing the best form he is able to.”