Best Mate, the triple Gold Cup winner trained by Henrietta Knight at West Lockinge, near Wantage, is to be added to the Cheltenham Hall of Fame.

The ill-fated gelding, who died of a suspected heart attack at Exeter in November 2005, will be inducted at a ceremony before racing begins next Tuesday - the first day of the Festival.

"Best Mate's brilliant record at Cheltenham and the extraordinary public reaction to his passing, makes his inclusion a formality."

When told by The Oxford Times of Best Mate's inclusion in the Cheltenham Hall of Fame, Knight expressed surprise.

"I would have thought he was in it already," she said. "I would have thought they would put all Gold Cup winners in there."

Meanwhile, Knight's plans for the Festival have been left up in the air by the prospect of testing conditions following persistent heavy rain - and the forecast of more downpours to come.

Racing Demon, Knight's totesport Gold Cup entry next Friday, could yet be switched to the previous day's Ryanair Chase.

"I have not talked to the owner yet, but he might go for the other race if the ground is as bad as it forecast to be," she said.

And Ringaroses, who is among the leading fancies for the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle on Wednesday, could miss the race unless conditions dry out.

"I should think he probably won't run because he would not go on that ground," added Knight.

The trainer, who is set to field her smallest Festival team for some years, has also entered Aztec Warrior in the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase on Thursday.

The six-year-old, a winner at Folkestone and Wincanton this term, was last seen when chasing home New Little Bric at Sandown last time out.

"He is not in any of the betting - he is not even mentioned," said Knight. "But he finished in front of Nicky Henderson's All Star last time and he is about third favourite."

Jimboreal completes Knight's Festival entries in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle on Tuesday.

The prospect of testing conditions also means that De Soto from Paul Webber's Cropredy stables, near Banbury, could bypass the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle on Tuesday.

The gelding, who finished runner-up in the Champion Bumper two years ago and is a best-priced 20-1 chance for the Festival's opener, pleased his trainer in an away gallop at Lambourn on Sunday.

Away from the Festival, Milton Harris's Edgcote stables, near Banbury, bounced back to form with a brace of winners.

Magic Sky gave Harris and conditional jockey Charlie Poste their first winners for nearly three months when bolting up in a two-mile handicap chase at Newbury.

The seven-year-old, who is owned by Poste's father, Martin, stormed home by 11 lengths from Jacks Craic at 12-1 in the handicap chase over two miles and a furlong.

Harris, who may aim the gelding at a similar contest at Aintree next month, said: "We both needed a winner, so he didn't hang around.

"The boy is a good boy. He works hard, but he broke his wrist and struggled to get going again."

And Harris equalled his best tally of 18 winners in a season when Alfadora got off the mark in a three-mile handicap chase at Kempton the following day.

The seven-year-ol dug deep under Dave Crosse to beat Mister Apple's by seven lengths in the three-mile handicap chase.

Ben Case, who also trains at Edgcote, struck with Magnetic Pole at Bangor.

Formerly owned and bred by The Queen and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the six-year-old got his head in front on his fencing bow when winning an incident-packed novices' handicap chase by 11 lengths under Wayne Hutchinson.

Trainer Ben Case said: "We were probably a little lucky to win after Abraham Smith came down late in the race, but the name of the game is jumping and he has schooled well at home.

"He was quite expensive when we bought him and as far as progression is concerned, you can never tell because this looked a bad race."

Blue Hills notched his fifth win for Hook Norton trainer Peter Hiatt and owner Tom Pratt when taking an amateur riders' handicap at Wolverhampton under Marie King.

Apprentice Frankie Pickard rode her fifth career winner and her first since joining East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison when piloting Macademy Royal to victory in a five-furlong maiden at Lingfield.