Tag Archive for: Ralph Beckett

Artistic Star makes an impression to forward Derby case

/in /by

Derby entrant Artistic Star showed a very willing attitude to take his record to two from two and enter the Epsom picture with victory in the Darley British EBF Novice Stakes at Sandown.

The Ralph Beckett-trained, Jeff Smith-owned Galileo colt was making his three-year-old bow after winning a Nottingham maiden in October.

Stepping up to a mile and a quarter from the extended mile of that run, he saw out every yard under Rob Hornby to readily hold off Torito by a length and a quarter as the the 9-4 favourite.

Beckett – who saddled Westover to be an unlucky-in-running third in last year’s Derby – said: “He is a smashing horse. He is a May 27 foal and he has only just been ready for this now.

“We will see how we go with him, but whatever we do next we will have a load of sport with him because he is still a horse in the making I feel.

“Jeff, David (Bowe, racing manager to the owner) and I will have a chat in a fortnight’s time and see how we feel.

“We wanted to go to Lingfield (for the Derby Trial) and that opportunity was taken away from us so this was a really good spot for him.”

As well as the Derby, the winner holds an engagement in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Beckett added: “It is not a bad shout, Ascot, as Jessie Harrington had the full-sister (Forbearance) and she was adamant she needed fast ground and so if we did get into our heat of summer the King Edward VII might seem like a target.

“I’d be a little bit concerned it is only two and a half weeks until Epsom and he might just bounce.”

Juliet Sierra to sidestep Guineas challenge

/in /by

Juliet Sierra will bypass the Qipco 1000 Guineas and head to Lingfield on Saturday week, reducing trainer Ralph Beckett’s challenge in Sunday’s fillies’ Classic to two.

The Juddmonte-owned daughter of Bated Breath won two of her four starts as a juvenile, including the Group Three Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury in September.

She was last seen chasing home stablemate Lezoo when fifth in the Cheveley Park at Newmarket in September and Beckett had been targeting a return to the Rowley Mile with both fillies, as well as his recent Newbury scorer Remarquee.

However, while Remarquee and Lezoo remain firmly on course, Beckett has confirmed Juliet Sierra will miss out and instead step up to seven furlongs the following weekend, having been campaigned exclusively over six last season.

“We have decided not to run Juliet Sierra in the Guineas, as we feel she needs a little more time,” said the Kimpton Down handler.

“So, we are re-routing her to the Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes at Lingfield on Saturday week.”

Remarquee bidding to uphold family honour for Richmond-Watson

/in /by

Julian Richmond-Watson provided Ralph Beckett with the first Classic winner of his career when Look Here won the Oaks in 2008 and now 15 years on, trainer and owner will combine once more when Remarquee lines-up in the Qipco 1000 Guineas.

The daughter of Kingman impressed on her debut at Salisbury as a two-year-old and was a springer in the market for the Newmarket Classic prior to running at Newbury on her reappearance.

That support was justified in style as she accounted for a talented cast of fillies in the Fred Darling and she now heads to the Rowley Mile looking to provide both Beckett and Richmond-Watson with a first Guineas of either description.

“It’s very exciting to have a filly as good as this,” said the owner, who also bred Remarquee at his Northamptonshire-based Lawn Stud.

“I’ve obviously had a couple of nice fillies before and a couple of very good colts, but never one running over a mile.

“I’ve been with Ralph since he started, we get on very well and we’ve enjoyed great success together. It’s very exciting and lets hope she runs well.”

The last of Richmond-Watson’s string to begin her career by beating the colts at Salisbury was Look Here in October 2007, a relative of Remarquee, and he is hoping that proves a good omen following her strong start at the Wiltshire track last autumn.

Remarquee before winning the Fred Darling at Newbury
Remarquee before winning the Fred Darling at Newbury (PA)

“Once she won at Salisbury (beating the Juddmonte-owned Bresson) we were always very hopeful she was well above average,” continued Richmond-Watson.

“The last time I had a two-year-old filly winning a Salisbury maiden and beating a colt was Look Here. And interestingly enough she beat a Juddmonte horse (Doctor Fremantle) as well, so that was all rather auspicious I would say, so lets keep our fingers crossed.”

Although hoping the stars will align once again in Sunday’s Classic, Richmond-Watson – who currently serves as Chairman of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association – says there will be no nerves in the build-up to the big race and simply hopes his filly can do herself credit on the big stage.

“Luckily I don’t get too nervous,” he added. “If you live with them and breed them from our small stud you get used to it. It’s mostly disappointments, so it is also exciting when a good one comes along, but I don’t get too nervous anymore.

“Good fillies are the lifeblood of our industry and if you get a good filly you bring them home and hopefully breed another one.”

Lezoo and Juliet Sierra set to enhance Beckett’s Guineas bid

/in /by

Saturday’s Newbury heroine Remarquee is set to be joined by stablemates Lezoo and Juliet Sierra in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket next month.

Successful in a Salisbury novice event on her sole start at two, Remarquee confirmed herself a major contender for the first fillies’ Classic of the season with an impressive comeback victory in the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Stakes – better known as the Fred Darling.

And while trainer Ralph Beckett is looking forward to seeing the daughter of Kingman line up on the Rowley Mile, he also feels it would be dangerous to overlook two other fillies trained at Kimpton Down Stables who will also line up at Newmarket in a fortnight’s time.

Winning connections with Remarquee
Winning connections with Remarquee (PA)

“We’ve still got five in it (1000 Guineas). Bluestocking won’t run, she’ll go for an Oaks trial, but Juliet Sierra will go straight for the Guineas and Lezoo will go straight there as well. Lose Yourself won’t as she’s not quite ready,” Beckett told Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday programme.

Lezoo is set for a step up in trip after striking Group One gold over six furlongs in last season’s Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Her stablemate Juliet Sierra, previously successful in the Dick Poole at Salisbury, could finish only fifth in the Cheveley Park, but Beckett feels she is overpriced for the Guineas.

He added: “It’s a leap of faith on pedigree whether Lezoo will get a mile, but she’s a very relaxed filly, does nothing at home and she loves the Rowley Mile. It’s a shot to nothing. If she doesn’t stay, we’ll just go back sprinting.

“I never felt Juliet Sierra was a six-furlong filly – I always felt she won the Dick Poole against the curve in that sense.

“She was quite a free-running filly and we were always trying to get her to settle, which is why I didn’t step her up in trip, and I felt she got a bit lost two down in the Cheveley Park and then galloped out really well.

“I think she’s a big price for the Guineas at 50-1.”

While hopeful for his two bigger-priced runners, Remarquee has undoubtedly established herself as the trainer’s chief contender for Guineas glory, with Beckett anticipating further improvement.

He said: “I think she’ll have learnt a lot yesterday and I’ll probably put a sheepskin noseband on her next time, just to help her rider out.”

Jimmi Hendrix calls the tune at Newbury

/in /by

Ralph Beckett will consider his options before making any firm plans for Newbury’s BetGoodwin Spring Cup winner Jimi Hendrix, who stayed on well to take the valuable mile handicap under Rossa Ryan.

Things did not go according to plan when fancied for the Lincoln, where he had finished a disappointing 13th of 22.

Jockey Rossa Ryan felt the fitting of blinkers helped his cause as he powered to a three-and-a-half-length victory over Lattam.

“He is just a bit claustrophobic, hence putting the blinkers on and hence me coming across on my own. It has done the trick, really,” said Ryan.

“He has beaten an Irish Lincoln winner pulling up and he took a lot of pulling up, so I wouldn’t fear going up in trip again with him.

“He has not hit his ceiling and you’d like to think there’d be more to come.”

Beckett, who was recording a double, having taken the Fred Darling with Remarquee, added: “I think he likes this ground to degree. But he’s won on fast ground at the July meeting, so I don’t think it is that important to him.

“But the blinkers today and a bit of space on the wing has really made the difference.

“I’m not sure where we go. The Royal Hunt Cup maybe, with something in between, we’ll have to go away and work it out.”

Golspie/Newbury
Golspie surprised Eve Johnson Houghton (Simon Milham/PA)

Newbury maidens at this time of year are invariably informative, although Eve Johnson Houghton was as surprised as anyone when Golspie (12-1) landed the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Maiden by a length and a half in the hands of Charlie Bishop.

“Slightly unexpected,” said Johnson Houghton. “I thought he would get very tired in the ground. My other horse got very tired on the ground.

“Actually, he quite enjoyed it I think, but he possibly wants further, so it was a lovely surprise.

“We were going to go for a maiden next time!

“He wasn’t very well when we first bought him so gave him loads of time and we were never really going to run him as a two-year-old, and he is still weak, but he’s going to be a nice horse with a bit of luck.”

Klondike/Newbury
Klondike looked a smart recruit in the mile and three-furlong maiden (Simon Milham/PA)

Klondike (7-2), a son of Galileo, who cost 600,000 guineas as a yearling, is bred to be a nice horse.

He overcame abundant greenness under Tom Marquand to take the Too Darn Hot Darley Maiden Stakes by a head for trainer William Haggas.

After his polished and patient ride, where he taught the three-year-old plenty, coming from off the pace to score, Marquand said: “It was a proper William-style run. It is probably as much as you want to see. William likes them to be ridden like that.

“It’s lovely to see a horse like that go and drop down that last half furlong, and actually go and win a race like that.

“You teach them. That is the whole point of their first and early runs, to teach them what their job. We want them all to win, but sometimes emptying the tank isn’t the way they learn the most.

“I gave him a flick a furlong and a half out to get him to straighten up and another flick with half a furlong to go.

“He’s a lovely horse and stays well, and hopefully has a pretty exciting future.”

Remarquee makes all the right moves in Fred Darling

/in /by

Ralph Beckett once again looks to have found a classy filly as Remarquee booked her ticket to the 1000 Guineas with a taking success in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury.

The Classic takes place in just over two weeks and Beckett will no doubt have left plenty to work on, which bodes especially well for her supporters having watched her take the trial better known as the Fred Darling.

Dropped out in the rear by Rob Hornby, the once-raced daughter of Kingman – from the family of Beckett’s Oaks winner Look Here – had plenty going on in front of her as Cheveley Park fourth Swingalong showed them all a clean pair of heels.

It was Hugo Palmer’s Stenton Glider who first broke rank to come out of the pack to chase, but Hornby could be spotted picking his way through stealthily.

Despite carrying her head high Remarquee (7-2) displayed a smart turn of foot to glide by Magical Sunset, with Hornby only needing hands and heels to ride her out for a neck success.

Paddy Power, Betfair and Coral were all impressed and cut the winner to 6-1 for Newmarket.

Beckett – winning the race for the fifth time – said: “It’s great – everything I’d hoped for and more. She was green and running away and Rob dropped his stick by the time she was running away from the crowd.

Remarquee with groom Charlotte White
Remarquee with groom Charlotte White (PA)

“Richard Hannon’s filly (Magical Sunset) leant on her a bit, so she had Kevin’s (Stott’s) stick in her face there for a couple of strides.

“She doesn’t know very much, but she will know more after today and we will certainly go to Newmarket.

“Her mother wanted fast ground and maybe she handles this ground, but I don’t see fast ground being a problem.

“I think she is very good and she has got to go there on the back of that.”

Remarquee looks very smart
Remarquee looks very smart (PA)

Hornby said: “She seems a good mover and she has a high head carriage, which is a bit like Kingman. They tend to be a bit like that, but it doesn’t stop her – she was still running true all the way to the line. It is probably what she finds comfortable.

“She will definitely stay further and while you don’t know until you’ve tried it, I’m sure she will act well on the course at Newmarket. This time of year is exciting, because at this time of year you are running horses in trials and even if they run well, you can still have hopes. So to go and win one like that is very exciting.

“She is a Classic filly. She is not short of speed and I think a mile will be right for her.”

Kinross to give Dettori one final swing at July Cup glory

/in /by

Newmarket’s July Cup has been highlighted as the main summer target for Kinross, where he will be tasked with providing Frankie Dettori with victory in the only British Group One to elude him during his distinguished career.

The Ralph Beckett-trained six-year-old thrived in the second half of the 2022 season, embarking on a four-race winning streak in the hands of the Italian – which included victories in the Prix de la Foret and British Champions Sprint – before the run came to an end with a brave third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Kinross has started off in Haydock’s John Of Gaunt Stakes for the past two campaigns, but connections have decided to delay his return until Royal Ascot this time around, before moving on to Newmarket’s July Course in a bid to land a signature blow during Dettori’s season-long swansong.

“Kinross has wintered really well,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for the owner, Marc Chan.

“He has come out of a hard end-of-season campaign in great form and we will be concentrating on a latter-half of the year campaign with him again.

“He will start off at Royal Ascot and I think both the trainer and jockey are keen to try to win the July Cup. That is the one Group One race I think that Frankie hasn’t won in England.

“That is the major target for now and then after that, do we try to stretch him out to a mile?”

He went on: “He can’t run in the Jacques Le Marois because geldings can’t run in that race, while we know he loves Goodwood. If the ground was to his liking at Goodwood, I could easily see him running in the Sussex Stakes. But for now he isn’t going to run until Ascot.”

It will be top-table assignments only for Kinross this season, with his 2023 journey set to conclude at Sha Tin on December 10, where the son of Kingman will be aimed at representing his locally-based owner in the Hong Kong Mile.

“He’s now a six-year-old and Marc quite rightly thinks we should only run in Group One races and not waste our bullets,” continued McCalmont.

QIPCO British Champions Day – Ascot Racecourse
Kinross and jockey Frankie Dettori after winning the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“I think Hong Kong is more than likely and that is kind of really why we are starting off later in the season.

“With Marc living in Hong Kong, he naturally would love to have a horse run on Longines Day and Hong Kong is very much in our plans. It would definitely be the mile race, there’s no doubt about that, but it a long way away from now.”

Angel Bleu hunting further French glory

/in /by

Angel Bleu returns to Saint-Cloud attempting to maintain his unbeaten record on the continent in the Prix Edmond Blanc on Saturday.

Ralph Beckett’s son of Dark Angel struck twice on French soil as a two-year-old, firstly landing the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere before doubling his Group One haul in the Criterium International 20 days later.

Despite failing to find the scoresheet during his three-year-old season, he continued to hold his own in esteemed company, finishing third in the Greenham and also not disgraced behind Baaeed in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Following an encouraging return at Wolverhampton, Angel Bleu will now be partnered by Ryan Moore as he returns to the French capital for Group Three duty – tasked with taking on Francis-Henri Graffard’s dual race winner and six-time course scorer, The Revenant.

“We were very pleased with his run at Wolverhampton,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Angel Bleu’s owner Marc Chan.

“The draw wasn’t the best, but everyone was delighted with his performance and we’re just building up from there. The horse seems to thrive on racing and likes the course, so we may as well run and keep going.

“When you look back at his run in the Sussex Stakes, on ground he didn’t like, and where he came out of the race with an injury – Baaeed was probably at his peak at that point and it wasn’t really a bad effort. Other than the two times at Royal Ascot, the horse has never run a bad race.

“The Revenant has won this race twice and on that ground, at that distance, it will be no egg and spoon race.

“It’s not an easy race, but it’s kind of an obvious spot and Ryan Moore right now is kind of walking on water – he’s in a zone he has never been in before.”

Moore is also in action on the card in the Group Three Prix Penelope where he has the chance to continue his global purple patch aboard Aidan O’Brien’s Camelot filly, Be Happy.

Jockey Ryan Moore has two rides in Group Three contests at Saint-Cloud on Saturday
Jockey Ryan Moore has two rides in Group Three contests at Saint-Cloud on Saturday (Brian Lawless/PA)

“Be Happy will enjoy the expected soft ground and she is a filly we like,” the jockey told Betfair.

“She won well on her debut in testing ground at Cork and she probably didn’t get the run of the race when stepped up in class at the Curragh next time. This longer trip will suit the Camelot filly.

“We also have Fillies’ Mile fifth Library in here and she certainly has her chance – it’s a very good race for the grade, with Pensee Du Jour an obvious threat to all after her runaway win here last time.”

Trial run key to Lezoo’s Classic aspirations

/in /by

Lezoo is unlikely to run in the Qipco 1000 Guineas without tuning up in a trial first, with connections keeping their options open for the star filly ahead of the new Flat season.

Somewhat unfortunate not to go through her two-year-old campaign unbeaten, Ralph Beckett’s charge won four of her five starts in 2022 and finished the year by landing the Cheveley Park Stakes in superb fashion at Newmarket in September.

Despite racing over no more than six furlongs so far, that Group One victory opened up the prospect of stepping up to a mile for a crack at the first fillies’ Classic of the season – a race for which she is as short as 12-1.

The likes of the Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes (Newmarket, April 19) and the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Fred Darling, Newbury, April 22) are on the horizon and Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Lezoo’s owner Marc Chan, believes she needs to be tested over a longer trip before a Classic run can be considered.

He said: “If she’s ready to run in a trial, then she could run in a trial, but we wouldn’t run in the Guineas without a run.

“Her form is solid – she never ran a bad race last year and was unlucky not to be unbeaten. But we wouldn’t go and run her straight away in the Guineas without a trial and we are under three weeks away now from those races. We’ll have to see, there’s nothing wrong with her, but we’ll see.

The Cambridgeshire Meeting – Juddmonte Day – Newmarket Racecourse
Lezoo (left) ridden by jockey William Buick on their way to winning the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse (David Davies/PA)

“Plans are fairly open with her at this stage. If she wasn’t ready in time for one of those races (a trial), I would be very surprised if we went in the Guineas – we would probably just stay sprinting then, but we will see.”

Balancing the Zoustar filly’s proven quality over sprint distances with the lure of Classic glory is a tough calculation for connections ahead of the new campaign – especially considering Meditate, the horse Lezoo conquered to claim Cheveley Park honours, is currently trading as the second favourite for the mile contest.

“When you have a horse that gives you everything, you don’t really want to make her do something she’s not bred or built to do,” continued McCalmont.

“The Guineas is an open enough race – the Dermot Weld filly (Tahiyra) I think was the really top filly last year. But Lezoo beat Meditate last time and she came back and won at the Breeders’ Cup with ease, so the form is solid.

“With (1000 Guineas runner-up) Prosperous Voyage this time last year, we didn’t really think we would make the Guineas and then all of a sudden she came right. But at least with her we knew she would stay the mile. This filly is by Zoustar who seems to be best at six to seven (furlongs) and then her dam didn’t run beyond six furlongs, so the Guineas is a bit of an ask.

“There looks to be plenty of depth to the sprint division with the three-year-olds. The Commonwealth Cup is a race that is probably a more realistic target than the Guineas, but then that could end up being one of the better races at Ascot this year. It certainly wouldn’t be a weak spot anyway.”

Classic hero Westover hunting Sheema success in Dubai

/in /by

Westover makes his return in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic on Saturday, with connections hoping he has made the required progress to build on his three-year-old campaign.

Ralph Beckett’s charge was the winner of Sandown’s Classic Trial on his seasonal bow last term and went on to be a somewhat unlucky loser when third in the Derby at Epsom before setting the record straight with a destructive performance in the Irish equivalent.

However, things did not go completely to plan for the son of Frankel following Classic success at the Curragh.

He raced far too keenly when a well-beaten favourite in the King George at Ascot in July, before being freshened up and ending his campaign with a respectable sixth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Now he heads to Meydan on World Cup night aiming to take the first step on the path to all the top middle-distance contests throughout the upcoming Flat turf season.

“We’re looking forward to seeing him,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for owners Juddmonte. “He’s a Classic-winning three-year-old and these are the races you have to compete in when you stay in training at four.

“We’re looking forward to getting him going and I think Ralph and his team are happy with him, so we’re hoping for a good run.

“When you are capable of winning Classics at three, you don’t have to improve a lot to be in the mix again in the big races at four and hopefully he is set for a nice four-year-old campaign.”

Both Rob Hornby and Colin Keane rode Westover during his three-year-old season, but the Frankel colt will be partnered for the first time by Ryan Moore in the £3million contest – with Mahon delighted to have acquired the services of one of the world’s leading riders.

Ryan Moore will ride Westover in his Dubai return this Saturday
Ryan Moore will ride Westover in his Dubai return this Saturday (Mike Egerton/PA)

He continued: “Between Australia, Hong Kong and everywhere else, Ryan is a top-class rider. He rides for us when he can and we’re happy to have him.”

The Christophe Lemaire-ridden Equinox, Hong Kong Vase winner Win Marilyn and last year’s champion Shahryar form a strong Japanese hand for the mile-and-a-half Group One.

Elsewhere in the race, Mostahdaf represents John and Thady Gosden following his recent romp in Saudi Arabia, while William Buick is the most successful rider in the race and bids for a fifth victory aboard Charlie Appleby’s Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Rebel’s Romance.

Country Grammer and Frankie Dettori after winning the Dubai World Cup
Country Grammer and Frankie Dettori after winning the Dubai World Cup (Neil Morrice/PA)

It could be a big evening for the Moulton Paddocks handler who is well represented in the Al Quoz Sprint by Super Saturday scorer Al Suhail, has Siskany currently listed as favourite for the Dubai Gold Cup and saddles both Nations Pride and Master Of The Seas in the Dubai Turf.

Frankie Dettori reunites with the Gosden-trained Lord North as the seven-year-old attempts to return to the winner’s circle for the third straight year in that nine-furlong event, while the evergreen Italian teams up with US handler Bob Baffert to ride both Worcester in the UAE Derby and defending champion Country Grammer in the Dubai World Cup.

Currently locked with Jerry Bailey on four victories in the feature contest, Dettori will have the chance to become the outright most successful jockey in the Carnival’s 10-furlong showpiece as he brings the curtain down on his Meydan riding career.