Ralph Beckett
Irish Oaks winner You Got To Me (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) has been supplemented by owners Valmont and Newsells Park Stud for Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger at Doncaster at a cost of £50,000. Last seen filling the runner-up spot in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks, You Got To Me is one of 10 horses in contention for the final Classic of the season as she tries to emulate Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), the last filly to win the race when successful in 2015. Like Simple Verse, You Got...
Amo Racing's Cathedral (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--War And Peace {GB}, by Frankel {GB}) was a talking horse making her debut at Lingfield on Wednesday and the Ralph Beckett trainee duly delivered with an impressive success in the six-furlong maiden. Sent off the 1-2 favourite under David Egan, the €800,000 joint-top-priced filly at the Arqana May Breeze-Up tracked the strong early pace before being launched from the top of the straight. Brushing aside Godolphin's Warm Summer (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) passing the furlong pole, the granddaughter of the G1 Matron...
Amo Racing's Angelo Buonarroti (Justify--Curlylocks {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) was the second highest-priced lot when selling for €1-million at Arqana's Breeze-Up sale earlier this year and went some way to justifying that lofty price tag with a breakthrough success in Friday's British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes at York. The February-foaled chestnut, who first went through the ring for $135,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, was initially trained by Dominic Ffrench Davis, but was transferred to the Raphael Freire yard before posting a three-length debut ninth when highly tried...
Eight distaffers will contest Thursday's G1 Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks after two of the 10 overnight contenders were withdrawn before Tuesday morning's declaration stage. Valmont and Newsells Park Stud Bloodstock's G1 Irish Oaks heroine You Got To Me (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is set to renew rivalry with Curragh runner-up Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). That Aidan O'Brien representative will be accompanied by stablemate and Irish Oaks 13th Port Fairy (Ire) (Australia {GB}). The latter had earlier accounted for the reopposing Lava Stream (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in Royal Ascot's G2...
Newmarket's mile maiden on Friday evening's card holds a special place as the race that hosted the debut of Frankel (GB), not to mention Motivator (GB) and others who went on to make their mark in the big league, and this year it was the turn of Julian Richmond-Watson to enjoy the spoils courtesy of his newcomer Anniversary (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}--Lixirova {Fr}, by Slickly {Fr}). Racing prominently from the outset under Rob Hornby, the 16-1 shot gained the edge approaching the furlong marker and stayed on strongly to...
Classic winner You Got To Me (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is pleasing connections ahead of a run in next Thursday's G1 Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks, according to trainer Ralph Beckett. The G1 Irish Oaks heroine is one of 18 still left in the York showpiece. A winner at two from a pair of starts, the Valmont and Newsells Park Stud runner won the Listed Oaks Trial Fillies' Stakes at Lingfield on May 11. Fourth-place efforts in the G1 Oaks at Epsom and the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot followed. The...
Ralph Beckett trainee Stanhope Gardens (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}--Pure Art {GB}, by Dutch Art {GB}) shaped with a great deal of promise when third behind the 'TDN Rising Star' performance of Ruling Court (Justify) at Sandown last month and became his freshman sire's first winner by dominating Wednesday's New 911 EBF Maiden Stakes at Beverley. Positioned second for most of this extended seven-furlong test, the 4-7 favourite seized control in the home straight and was beyond recall once hitting the front to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths from High Season (GB)...
Ralph Beckett trainee Matauri Bay (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Matauri Pearl {Ire}, by Hurricane Run {Ire}) a 500,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 full-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Aunt Pearl (Ire), made a winning debut in Sunday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Stakes at Leicester. The May-foaled bay, let go as the 2-1 favourite, registered a 1 1/2-length success from Shah (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the straight seven-furlong contest. 2nd-Leicester, £9,000, Nov, 8-11, 2yo, 7fT, 1:24.77, g/f. MATAURI BAY (IRE) (c, 2, Lope De Vega...
Coolmore and Westerberg's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation Stakes placegetter Opera Singer (Justify) and supplementary entry Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) are the leading lights left after 10 of 12 overnight nominees stood their ground for Thursday's G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes. Opera Singer, last term's impressive G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner, is on course to make her first start beyond the one-mile distance while it will be dual Group 1 winner Emily Upjohn's first visit to the Sussex Downs venue. The latter's Team Gosden stablemate Inspiral...
Fourth in the Oaks and the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes, Valmont and Newsells Park Stud Bloodstock's You Got To Me (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}--Brushing {GB}, by Medicean {GB}) made the necessary improvement on Saturday to clinch the G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at The Curragh. Reserved by Hector Crouch in mid-division throughout the early stages in contrast to the forceful ride she was given at Royal Ascot, the well-supported 15-2 shot moved to the front a furlong out with the 3-1 favourite Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in hot pursuit. Where Content had met...
Saturday's G1 Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes served up a thriller, with Juddmonte's TDN Rising Star Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}--Emulous {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) running down Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the final yards for a deserved top-level breakthrough. With abundant rain falling on The Curragh throughout the day, the Ralph Beckett-trained 4-year-old who was herself cruelly denied late in last year's Irish Oaks held the upper hand in terms of ground preference and traded as the 11-10 favourite as a result. Settled in mid-division early...
All the signs are that Tweenhills Farm's first-crop sire Kameko is taking off and the son of Kitten's Joy had his fourth winner in under a fortnight on Monday as Juddmonte's homebred filly Ardeur (GB) dominated her six-furlong maiden at Pontefract. Sent off the 30-100 favourite having finished fourth in a well-contested novice at York last month, the Ralph Beckett-trained daughter of the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. third Chaleur (GB) (Dansili {GB}) was quickly in control at the head of affairs under Rossa Ryan. Asked to stretch turning for...