Ralph Beckett

Sir Mark Prescott will happily recount the story of the time he bashed his former pupil assistant William Haggas over the head with a frying pan for oversleeping. He will also reflect with pleasure on the great pride he felt when Haggas won the Derby in 1996 with Shaamit (Ire). When it comes to being a benevolent dictator, the Prescott pendulum has, by his own admission, swung more from dictatorship towards benevolence in recent years and, more than anyone involved in British racing, the master of Heath House cares deeply...

Marc Chan's 5-year-old gelding Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Ceilidh House {GB}, by Selkirk) was a neck shy of Sandrine (GB) (Bobby's Kitten) in last month's G2 Lennox S. at Goodwood and exacted revenge on that rival with a first win since annexing last year's renewal of that contest in Saturday's £400,000 G2 Sky Bet City of York S. on the Knavesmire. Positioned fourth through halfway, the 5-1 chance made smooth headway into contention in the straight and quickened smartly underneath the stands' side rail inside the final furlong to prevail by...

Successful in a July 29 extended 12-furlong Wolverhampton novice event in her only prior start, Juddmonte's homebred 3-year-old filly Haskoy (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}--Natavia {GB} {SW-Eng}, by Nathaniel {Ire}) stepped forward to claim a career high on black-type bow in Thursday's Listed British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres S. at York. The January-foaled bay was positioned at the tail of the field after breaking from an outer gate. Bustled along with a half mile to go, the 13-2 chance made relentless headway racing in isolation on the far side...

Classic winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who won the G1 Irish Derby earlier this summer, is likely to skip the G1 St Leger in September in favour of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 2, Juddmonte's Barry Mahon revealed to ITV on Wednesday. "He's in very good form," Mahon told ITV at York. "He's having a break at Ralph [Beckett]'s and is in good nick. I'd say the next time you'll see him would be the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe." A winner of the G3 bet365...

Marc Chan's Group 1 winner Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) will miss the rest of the season having picked up an injury in the G1 Qatar Sussex S., according to trainer Ralph Beckett who tweeted the news this morning. The grey requires surgery on a fetlock but is expected to be back in action in 2023. Beckett said, "He ran very well at Glorious Goodwood, finishing a running-on fifth in the Sussex S. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury to his fetlock that needs surgery. This means that he is...

Classic hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who won the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the end of June, will be freshened after his unplaced run in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. on Saturday. A winner of the G3 bet365 Classic Trial in his seasonal debut in April, the Juddmonte colourbearer ran third in the G1 Cazoo Derby for trainer Ralph Beckett. The bay set a contested pace in the King George. "I think it just wasn't our day," said Barry Mahon, general manager...

Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen's 2-year-old filly Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}), making a swift return after running second in Newmarket's July 8 G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. last time, notched a landmark score in Saturday's G3 Princess Margaret Keeneland S. at Ascot to become her sire's first Northern Hemisphere pattern-race winner in the six-furlong dash. She had previously posted victories in a June 11 novices' heat over five furlongs at Bath and when upped to six furlongs for Newmarket's June 25 Listed Empress Fillies' S. in her penultimate start. Positioned...

Juddmonte homebred Westover (GB)'s seven-length thumping of the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby field last month was the second consecutive Irish Derby victory by a son of Frankel (GB) after Hurricane Lane (Ire) in 2021, but his achievement was also a timely reminder of the potency of his late broodmare sire Lear Fan. Born in 1981, the dark bay has also featured as the broodmare sire of another prominent Sadler's Wells-line runner, the two-time U.S. Champion Sire Kitten's Joy (El Prado {Ire}), who died at Hill 'n' Dale Farm...

Last month's G1 Irish Derby hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is pleasing trainer Ralph Beckett in advance of his next start in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. on Saturday. The field for the Ascot prize is high on quality, with the G1 Oaks second Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), also signed on for the 3-year-old brigade. The 2021 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), as well as fellow Group 1 winners Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), Pyledriver (GB)...

Trainers Joseph O'Brien, Henry de Bromhead and Ralph Beckett are each set to be represented in the next auction on the ThoroughBid platform set for 22 July. O'Brien has consigned four lots to the sale, including Zofast (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), an unraced half-sister to a pair of multiple winners, as well as Flash Bulb (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a latest third over 9 1/2 furlongs at Gowran Park June 12. Also in the Carriganog consignment is Cork maiden winner Ghasham (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). The Roger Brookhouse-owned and Henry de Bromhead-trained nine-year-old...

Irish Derby-winning trainer Ralph Beckett has blasted the poor prize-money on offer in Britain in response to no runners being declared for the final race at Newbury on Saturday. Beckett, who sent out Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to win the Curragh Classic last month, labelled the purse for the Newbury race that did not attract a single declaration "a disgrace." He said, "£6,500 for a novice race at a Grade 1 track on a Saturday is a disgrace. Furthermore, when the race conditions were published a month ago, it was...

Ralph Beckett's Group 1-winning stayer Scope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}-Efisio {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) has been put down after suffering a serious injury in a routine piece of work. The 4-year-old enjoyed his finest hour when lifting the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp in October and connections had been looking forward to him making his presence felt this season. However, Beckett reported in his website blog, "Scope was put down this (Tuesday) morning after fracturing his right-hind cannon bone and pastern, whilst at routine exercise. "Having trained him, his entire family,...