Ralph Beckett

Dark Angel's Angel Bleu Pounces Late For Celebration Mile Triumph

Marc Chan's 2021 G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and G1 Criterium International hero Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Cercle De La Vie {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) had been in and out of form in eight outings since registering those career highlights as a juvenile and backed up a fourth in last month's G2 Summer Mile with a last-gasp win in Saturday's G2 William Hill Celebration Mile at Goodwood. Fourth through halfway and scrubbed along approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 9-2 chance was afforded a dream seam underneath the stands' side rail...

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All Roads Lead to ParisLongchamp for Westover

Last year's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is poised to head directly to France where he'll get a second chance at the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 12 months after running sixth in last year's renewal over unsuitably testing ground. The Ralph Beckett-trainee is currently enjoying a break at his trainer's Kimpton Down base and the connections are keen to follow last year's route to the Bois de Boulogne--with a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup also in the planner following...

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Yorkshire Oaks An Option For Classic-Placed Bluestocking

G1 Irish Oaks runner-up Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) is likely for the G1 Yorkshire Oaks on Aug. 24, Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owner/breeder Juddmonte, confirmed on Wednesday. Trained by Ralph Beckett, the daughter of 2011 G1 Matron S. heroine Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}) has never been off the board in four starts. After breaking her maiden at Salisbury in September, she ran second in a listed at Newbury behind Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) making her 3-year-old bow, and was third behind that filly in the G2 Ribblesdale...

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Kinross Denies Isaac Shelby To Register A Second Triumph In The Lennox

The field for Tuesday's G2 World Pool Lennox S. at Goodwood was reduced by a third after three of the nine original nominees were withdrawn, but nonetheless produced a thrilling finish in which Marc Chan's 2021 winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Ceilidh House {GB}, by Selkirk) defeated G1 Poule d'Essai de Poulains runner-up Isaac Shelby (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) to become the third dual winner of the seven-furlong contest. Last term's G1 Prix de la Foret and G1 British Champions Sprint hero was swiftly into stride...

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Frankel's Task Force A New TDN Rising Star At Salisbury

There was a buzz about Juddmonte's Task Force (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the 10th foal produced by unique dual Classic heroine Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy {GB}), as he went postward as the even-money favourite for Saturday evening's Starman At Tally Ho Stud British EBF Maiden S. at Salisbury. He proved why as he returned with a TDN Rising Star rosette after delivering a deeply promising 3 1/4-length success in the six-furlong contest. Swiftly into stride from an outer stall, the G2 Champagne S. entry cut across to shadow the pace in...

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Irish Oaks: Where Did They Come From?

by Emma Berry & Heather Anderson    A field of eight make up Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks, and a strong Irish contingent faces just one English challenger, Juddmonte's Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}). Aidan O'Brien runs four fillies, including the favourite, Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The Aga Khan homebred Azazat (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is another who is taking her chance in this 1 1/2-mile Classic at the Curragh, and will attempt to become the third winner for her owner/breeder after Ebadiyla (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) in 1997 and Shawanda (Ire) (Sinndar...

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Newmarket: “It Will Be A Different Sort of Pressure.” Shaquille the Target in the July Cup

First there was Dettori's ban, meaning that the one missing English group 1 on his palmares was going to stay void. Then the setback to Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never). Now, the persistent rain that dogged Friday's action at Newmarket's July Festival and has changed the complexion of Saturday's feature G1 Pertemps Network July Cup. Ironically, every bit of that unexpected wet spell acted further to aid the cause of Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) who would have been Frankie's final ride in his last-chance saloon which is now...

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Westover Powers To Record-Breaking Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud Triumph

Juddmonte's G1 Irish Derby hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Mirabilis, by Lear Fan) failed to contend with subsequent G1 Coral-Eclipse runner-up Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in last month's G1 Coronation Cup, but regained the winning thread in emphatic style with a record-breaking performance in Saturday's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Westover raced in a handy third behind Ralph Beckett-trained chaperone Malabu Drive (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was usurped for the lead by last term's G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern victor Tunnes (Ger) (Guiliani {Ire}), and eased into second...

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Group 3-Winning Haskoy Retired Due To Tendon Injury

Trainer Ralph Beckett has revealed that Group 3-winning filly Haskoy (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}--Natavia {GB}, by Nathaniel {Ire}) has been retired due to a tendon injury. Haskoy, fourth in the St Leger last year, having gone past the post in second, made a winning return at Newbury when landing the G3 Al Rayyan S. She had been just 8-1 for the Gold Cup at Ascot. Beckett said of the Juddmonte-owned filly on Twitter, "Haskoy has strained a tendon, consequently she is being retired to the paddocks." Haskoy is the first...

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Royal Ascot And Saint-Cloud Options For Westover

Classic winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is pointing to either Royal Ascot's G2 Hardwicke S. later this month, or the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on July 8, according to Juddmonte's racing manager Barry Mahon. "The Hardwicke is a possibility," said Mahon of the Ralph Beckett trainee. "It's probably coming too soon, but it's a possibility. It's a toss-up between that and the [G1] Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, he'll run in one or the other of those hopefully." Last year's G1 Irish Derby hero ran fifth in the G1 King...

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Westover Camp Aiming For Coronation Cup

Juddmonte's Classic winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who ran a strong second in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March, will make his return in the June 2 G1 Coronation Cup, according to trainer Ralph Beckett. Successful in the G3 Classic Trial at Sandown last April prior to a third in the G1 Derby at Epsom, the bay stormed to a seven-length victory in the G1 Irish Derby at the Curragh in late June. Leading for part of the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S., he failed to...

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Gold Cup Bid On The Cards For Golden Horn's Aston Park Winner Haskoy

Further underlining the merit of last year's G1 St Leger, Juddmonte's Haskoy (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) got up late to register a winning return in Saturday's G3 Aston Park S. at Newbury and enhance her claims in next month's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Demoted from second to fourth in the Doncaster Classic, which was coming up quickly after her success in York's Listed Galtres S. in August, the homebred only just made this gig after what her trainer Ralph Beckett described as a "tough Spring" and was held...

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