Ralph Beckett

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,...

Such a high-profile split, whether temporary or not, between Frankie Dettori and the John and Thady Gosden stable, has naturally dominated the headlines of the last week. Whatever one's thoughts of the events during and post-Royal Ascot, there was no mistaking the affection in which Dettori is held among racegoers as he was cheered back into the winner's enclosure on his sole ride in Britain since the Saturday of the royal meeting. He has nothing booked for this week either, but intriguingly Dettori has been snapped up by Charlie Appleby...

The Curragh, IRELAND--Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby revolved around Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and he didn't disappoint. The fact that Colin Keane was handed the ride at the expense of Rob Hornby, who was aboard the colt at Epsom, provided a fascinating sub-plot to the race and both men emerged from the weekend with reputations not only intact but enhanced. Westover was the winner the Curragh needed and his victory tees up a fascinating rematch between himself and the Derby hero Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the...

Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby had been teed up as a match between Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Mirabilis, by Lear Fan) and Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), but in the ultimate assessment it was really a matter of no contest as Ralph Beckett's powerhouse colt overwhelmed all assembled for the Curragh Classic. Always travelling in a beautiful rhythm for Colin Keane granted a perfect lead by French Claim (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}), the 11-8 joint-favourite took control at the top of the straight and had already stretched into an unassailable...