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| Staff Writer |
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“Believe it or not apart from Aidan O’Brien and John Gosden I am the last man to win the Oaks,” said Ralph Beckett a true gentleman of horse racing.
From a family tree adorned with racing achievements and glittered with training milestones, he has built a reputation as a trainer regarded internationally.
He himself has gone on to see success across the globe with victories that include two times Epsom Oaks and a St Leger Stakes.
Born in London Beckett lived there until he was ten years old and his family moved to Nottinghamshire, then South Yorkshire.
He is the grandson of Ralph Beckett, 3rd Baron of Grimthorpe, who in his own right was the owner of Fortina, winner of the 1947 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He and his family were influential Becketts continuing in the Sport of Kings.
“He died sometime before I was born. But certainly, my father's family were very much involved in National Hunt racing, in particular, and my father's brother also bred the 1977 1000 Guineas winner,” Beckett said.
“So there was plenty of racing in the background, with my family although my father himself is not actually involved. But obviously, he takes a keen interest and I would have gone racing with him regularly from when I was a small child.”
A Glittering Career
Beckett’s career has gone on to see great success after first securing his first Group One winner in 2008 when Look Here won the Epsom Oaks.
His stable has included the likes of Look Here, Talent, Simple Verse, Angel Bleu, Scope, and Westover. Beckett told us about a few other names who have helped the stable gain success.
“I suppose at the same time as Look Here there was a horse called Muhannak who won the Breeders Cup Marathon, the inaugural running of that race, a race that is long forgotten now but at the time that was a big deal for lots of reasons.”
“I think it showed that we could deal with horses who had perhaps not thrived elsewhere and at the top table if you like.”
“Look Here may have changed our lives in effect but I think the one day that I always will remember as a major highlight was when Talent and Secret Gesture finished first and second in the 2013 Oaks.”
“That had not been done for a long time, and to come away with it really changed the dial as well.”
In winning the Oaks in 2013 with Talent, he became the last person to win the Group One outside of Aidan O’Brien and John Gosden.
“Lastly, Kinross, because I trained his mother (Ceilidh House) and his mother’s sisters, and most of his brothers and sisters as well.”
“The fact is he has done it in every year of his career in some shape or form. Having looked serious as a two-year-old before going west in the middle part of his three-year-old career, and then to come back and become the horse he is.”
“I think he's been a significant factor as well.”
Returning To Meydan
Beckett now prepares Westover, a 4YO Frankel colt owned and bred by Juddmonte, now nominated for the Dubai Sheema Classic.
Last year he won the Group Three Classic Trial at Sandown Park in April, followed by a third place in June racing in the Group One Cazoo Derby at Epsom Downs.
He would go on to show that run was great for his introduction to Group One company by winning the Irish Derby 21 days later, and doing so impressively putting seven lengths on the rest of the field.
“When he arrived I suppose he was the fourth or fifth crop of yearlings that I had received from Juddmonte, we had started training for them in the autumn of 2015. Probably on the back of Simple Verse winning that year’s St Leger.”
“We also trained Westover’s year older full brother, a horse called Fabilis. He had done well and won a couple of races. He wasn’t in any way the same physical as Westover, a much smaller horse, you wouldn’t put them as full brothers at first glance in any shape or form.”
“I suppose with him having won a couple, the obvious thing for Juddmonte to do was send me the full brother being Westover.”
“At two, he looked very good first time out. Then I thought he would win the Haynes, Hanson & Clark Stakes at Newbury, that didn’t happen, but he was beaten by a good horse.”
“Then he ran a fine race in the Listed Silver Tankard at Pontefract on his last start.”
“So it wasn’t any surprise that he has turned out to be the horse that he is because he was always going to develop from two to three just because of his size and shape. He is a big horse, a heavy horse, he weighs well over 500 kilograms.”
“It was always going to be easier for him at three and hopefully at four.”
“He’ll now go to the Sheema Classic, that’s the plan.”
“After that the obvious race for him given how well he handled Epsom in the Derby, is to go back to the Coronation Cup I would imagine, all being well.”
“Then we will work away with him through the year from there.”
“How the program pans out for him and where he goes next will depend on how he goes in Dubai and the Epsom in the first weekend of June.”
The yard can house 143 horses at Kimpton Down stables with a few elsewhere, amongst which there are various stars as Beckett said.
“Apart from those mentioned Lezoo won the Cheveley Park last year and hopefully she'll progress as a three-year-old as well.”
“Prosperous Voyage won the Falmouth and she's back in training. Angel Bleu picked up an injury in the Sussex Stakes but he is back in training now as well.”
“Kinross goes again so I suppose those will be the four obvious ones for Group One races, to pick out.”
When asked about his younger crop of stablemates and knowing Beckett’s eye for potential, the trainer was quick to respond.
“That's a dangerous assumption to make as a racehorse trainer,” he says with a grin.
“But there are a few, there are fillies like Lose Yourself who was second in the Group Three Oh So Sharp Stakes in her second start.
“Fillies like Bluestocking and Remarquee who both won on debut.”
“Horses like If Not Now and Davideo, so there is plenty of untapped potential there.”
“We just need one of them to come to the fore, or several of them.”
As Westover is prepared to take on the track at Meydan Beckett said that he currently does not have any other stablemates to join him or to journey to the likes of Bahrain, Qatar or Saudi on the hunt for the titles and prizemoney these regions now offer.
“Not at the moment. But that changes year to year.”
“We would take horses in the right circumstances to Saudi, Dubai or Bahrain when they come around, but you don't always know when or if they are going to come.”
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The Secret Recipe To Success
The wait for that right horse is a case of being patient, a lesson that Beckett has taken on board and has held him in great stead for success.
“Patience is the most important thing to have as a trainer in my opinion.”
“If you are patient, you generally get paid back.”
Having won major races across the UK he is proud of where he is from and sees it as an honour to win on home soil when asked which race he would love to win, for Beckett it isn’t far from home.
“I suppose as an Englishman winning the Derby is the most important thing to an English trainer. So that would be the race I'd most like to win.”
For now, its Westover who is beckoned to Dubai with him heading to his destination on March 17.
“He's due to have a couple of racecourse gallops before he leaves.”
“He galloped well on Wednesday and the way he is looking so far, I think we have got all our ducks in a row.”