Ralph Beckett

LEXINGTON, KY -- Though introducing no fissure of light into the bruised grey sky hanging over Keeneland, daybreak on Wednesday nonetheless spread an array of crimson and saffron, dazzling as any sunrise, into the trees peering over the rituals of training track and shed row. And for those supervising one horse in particular, it felt especially apt that a final, lingering blaze of autumn glory should be preserved against the fading of the year. For if he could win the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile here on Saturday, Kinross (GB)...

Sharp miler Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) has pleased trainer Ralph Beckett in his preparations for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland, the trainer revealed on Friday. Marc Chan's 5-year-old gelding is riding a four-race winning streak, and after victories in the G2 City Of York S. and the G2 Park S. in August and September, found France to his liking with a two-length victory in the G1 Prix de la Foret. He added an exclamation point to his season with a 2 1/4-length tally in the G1 British Champions...

Marc Chan's 'TDN Rising Star' Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Ceilidh House {GB}, by Selkirk) registered a belated first top-level triumph in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix de la Foret at the beginning of this month and doubled that tally with a dominant display in Saturday's G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint S. at Ascot. Ninth contesting last year's renewal of the six-furlong dash, the gelded 5-year-old initiated his latest purple patch with victories over seven furlongs in August's G2 City of York S. and September's G2 Park S. before claiming a career high on...

NEWMARKET, UK -- Even in what proved a record-breaking edition, Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year yielded just a couple of six-figure sales. On Thursday, we had two in the first half hour. Any prospectors who had staggered out of the opening two books gasping for some oasis of affordability already knew what they were up against. To be fair, trade would not remain quite as consistently wild as had been the case across the two preceding catalogues. While unsatisfied demand from Book 2 was transparent...

Classic winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will remain in training at four, according to trainer Ralph Beckett. The Juddmonte homebred ran sixth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe behind Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) on Sunday. The G3 bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown went his way in April and was then a running-on third in the G1 Derby in June. The bay blitzed the G1 Irish Derby field by seven lengths at the Curragh later that month and was fifth in Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire})'s G1 King George...

Marc Chan's TDN Rising Star Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) had not always had the rub of the green throughout his career, but it all fell right in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de la Foret Presente par Education Above All that closed out ParisLongchamp's top-level action. Now firmly established at the head of the seven-furlong division having won the G2 City Of York S. and G2 Park S., the Ralph Beckett-trained 5-year-old had a wide draw to overcome but Frankie Dettori was all for taking a deep breath as the principals...

Initiating a treble for the talent-rich Ralph Beckett juvenile team at Salisbury on Thursday, Juddmonte's Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) sparkled on debut to earn TDN Rising Star status in the card's opener. Sent off a 9-1 shot for division one of the Byerley Stud British EBF Novice S. over a mile, the daughter of the operation's G1 Matron S. heroine Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}) was keen early for Rob Hornby buried mid-pack. At work with over two furlongs remaining, the homebred had to go to the far rail for a...

Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen's G3 Princess Margaret S. victrix Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}--Roger Sez {Ire}, by Red Clubs {Ire}), who had met with defeat just once in four prior starts, made a significant breakthrough for her antipodean sire sensation (by Northern Meteor {Aus}) with a battling success in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket. The 77,000gns Tattersalls Book 3 yearling and €110,000 Araqana Breeze-Up graduate made a winning debut at Bath in June, doubling up for a first black-type score in the Listed Empress S. later that...

Classic winner Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is pleasing connections ahead of a bid in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 2. The colt is headed to the ParisLongchamp showpiece after running a last out fifth in the G1 King George Vi And Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot in July. He follows in the hoofprints of another Juddmonte luminary, 2010 Arc hero Workforce (GB) (King's Best), who also did not win the King George, but bounced back in fine style in France. Juddmonte's racing manager Barry Mahon...

Back in vogue when successful in last month's seven-furlong G2 City of York S. on the Knavesmire, Marc Chan's 'TDN Rising Star' Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Ceilidh House {GB}, by Selkirk) continued his renaissance at his specialist distance with a one-length victory over the same trip in Sunday's G2 Cazoo Park S. at Doncaster. Positioned third in the slipstream of eventual third Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) through the early fractions, the odds-on favourite quickened beyond that rival approaching the final furlong and was comfortably on top in the closing stages...

Juddmonte's 2-year-old filly Juliet Sierra (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}--Kilo Alpha {GB}, by King's Best) bettered a July 22 debut second going six furlongs at Newmarket with a breakthrough score over much the same trip at Nottingham last month and continued her rapid rise with a career high on stakes bow in Thursday's G3 Ire-Incentive It Pays To Buy Irish Dick Poole Fillies' S. at Salisbury. Finding a smooth rhythm behind the leaders in fifth after an alert getaway, the 9-2 favourite tanked forward to launch her challenge passing the quarter-mile...

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...