Ralph Michael Beckett (born June 1971) is a British racehorse trainer who specialises in training horses for

Flat racing Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all spor ...

. He is based at

Kimpton, Hampshire Kimpton is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. The village is situated west of Andover, in the north of the county, and has a boundary with Ludgershall, in Wiltshire. South of Kimpton there is Thruxt ...

Career

Beckett comes from an aristocratic racing background. He is the grandson of Ralph Beckett, 3rd Baron Grimthorpe, whose horse Fortina won the 1947

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...

, and cousin to racehorse manager Edward Beckett, 5th Baron Grimthorpe. After gaining experience with various trainers around the world, Beckett became assistant trainer to Peter Walwyn in

Lambourn Lambourn is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It lies just north of the M4 Motorway between Swindon and Newbury, and borders Wiltshire to the west and Oxfordshire to the north. After Newmarket it is the largest centre of r ...

. In 2000 he took over the yard after Walwyn's retirement. Beckett achieved his first

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (motorsport), a regulation set of the FIA for series-production touring cars used in motorsport. * Group One Thoroughbred horse races, the leading e ...

win in 2008 when Look Here won the

Epsom Oaks The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 ya ...

. Further classic success came with Talent in the 2013 Oaks, Simple Verse in the 2015

St Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over ...

and Westover in the 2022

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a dista ...

. Beckett was elected president of the National Trainers Federation for 2022/2023. In 2024, he was the winning trainer of the

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris over a distance ...

with ''Bluestocking''.

Major wins

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

* British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes - (1) - '' Simple Verse (2015)'' * British Champions Sprint Stakes - (1) - '' Kinross (2022) '' *

Cheveley Park Stakes The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres) and is ...

- (1) - ''Lezoo (2022)'' *

Epsom Oaks The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 ya ...

- (2) - '' Look Here (2008), Talent (2013)'' *

St Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over ...

- (1) - '' Simple Verse (2015)'' *

Falmouth Stakes The Falmouth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile ( ...

- (1) - '' Prosperous Voyage (2022)''

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Critérium International The Critérium International was a two-day Stage (bicycle race), bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in ...

- (1) - '' Angel Bleu (2021)'' *

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is ...

- (1) - '' Westover (2023)'' *

- (1) - ''Bluestocking (2024) '' *

Prix de la Forêt The Prix de la Forêt is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs), and ...

- (1) - ''Kinross (2022)'' *

Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, formerly the Grand Critérium, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of ...

- (1) - '' Angel Bleu (2021)'' * Prix Royal-Oak - (1) - '' Scope (2021)'' *

Prix Vermeille The Prix Vermeille is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles) ...

- (1) - ''Bluestocking (2024) '' Ireland *

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a dista ...

- (1) - '' Westover (2022)'' *

Irish Oaks The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it ...

- (1) - '' You Got To Me (2024) '' * Pretty Polly Stakes - (1) - '' Bluestocking (2024) '' United States * Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint - (1) - '' Starlust (2024) ''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckett, Ralph 1971 births Living people British racehorse trainers

Ralph Ralph (pronounced or ) is a male name of English origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Old High German ''Radulf'', cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms are: * Ra ...