As a long flowing line of beautiful horses swings gently to the left on a hedge-lined woodchip gallop, there is a sense that it is not just Ralph Beckett’s third morning lot that has turned a corner. So, too, has the trainer.

Almost exactly a year has passed since the master of Kimpton Down Stables last spoke at length for a Big Read interview. During the intervening 12 months he has been in tears at Longchamp after adding his name to the Arc’s roll of honour, enjoyed Breeders’ Cup glory in California and rewritten the record books by sending out the biggest-priced winner of a Group 1 prize in British racing history. By anyone’s standards that represents exceptional success, yet Beckett’s standards are now exceptionally high. For too much of this year, he believes they have not been met.

At pivotal points, the horses have not been as healthy as Beckett would have liked. As a result, the yard’s running total of winners is shy of where he would like it to be. Prior to the blip, the 54-year-old had experienced a sustained run of upward progression. Once one of the sport’s rising forces, he has long been fully risen. The man in a white checked shirt who stands watching his horses under a blazing sun has plentiful reasons to be upbeat, not least the fact he approaches a major Flat festival having enjoyed a fabulous revival at the one just gone.

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Published on 16 August 2025inThe Big Read

Last updated 18:00, 16 August 2025