TopSpec Trainer of the Quarter - Ralph Beckett

Words by Lissa Oliver

When Starlust came from a near last-to-first run to land the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in a thrilling finish, trainer Ralph Beckett was one of the few unsurprised by the 34-1 winner. It hadn’t been a long-term plan, but with the three-year-old colt’s liking for a flat track, as highlighted by his fondness for York, the team at Kimpton Down Stables in Hampshire were fairly confident. 

Beckett first took out his licence in 1999 and now has a team of 180 at the state-of-the-art yard in the idyllic Hampshire countryside near Andover, sending out 18 Gr.1 winners. Kimpton Down has three all-weather gallops, including a 1600m straight woodchip, and 35 acres of downland grass, that have been used as gallops for over a century. Beckett also installed a treadmill, enabling horses to remain in full work without being ridden, as well as being excellent for rehabilitating horses returning from injury. There are also 30 acres of turnout paddocks, used all year round thanks to the chalk base.

Starlust’s 2024 Breeders’ Cup win came only a month after Bluestocking had won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for Beckett, but for Starlust this was a first success at top-level. After a busy juvenile campaign the colt had run a creditable third to Big Evs in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in 2023, so was no stranger to an end-of-year trip to America.

“As in all of these things, and after the end of a long year, the main concern for us was to concentrate on the horse’s wellbeing, particularly after his traumatic experience in the Prix de l’Abbaye,” says Beckett, when Starlust was badly hampered in the final 200m and collided with the rail. “As much as anything it was about getting his head right. We took him away for a day, the day out being the most important thing rather than the work, and when he came home he was happy and we knew he was in good form.” 

The draw is all-important for the l’Abbaye, but Starlust had the luck of the draw at Del Mar. “He has shown a distinct liking for York and a flat track suits him very well, so that was particularly relevant,” Beckett points out. 

He acknowledges the work also put in by his team at the historic Kimpton Down Stables, particularly his Assistant Trainer Joe Tuite, Head Man and Assistant Gary Plasted, and Travelling Head Grooms Richard Arnold and Emma Wilkinson. “Emma does most of the work when they fly and has been with me a long time and knows the routine very well, she’s very experienced. At home, Joe Tuite and Gary Plasted are hugely experienced and Joao Cardoso, Barn Manager, knows the horse really well.

"Starlust is a really tough horse and that shone through at Del Mar. He's not had a break all year and has been at it since Meydan in January. He’ll definitely have a holiday now.”