Ep7: Performance and Politics with Ralph Beckett

08/22/23 • 60 min

Ralph started as stable lad in 1989, spending a year in Australia working for Colin Hayes and others. He then did two seasons with Jimmy Fitzgerald, a summer in Belmont, New York, and two and a half years with Arthur Moore. After a season with Martin Pipe, he went to work for Peter Walwyn as his assistant in 1996.

He took over from Peter in 2000, training 105 winners from Windsor House in Lambourn. His best performer whilst there was the G3 Fred Darling winner Penkenna Princess, who was a short-head second in the 2005 Irish 1000 Guineas. Come On Jonny won The November Handicap the same year. Whitsbury Manor’s landlord Chris Harper asked him to go there for the 2006 season, replacing David Elsworth, trainer of Desert Orchid and Persian Punch.

Look Here won the 2008 Oaks, becoming the first and only classic winner trained at Whitsbury. Muhannak won the Breeders’ Cup Marathon in the same year. In all, Ralph sent out 245 winners during his stint there.

Ralph started negotiating to buy Kimpton Down from Toby Balding and his son-in-law Jonathan Geake in 2010. This was completed in time to move for the start of 2011. In August 2019 at Salisbury, Another Boy won an Apprentice Handicap, and in the process became Ralph’s 1000th domestic winner. His most notable achievement to date is the 1-2 in the 2013 Oaks with Talent and Secret Gesture. Simple Verse won the 2015 St Leger, becoming the first filly to do so since User Friendly in 1992.

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EP6: Off The Cuff with Nick Bradley

Nick has placed horses in his management to win over 200 races and his knowledge of the race fixture book is second to none. By the start of the 2016 turf season Nick had spent £2.2 million in the sales ring on behalf of his owners since 2009, during the same period the same bloodstock returned just over £5 million, with 40% of the horses still to be sold. Such an extraordinary return has been achieved spotting the talents of equine stars who were sold for up to 30 times their purchase price.
Since 2016, Nick's buying record has gone from strength to strength with 2020 being an extraordinary year for Nick Bradley Racing. In 2020 only Godolphin and Hamdam al Maktoum picked up more 2yo victories or prize money than the Nick Bradley Racing horses. When you consider that in 2020, Nick Bradley Racing had less than twenty 2yos in training it was quite an achievement to see so much success on the track.
Nick has developed a reputation for being as sharp as anyone in the horse racing industry when it comes to selecting bloodstock. This is not a self labelled title Nick has given himself, regular success of buying the right horses for small budgets has seen this reputation build over the last 10 years.
Nick has chosen to focus very much on the 2yo and 3yo race programme. When at the sales he views, selects and purchases in the main, yearling and 2yo fillies to race within this programme. In essence, this allows Nick to aim to master his trade rather than being the jack of all trades.

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Ep8: The past and present with Eve Johnson Houghton

Eve started training in 2007 and had a flying start with 22 winners and has continued on an upward curve ever since, consolidating her position as a leading lady trainer.

The 2018 season saw Eve scale new heights with her breakthrough Group 1 & Royal Ascot winner Accidental Agent who scored in fine style in the Queen Anne stakes.

In recent seasons team Woodway has also had other notable successes from the likes of The Cheka, What About Carlo, Scarlet Dragon & Magnolia Springs.

Going forward, boutique trainer Eve is looking to keep on improving and increasing the size of the string whilst retaining the personal touch.

As a leading amateur jockey Eve rode 20 winners including the prestigious Ascot Diamond race twice.

She rode for some notable trainers including Barry Hills, Roger Charlton and her father Fulke Johnson Houghton.

She also rode in the Euro American Champion series with Chris Bonner representing England, where over a series of 8 races in England, Germany and the USA they were champions.