Betfred Derby preview: Ralph Beckett pair ready for Epsom clash

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Mon June 02, 2025 · 1w ago

Ralph Beckett is looking forward to running his two colts in Saturday’s Betfred Derby at Epsom.

Pride Of Arras is among the leading market fancies for the Classic off the back off his win in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York.

He’ll be ed in the field by stablemate Stanhope Gardens who took a more unconventional route to Epsom, winning a three-runner conditions race at Salisbury in May on his belated reappearance.

He’s a top-priced 18/1 chance for Saturday, with the Dante winner generally 4/1, and the trainer told Monday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “Pride Of Arras won what’s normally the best trial, did it well and has come out of it well.

“Stanhope Gardens obviously only won a race that was put on for him but he did it well having had two weeks off in April with a problem. I’ve always felt he will be very well suited by Epsom; it's just a question of whether he's good enough.

"I'd have loved to run him in a proper trial but that opportunity was taken away from us, so we're going there off the back of a nice prep run and he’s in very good form. The bookmakers rarely get it wrong though."

Stanhope Gardens is overpriced on the form of his final two-year-old start when beaten a neck by the current Derby favourite in the Emirates Autumn Stakes at Newmarket.

“Delacroix had the rail that day and was more experienced, Stanhope Gardens had won a Beverley maiden so there are grounds for thinking we might turn it around, certainly I have no concerns about whether our horse will stay. He’s bred for every yard of it so let's hope I'm right about that."

Beckett has been getting the right signs from Pride Of Arras in the build-up too.

“He’s tightened up for York inevitably, if he reproduced that and a bit more he’s obviously going to be right in the mix you would think. I’m very pleased with him in every sense.

"His work last week was good; we go there all systems go with our best foot forward."

The trainer also has a fascinating runner in Friday’s Revoir will be having only her third career start having been touched off by the reopposing Qilin Queen at Newbury on her reappearance in May.

She’s from the family of Look Here, who Beckett trained to win the Oaks, and he said: “Her work has been good, and she certainly came out of Newbury in as good a shape as I hoped she should.

"This will fit well for her; she’s a well-balanced filly and I’d be relatively confident that she’ll handle Epsom. Purely from an experience point of view she’ll come forward for Newbury."

When asked if she could be compared to Look Here or his other Oaks winner, Talent, the trainer added: "She’s certainly bred to be, it's a family that keeps on giving, it's not only Look Here but Scope as well, Remarquee her sister was second in the Coronation and won the Fred Darling.

"I think she has the mind for it and the size and scope for it. You’d go skint backing middle-distance fillies on their homework, but I’ve been very pleased with her."