'I was well connected and I've never made any bones about it - but that opportunity only takes you so far'
Ralph Beckett discusses the perilous days of the past and his prospects for York
Baseball caps tell a story, I've come to believe. At least racing ones do, the ones with the horse's name on the front and a key date or factoid that commemorates its status in the equine pecking order.
I remember visiting Ballydoyle with a bunch of other hacks, way back when, and as we left the freebie caps were handed out, advertising the Coolmore stallions du jour. Some were rationed, but if you wanted a One Cool Cat you could have as many as you wanted. In fact, if you tried to sneak off without one, the woman in charge of cap allocation politely hurled a few in through your car window.
In 2009, One Cool Cat was sold to stand in South Korea. My caps remain unsold on eBay.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inThe Big Read
Last updated
Copy- 'I don't want to be part of this narrative that Irish trainers are better than us - I think that's rubbish, it drives me nuts'
- 'The grief hits me quite a lot - so many people think I'm really tough but I get terribly upset by things inwardly'
- 'The numbers went in the wrong direction and you're an idiot if you don't think about it - but you back what you're doing'
- 'My wife wants to know why I'm reading the sales catalogue in bed - it's relentless, but you have to be on it all the time'
- 'I know people will say they've heard it all before - but when I see Constitution Hill now, he's suddenly developed quality'
- 'I don't want to be part of this narrative that Irish trainers are better than us - I think that's rubbish, it drives me nuts'
- 'The grief hits me quite a lot - so many people think I'm really tough but I get terribly upset by things inwardly'
- 'The numbers went in the wrong direction and you're an idiot if you don't think about it - but you back what you're doing'
- 'My wife wants to know why I'm reading the sales catalogue in bed - it's relentless, but you have to be on it all the time'
- 'I know people will say they've heard it all before - but when I see Constitution Hill now, he's suddenly developed quality'