Ralph Beckett to train Amo Racing's 4,400,000gns Frankel filly

Ralph Beckett has been selected to train a filly purchased for 4.4 million guineas (£4.62m/€5.51m) by Amo Racing on Wednesday with connections stating that "we owe it to her to put her into one of the best operations".

The filly, by Frankel out of Royal Ascot winner Aljazzi, formed part of a £12.6m spending spree by Kia Joorabchian and various partners, including Sheikh Joaan Al Thani and Evangelos Marinakis, at Tattersalls, which also included a sister to Arc winner Alpinista, who was purchased for 2.5m gns (£2.6m/€3.1m) and is set to be trained by Sir Mark Prescott.

Alex Elliott, the bloodstock agent who signed for the Frankel x Aljazzi filly on behalf of Amo Racing, told Tattersalls: "She's been given to Ralph Beckett. Kia's got Angelo Buonarroti, who cost a million at the breeze-ups this year and was third in the Royal Lodge, and Cathedral, who won her maiden impressively and cost eight-hundred thousand at the breeze-ups, with Ralph.

"This filly has one of the best pedigrees, is from one of the best farms [in Newsells Park Stud] and is one of the top fillies in the book, so we owe it to her to put her into one of the best operations and that's Ralph Beckett."

The selection of Beckett by Joorabchian as the trainer for his priciest purchase marks the conclusion of a turnaround in the relationship between the trainer and the owner.

In 2021, Joorabchian removed ten horses from Beckett, telling the Racing Post's Front Runner email that "I just felt Ralph and I weren't seeing eye to eye, so I felt it might be better if we did a change".

Joorabchian added: "I think he's a very good trainer. A lot of the old-style trainers have different ways of training and maybe we're a younger, newer type of company that has a slightly different method and sometimes it doesn't work with everybody. It's okay, there's nothing wrong with that. He did a great job with everything he's had from us, but sometimes you don't see eye to eye and that's that. I wish him the best."

Amo Racing returned to having runners with Beckett last year, with Angelo Buonarroti winning the Convivial Maiden at York’s Ebor festival for the pair earlier this year.

Sir Mark Prescott will train for Joorabchian for the first time having been selected to handle the sister to Alpinista, who Prescott sent out to win six Group 1s for owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing.

Read these next:

'You've got to get them early' - Kia Joorabchian reflects on multi-million splurge on extraordinary day at Tattersalls 

‘Graham’s thrilled and the accountant is delighted!’ - famous farm back in clover after 4,400,000gns Frankel filly stars at Tattersalls 

Atmosphere set fair in Newmarket as Amo Racing takes Book 1 by storm 

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