Pride Of Arras back on song at York

Ralph Beckett on top level targets for Amiloc and Pride Of Arras

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sun September 14, 2025 · 3M ago

Ralph Beckett has highlighted running plans for Pride Of Arras and Amiloc after watching the latter take second in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh.

Amiloc may have lost his unbeaten record when no match for Al Riffa in the Classic but Beckett was delighted with the performance.

"Very happy, very proud of him. Everything went to plan, we just got done by a better one," he told Racing TV.

"This horse is still relatively inexperienced, I was delighted with him. I thought Rossa [Ryan] had got first run on him at the top of the straight so we went at the right time, he got to the line well, he was just beaten by a better one.

"Always felt he'd enjoy this ground and Rossa confirmed that. He just loves racing so I wouldn't get hung up on ground necessarily. He did take a long time to get over the Edward VII, we knew that, the only concern I really had coming to today was whether he'd done enough but he clearly had."

This was just the sixth start for Amiloc and the first time that he had travelled but he could now be set to test himself in international waters with a trip to America in the offing.

"He'll probably go to the Breeders' Cup Turf; I think it will really suit him," he opined.

"We'll probably go there and have a think after that but hopefully with that pedigree and make-up of horse he is that he should get better as he gets older, still quite a frame of the horse. I think it's all in front of him."

Amiloc is owned by Vimy Aykroyd who has also seen her colours successfully carried by Pride Of Arras this season.

Pride Of Arras earned a shot at the Derby having won the Dante Stakes on just his second start but struggled at Epsom and again in the Irish Derby prompting connections to send him away to be gelded.

Pride Of Arras returned from that operation with victory in the Great Voltigeur at York over a mile and a half but is due to step back in trip to 10 furlongs as he goes back up in class.

"He goes to the Champion Stakes all being well, he's in rare form so looking forward to that," Beckett said.

"I hadn't been that hard on him at home [ahead of York], I wanted to go to the race in good shape, on good terms with himself as much as anything else and he clearly was.

"Ground I think comes all alike to him so if it turns up wet at Ascot, that won't be a factor and if it's fast, it won't be either so looking forward to that.

"I think he showed at the Ebor meeting that a mile and a quarter is the way to go with him, we'll see."

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