Beckett faces anxious wait as full field of 20 head to post in Balmoral Handicap

Ante-post backers of favourite Qirat face an anxious wait to see if Ralph Beckett’s improving three-year-old makes the field here as he is currently first reserve. 

Other leading fancies including Thunder Run, Daysofourives and Elnajmm are all declared, along with State Actor, who needed only one above him to come out and, if successful, would be only the race’s second Irish-trained winner. However, the Swedish entry Silver Legend has been ruled out as he is not qualified. 

State Actor’s trainer Bill Farrell has never had a winner in Britain, but he describes himself as “only a small outfit” and points out that “you can’t go without the horse.” The four-year-old will need luck here in what Farrell calls “a bigger adventure”, but State Actor went agonisingly close when caught on the line by Wigmore Street in the Irish Cambridgeshire and he looks to have plenty going for him. 

Farrell, who has combined stud management with training, learned his trade with some of the greats, including Vincent O’Brien, John Magnier and Jim Bolger, and says “Doctor O’Brien was the best trainer” he ever knew” and Bolger “the best horseman.” 

He has had the Balmoral in mind since the Irish Cambridgeshire and said: “We think he‘ll appreciate the ground. He won his maiden on soft ground at the Curragh and he’ll enjoy the straight mile. He’s very well, but whether he’s good enough we won’t know until about 4.45 on Saturday.  

“The Irish Cambridgeshire was frustrating, but you couldn’t blame Colin (Keane) as he couldn’t see what was coming behind him, and Ryan (Moore) got a great tune out of the winner, who has held up the form since. That’s racing though. Chris Hayes rides this time, as he’s there and he knows the horse well.” 

David O’Meara has won the Balmoral a record three times and has Bopedro, Padishakh and Mirsky. His Theoryofeverything and Akkadian Thunder join Qirat among thethree reserves.