Fran Berry has been appointed stable jockey to British trainer Ralph Beckett. The 35-year-old jockey has operated as a freelance in recent years, based in Kilcullen, Co Kildare.

Writing on his website, Beckett said: "I am delighted to announce that we have come to an arrangement with Fran Berry to ride as first jockey at Kimpton Down. He and his family will relocate to this area early next month, and he will be riding out here on a daily basis. Jockey's agent Tony Hind, will be booking his rides.

"At times, I have found the last 18 months frustrating without a first choice rider. Fran, at 35 years old, is in his prime, and as a Group 1 winning rider with international experience, this is an ideal solution."

Son of 10-times champion jump jockey Frank Berry, Fran mixed flat racing with hurdles early in his career. He won the 1999 Coral Cup at Cheltenham on Khayrawani for trainer Christy Roche.

Focusing on the flat, he was appointed second jockey to John Oxx in 2002 and by 2004 he was regarded as one of the leading Irish jockeys.

Berry was challenging for the Irish jockeys' title when, in August 2005, he suffered a serious neck injury in a fall at the Curragh. He returned to race-riding in the spring of 2006 and was soon winning big races. In 2008 he finished second to Michael Kinane in the jockeys' table.

Succeeding Kinane as first jockey to John Oxx in 2010, Berry maintained his association with the Jessica Harrington stable and this saw him register his first Group 1 success aboard Pathfork in the National Stakes that year.

In recent seasons Berry has had first call on the increasing number of flat horses trained in Ireland for owner J.P. McManus, while he has spent several lucrative winters riding in Japan. He rode 12 winners in Japan this winter.

He and his wife Laura had their first child, Jordan, in July 2014.

Ralph (pronounced ‘Rayf’) Beckett got his first job in racing at a very young age as stable lad to Yorkshire trainer Jimmy Fitzgerald.

He went on to spend time with other trainers including David Loder (in England), Arthur Moore (in Ireland), Tommy Skiffington (in America) and Colin Hayes (in Australia) before returning to England where he served as assistant to Peter Walwyn for three and a half years.

When Walwyn retired in 1999 he took over the licence at Windsor House Stables in Lambourn. He moved to Whitsbury just over six years later and then on to his current base, Kimpton Down Stables, in early 2011.

His first top class horse was Penkenna Princess, who gave him his initial Pattern Race success when landing the Group 3 Fred Darling Stakes in April 2005. The following month she lost out by short head in the Irish 1000 Guineas so Beckett had to wait until 2008 for his first Classic triumph, provided by the 33-1 outsider, Look Here, in the Oaks.

The 2008 season also ended with a bang when he saddled Muhannak to land the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.

Another big overseas prize was plundered in 2012 when Electrelane won the German 1000 Guineas but undoubtedly the biggest day of Beckett’s career so far came in 2013 when he won his second Oaks, notching a 1-2 with Talent and Secret Gesture in the fillies' Classic at Epsom.

Numerically, his best season was 2013 when he managed 73 victories. He is married to Isabelle (‘Izzi’) and they have two daughters, Katinka (‘Tink’) and Cressida.

Beckett's Simple Verse was first past the post in the Doncaster St Leger last year but was demoted to second place by the stewards. She was reinstated as the winner on appeal and went on to win the Fillies & Mares on Champions Day at Ascot.

Beckett has been without a retained rider since Jim Crowley vacated the position in August 2014.

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