CONNOR Beasley capped off a remarkable few days by winning the last race at Redcar yesterday (Monday) – 48 hours after landing a Group 1 double 4,600 miles away in Dubai.
The jockey, from Spennymoor, showed perfect timing to win the Watch Race Replays At racingtv.com Handicap on Cuda Been a Rowlex for North Yorkshire trainer Roger Fell.
On Saturday night, Beasley was the star of the glamorous Dubai World Cup at Meydan, winning the $2m dollar Golden Shaheen and the $1m Dubai Kahayla Classic.
Yesterday, he was back at the grass roots of his profession at Redcar and demonstrating the down-to-earth attitude that has typified his career.
In between Meydan and Redcar, he squeezed in dad duties by driving to Sheriff Hutton, in North Yorkshire, to see his 14-year-old son, Kayden, win a pony race.
It is ten years this July since Beasley – stable jockey for Michael Dods at Denton, near Darlington – suffered horrific injuries in a fall at Wolverhampton, breaking his back, neck and skull.
"Someone was looking down on me that day and it puts life in perspective. I will cherish the past few days for a long time," said Beasley at the end of racing at Redcar.
Trainer Roger Fell said: "Connor's a grafter and deserves all the success he gets."
Prolific North Yorkshire trainer Karl Burke believes he has another group horse on his hands in the imposing Convergent, who powered home under Clifford Lee in the Watch Live On Racing TV Restricted Novice Stakes.
(Image: Tony Knapton) The son of Fascinating Rock had won on his debut at Redcar last season and has lofty entries in the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket and Dante Stakes at York.
After the colt beat Asmen Warrior by nearly five lengths, Burke said: “"He won't be quick enough for the Guineas and he'll probably end up over a mile and a half. Whether he's good enough for the Dante, we'll have to wait and see, but I think he's a Group horse.”
Burke had earlier won Redcar’s first race of 2025 when debutante Ali Shuffle landed a knockout blow in the Flat Is Back On Racing TV EBF Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes, with jockey Sam James describing the daughter of A'Ali as a "smart filly".
The trainer said she could be aimed at the listed Marygate Fillies' Stakes at York Races next month, adding: "She's a very professional filly."
As well as Connor Beasley’s globe-trotting success, David Allan was another rider to get on the scorecard at Redcar, having enjoyed international honours.
Allan was fresh back from riding a winner in India when landing The Better Value With Racecourse Bookmakers Handicap on Flamborough Head for Tim Easterby.
The Malton trainer said: "Dave was very confident he'd have a good chance and he's done it well."
Mark Scholefield, owner of The Mount Hotel, in Malton, promised to raise a glass to Havana Prince after the grey won the Watch Racing TV In Stunning HD Handicap in good style under David Nolan.
Mark and four pals own the course and distance winner, trained at Malton by Tony Coyle and Kaine Wood.
"We were worried the ground might be too lively and we weren't sure he'd run this morning, but there's a good covering of grass, so we went for it,” said Mark.
Jockey Pat Cosgrave made the long trip north pay off as Classic Encounter landed the racingtv.com Handicap for Newmarket trainer George Boughey.
Pat said: "It went perfectly for him today. He got a nice tow into the race and, hopefully, he can go on from here."
Evergreen Mick Easterby celebrated his 94th birthday last week and he had a belated present with Capla Lazarus, co-trained with son David, landing the Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap in the hands of Billy Garritty.
David said: "There's bigger and better to come."
