In an announcement that will send a few shock waves, including all the way to Australia, jockey Danny Beasley has called time on his stellar 25-year-long riding career.
The news might not actually come as much of a bombshell at Kranji as the 42-year-old Australian has not ridden in a race since Singapore Derby day on July 9, when he actually booted home a double with Dream Comes True and Kolombia, both for his main supporter, trainer Daniel Meagher.
The rumours that Beasley was hanging up his boots soon did the rounds given he was neither suspended nor injured. The fact that he had not gone totally MIA and was still seen riding trackwork and at barrier trials for Meagher in the last couple of weeks could only fuel more speculation.
Danny Beasley (right) and another ex-jockey Soo Khoon Beng (middle) pose with their boss Daniel Meagher and his last winner Natural Impulse from last Sunday, picture Singapore Turf Club
The confirmation that Beasley was not a jockey anymore finally came when the Malayan Racing Association issued a press statement on Tuesday that he had been granted a stable supervisor licence with Meagher.
Many would be taken aback by the decision given Beasley, who never had any weight issues, was seemingly still riding at the peak of his powers – he sat third on the ladder on 35 winners when he left - and could have easily continued for at least another 10 years if he wanted, so long as he stayed healthy and injury-free.
But the man, who has ridden at Kranji since 2007 and only missed the 2015 season when his licence was not renewed, himself revealed he had been toying with the idea to call it quits for a while. Basically, the spark was not quite there anymore.
Paradoxically, it was after he rode the last of his six Group 1 winners at Kranji that he knew it was time to bow out.
“I’ve always wanted to stop when I was in my early 40s, but I also wanted to end on my own terms, when I was still competitive, not when I was down,” he said on Wednesday, at his first official day as a stable supervisor at the Meagher yard.
“I was actually thinking of seeing out this season, but after I won the Lion City Cup with Lim’s Cruiser, from a personal achievement perspective, it felt hollow. Don’t get me wrong, it was a big buzz to ride a Group 1 winner for Mr Lim Siah Mong who has been a great supporter of mine from Day , but it’s more like I’ve done my dues.
“That’s when I knew it was a sign that I’ve definitely reached a stage when I probably had to go. The decision to retire has come six months early, but in saying that, I’m very comfortable with it.
“I am now 42 and I haven’t been enjoying my riding in the last year or so, even if this year I was third on the log and was having a pretty good season. It was still a bit of a struggle, and in a way, that was telling me what I had envisaged, and it was happening now.
“I’ve been in racing for 25 years of my life, and I knew I would never walk away from racing. I didn’t know what it would be, but if the opportunity came, I had to be young enough to do something, whether it’s training or something else, and not at an age when I had run out of time
“In a way, it’s a lot like my good friend Mark Newnham who retired as a jockey when he was 42 to join Gai Waterhouse, and is now a successful trainer in his own right.”
Danny Beasley is looking forward to still working with horses but from the ground. He is seen
here with Duke Of Normandy, picture Singapore Turf Club
That opening as Meagher’s stable supervisor or foreman, as it’s better known in Australia, was actually a little fortuitous, but one which fell into place with other events, directly or indirectly related, in the overall scheme of things.
“When Chris (Meagher’s elder brother) went back to Australia to take over his father (John) who is retiring soon, it suddenly opened a door,” he said.
“Dan thought about me as he knew I was over riding, but he told me to take a break and see whether the fire would come back. I went to Europe with my family for three weeks.
“I did watch a couple of replays for a few of Dan’s horses, but I didn’t miss it one day. I knew I had made up my mind.
“Today is my first day as a stable supervisor and I really enjoyed it, the running around bit. I feel so reinvigorated.
“It’s funny because I do love riding, but if I had my way, I would prefer not to ride anymore, as I’m really over riding, but Dan still wants me to ride a couple of horses in trackwork.
“Working for Dan is also great as he’s a very good friend, it’s so interesting as we learn from each other even if he’s almost half my age, and we do knock heads at times! He’s also part of a dynasty that took me as part of the family here in Singapore, and his dad John has been the biggest influence on my career.
“So, Chris leaving quickened the decision to stop riding, but the other reason to leave was (jockey) Sam Subian’s injury. To see him in this state, with a possibility he may not walk again, has been very sobering.
“We all know racing is a dangerous sport. I’ve been lucky as I’ve never had any major injury, touch wood, but I have a young family now, and I’m quite happy to give it away. So all these things happened for a reason, the stars were aligned for me to go.
“The Singapore Turf Club has also been supportive of my plan to apply for a stable supervisor licence. I’ve had some rough times in my last two years, but the Club has been nothing but outstanding.
“I am now married to a Singaporean woman and have two young kids. At the end of the day, I needed stability, I needed a job. Singapore is home to me now.
“Even when I went back to Australia when my licence was not renewed in 2015, I would have probably retired by then. Thankfully, the Singapore Turf Club gave me another chance to ride last year, and that gave me a second lease of life.
“When I was in Australia before I came here for my first six months in 2007, I was actually in a similar spot where I am now, lost a bit of the enthusiasm, but the nine years at Kranji have done so much to my career. They have improved me as a rider and I always knew Singapore would be the place where I would retire, and it’s taking place now.”
Danny Beasley's most memorable win at Kranji - War Affair taking out the 2014 Group 1 Raffles Cup, picture Singapore Turf Club
Beasley cited the 2014 season as his vintage year, when he racked up 83 winners to finish second to Manoel Nunes, but more so for his unforgettable association with champion galloper War Affair, making a clean sweep of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, though the race that stood out was the Group 1 Raffles Cup (1800m) five months later.
“The best horse I rode in Singapore was by a long way War Affair. His win in the Raffles Cup was just unbelievable,” he recalled fondly.
“I was also a very relieved man after he won the Guineas as there was a bit of pressure after winning the first two Legs. I also had a lot of luck with two-year-olds like Mr Big, Lim’s Racer and even Onceuponatime when he won the Guineas in 2008.
“I won’t also forget my riding career in Australia, mainly Sydney where it all began. Grand Armee was the best horse I rode, with his shining moment coming in the Doncaster Handicap.
“The Golden Slipper is of course one of the most prestigious races that any jockey wants to win, and I was lucky enough to have won it with Polar Success, even if she never won again after that.”
As much as those career highlights will always be part of his decorated riding career, Beasley is not one to dwell on the past. His future now lies in a new role, but where the winding road ahead takes him to, he is not so sure.
“I’m happy to be a stable supervisor for Dan, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I will become a trainer one day,” he said.
“It’s a brand new chapter in my life, and I just want it and learn as much as I can. Most importantly, I get to stay in the racing industry in a country I now call home, and again, I can’t thank the Singapore Turf Club enough for that opportunity.”
Beasley bows out the winner of over 1,500 races, with 528 having come in Singapore. In Australia, he won 14 Group 1 races in 15 years in Australia, including the Golden Slipper (Polar Success), the Doncaster Handicap and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Grand Armee and the Newmarket Handicap (Miss Pennymoney) as the highlights.
In Singapore, he notched 25 ‘black listed’ wins, including six at Group 1 level; two Raffles Cups (Cheyenne Dancer in 2009 and War Affair in 2014), two Kranji Miles (Cash Luck in 2013 and War Affair in 2014), one Singapore Guineas (War Affair in 2014) and one Lion City Cup (Lim’s Cruiser in 2017) - his last Group 1 hurrah just a few months ago back in April, but also the trigger that led to the dawn of a new career.
