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Beuzelin to join Kranji ranks

Singapore Turf Club grants French jockey six months licence from July 1, together with Alysha Collett

Frenchman Louis-Philippe Beuzelin and New Zealander Alysha Collett have been granted six-month riding licences - from July 1 to Dec 31 - by the Singapore Turf Club.

The turf club has also extended the expatriate licences for the same period for two-time champion Vlad Duric, Marc Lerner and Joseph Azzopardi.

Born in Brest in France but raised in Guadalupe and Barbados in the Caribbean, Beuzelin honed his craft as a jockey at the Barbados track of Garrison Savannah, where his father Jean-Louis used to own and train horses.

He rode winners in Barbados, Martinique and Trinidad before he was lured to Newmarket in England by legendary trainer Sir Michael Stoute, himself a Barbadian, in 2008.

Beuzelin, 28, had champion jockeys Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore and former top jockeys Kieren Fallon and Ray Cochrane as his mentors.

After a fairytale start at his very first ride on a Stoute-trained filly named Spy Eye at Newmarket, Beuzelin went on to finish third behind David Probert and Freddie Tylicki on the British apprentice jockeys' premiership, one year later. He bagged 25 winners.

The rising star, however, suffered a major setback in November 2009 when he was seriously injured in a car accident while on holiday in Barbados.

He returned to race-riding four months later. Even if the momentum had slowed down, he still landed his biggest win aboard Aaim To Prosper for Brian Meehan in the Cesarewitch Handicap in 2010.

During the winter, Beuzelin would sometimes cross the Atlantic to ride in America, linking up with French trainer Patrick Biancone, among others.

But, with winners dwindling - he rode a total of 75 in UK -he decided, in 2014, to relocate to France, where he has been based since.

Other than France, England, the US and the Caribbean islands, Beuzelin is a well-travelled jockey. He has also ridden in India, Qatar, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Morocco.

In India, he claimed the Group 1 Bangalore Derby with Agostini in 2014 and, more recently, the Group 3 Godolphin Barb Million with Fashion High at Hyderabad in 2017.

All up, Beuzelin, who goes to scale at 52kg, has ridden about 250 winners.

Collett is no stranger to Kranji racegoers.

Her first Singapore stint was cut short through injury last October.

Last year, she was licensed for six months but had to leave earlier after she hurt her back in a race fall on Oct 14.

She returned to her native New Zealand to recover, ending her Kranji stint in 15th position on the log with 11 winners from 181 rides.

Collett was born to become a jockey. Her parents, Richard and Judy, are ex-jockeys and now run a training stable.

Her brother Jason is a successful jockey in Sydney and her cousin Samantha is last year's New Zealand champion jockey.

After a successful apprenticeship, Collett continued to make her mark as a senior rider, bringing up more than 370 winners.

Her career highlights include the 2016 Group 1 Zabeel Classic aboard Consensus, four Group 2 races, namely the Manawatu Challenge Stakes, Great Northern Guineas, Championship Stakes and Coupland's Bakeries Mile and 14 Group 3 and Listed races.

Collett also rode briefly in Australia in 2012, teaming up with Sydney champion trainer Chris Waller. She rode 15 metropolitan winners in Sydney.

In her first full season upon returning to New Zealand, she finished runner-up on the national jockeys' premiership.

Last season, even though she left New Zealand in May, she still finished in fourth place on 88 winners, 44 behind Samantha.

In the 2016/2017 season, she finished runner-up with 97 wins.

A lightweight, Collett goes to scale at 50kg.

HORSE RACING