Northern Ireland is steeped in horseracing tradition, and one family, in particular, is submerged more than most. Larne natives, the Crawford brothers, oversee one of the most successful training operations in the UK and Ireland, and things continue to get better and better for the County Antrim family.
Brotherly Bonds
Although it is Stuart Crawford that heads the training operation, he is ably helped by brothers, Ben and Steven, both of whom are jockeys. Stuart has proven himself to be a shrewd businessman with his training setup, training, and selling young horses, as well as providing generous syndication options for potential owners.
The system of owning racehorse shares in a syndicate continues to rise, with every racing fan being given the opportunity to own their own horse, and experience the inner workings of the industry, for a fraction of the price that sole owners have to pay.
The Crawfords have used their business nous to include this in their training set-up, and along with having some wealthy owners, they now have a host of racing syndicates involved in their yard.
History With Horses
Stuart Crawford is now known as one of the shrewdest racehorse trainers in the industry, but he actually started his equine experience in the eventing world. As time passed, however, he slowly but surely shifted his focus toward the training of racehorses.
One reason behind the change in tact was that his younger brothers, Ben and Steven, were now forging careers as jockeys. The trio of siblings would begin to work more closely as the years passed, eventually forming the Crawford Bros training company.
The original business plan of the Crawfords was the same as many of the industry’s lesser-known trainers. Sourcing young horses, training them to win, and then eventually selling them on for a big profit. It is a system that is used by a host of trainers in the UK and Ireland, particularly the latter who have the aid of Point-to-Point races to showcase the talents of their young horses.
After some years of utilizing this business plan, Crawford’s ability to train winners was now becoming well-known in the racing world. This, in turn, attracted the attention of some wealthy owners, including the successful owner partnership of Isaac Souede and Simon Munir.
Experts in asset management and international finance, Souede and Munir are not quite at the level of the likes of top owners, JP McManus, Rich Ricci, and Gigginstown Stud, but they are still a wealthy operation and have sent some very talented horses to be trained by the Crawfords.
Lily Du Berlais
One of the best horses that have represented the Crawfords and Munir and Souede, is the brilliant mare, Lily Du Berlais. A superb ‘Bumper’ performer, Lily Du Berlais was a Grade 2 winner on just her second start and would go on to contest the top races on the calendar for the rest of the season.
Last season was the 7-year-old’s first campaign over hurdles, and although she hasn’t quite reached the heights expected, she is an exciting prospect for next season.
The Crawford brothers have shown brilliant sense throughout their career in racing, and are a team that keeps their finger on the pulse when it comes to making their operation progress. Training racehorses is a notoriously difficult occupation, but the Crawfords are one team that has it down to a tee.
