One of the more noted British thoroughbred horse trainers.
Simon and his son Ed are located at Newmarket, Gainsborough Stables, Hamilton Road. They have been at this location since 2019. The stable has 100 boxes and training grounds at Newmarket Heath, which consist of 50 miles of turf gallops and 14 miles of all-weather gallops, covering an area of 2,500 acres. Facilities include an equine swimming pool, spa, treadmill, and sea walker. They also have an indoor schooling area and outdoor trotting rings. The stable offers a comprehensive training environment.
Previously, Simon Crisford, who had no direct ties within racing, was racing manager for Godolphin. In fact, he was originally a racing journalist who, through dogged determination, became one of the most respected trainers. A great communicator, these initial interactions with horse trainers, owners, and jockeys paved his way to success. He was fortunate enough to assist great trainers in those formative years, including John Dunlop and Sir Mark Prescott.
In the early 1990s, his career moved forward when he was appointed racing manager to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Godolphin operation is one of the most powerful in the world, and his experience was pivotal in their success in the United Kingdom and worldwide.
For many horse racing fans, the first time they heard or saw news of Crisford was when he was interviewed on At The Races and Racing UK (as it was known before becoming Racing TV). This was around 1994.
This role as racing manager for Godolphin would continue for 20 years.
However, he always held a dream of being a licensed thoroughbred horse trainer in his own right, and in 2014 he fulfilled this ambition. Even so, he still retained an advisory role with Godolphin.
In 2015, he embarked on a very successful training career at Carlburg Stables. This first season saw impressive statistics, with 22 winners from 85 runners (an enviable strike rate for an established trainer, let alone a newcomer).
Mid-2019, the team moved to Kremlin House, Newmarket.
In 2018, the stable’s success continued with around 70 winners and total prize money exceeding £1 million.
Interestingly, Simon and Ed became the first father-and-son trainers in Britain to hold a joint licence, which came into fruition following a new BHA ruling. Ed, who graduated from the Irish National Stud Course, had previous experience working in California for Eoin Harty and John Gosden before teaming up with his father.
The stable has done particularly well training two-year-olds to a very high standard, including Century Dream, A’Ali, and Flotus.
Their success was exemplified in 2023, with two-year-old Vandeek winning at Group One level when travelling to France to win the Prix Morny. This son of Havana Grey would go on to win the Middle Park Stakes (Group One) at Newmarket — their first British Group 1 success. Vandeek would later retire to stud, standing at Cheveley Park Stud.
The stable continues to go from strength to strength, with dozens of Listed and Pattern winners.
