stuart crawford designed_Layout 1 25/08/2015 16:42 Page 1
S
Newlands Farm has the winning touch
tuart Crawford is one of Northern Ireland’s most respected up-and-coming horse trainers. We travelled to his Newlands Farm base near Larne, County Antrim to find out more about the progressive family enterprise, Crawford Brothers Racing, which he runs alongside his three brothers.
County Antrim based trainer Stuart Crawford - whose earlier grounding was in eventing first took out a full public license in 2011, having trained under permit for the preceding three years. He trains his horses on the wellappointed, family-run Newlands Farm, receiving assistance from brothers Steven, Ben (stable jockeys) and Ross, and has excelled in racing. Stuart first hit the headlines in 2008, when he sent out ten-year-old mare Oh Jackie to register his first racecourse success in the prestigious La Touché Cup at the Punchestown Festival. The Antrim man’s experience in the eventing arena stood him in good stead, with the horses required to jump an array of fences including banks, timber and water jumps. On May 1st of this year, Crawford Brothers Racing trained the progressive 20-1 shot Now Let Go to win the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association Premier Fillies Bumper at the Punchestown Festival under a positive ride
Robert Crawford, Steven Crawford, Anthony Fox, Edith Crawford and Stuart Crawford with Taniokey. Robert and Edith are jockey Steven and trainer Stuart’s parents.
from claimer Steven Clements. The Flemensfirth mare made all the running from halfway out to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths to claim the first prize fund of €24,500. At the same meeting, the Crawford Bros Racing quartet also picked up sixth place with Realta Horse Racing Club’s Danielle’s Journey under a good ride from Steven Crawford in a hard-fought 24-runner race. In 2013, Stuart and Steven brought the
curtain down in style on Ladies’ Day at Aintree when unbeaten Legacy Gold claimed the John Smith’s Mares’ National Hunt Flat Race by alength-and-a-half. Those stunning victories for Now Let Go and Legacy Gold have provided the team at Crawford Brothers Racing with their most notable wins to date. Other significant winners trained by S R B Crawford this summer include The Organist, Chitu and Run With The Wind at Perth in May,
Hidden Horizons and the Crawford Racing Brothers team after their Ulster National win. Picture courtesy of Harry Marcus IRISH TRACTOR & AGRI
59