Trainers

The late Peter Walwyn, who died on December 7, 2017, aged 84, is best remembered for his handling of the exceptional Grundy, who won eight of his 11 races, including the Dewhurst Stakes in 1974 and the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Derby, Irish Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1975. Indeed, the latter contest, in which Grundy eventually beat the four-year-old Bustino by half a length, smashing the course record in the process, was subsequently dubbed the ‘Race of the Century’.

Born in Hastings, East Sussex on July 1, 1933, was the cousin of legendary National Hunt trainer Fulke Walwyn and his twin sister Helen Johnson Houghton, for whom he held the training licence for three years before taking out his own licence in 1960. Initially based at Windsor House in Lambourn, Berkshire – to which he would return later in his career, Walwyn saddled his first winner on the Flat, Snaefell, at Worcester on May 6, 1961. Four years later, he moved to nearby Seven Barrows in Upper Lambourn (now the home of Nicky Henderson), whence he enjoyed the halcyon days of his career.

Grundy aside, Walwyn also saddled Polygamy to win the Oaks and English Prince to win the Irish Derby, both in 1974. He won the British Flat trainers’ championship twice, in 1974 and 1975, and in the latter season saddled a career-high 121 winners. Founder of the Lambourn Trainers Association, Walwyn moved back to Windsor House in 1992 and saddled his later winner, Khasayal, at Redcar on October 2, 1999 before retiring from the training ranks. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to horse racing in the 2012 New Years Honours. At the time of his death, former jockey Joe Mercer said of Walwyn, “He was a remarkable character and it really is the end of a very special era.”

Originally a racing journalist, Simon Crisford became a familiar personality, worldwide, during his 21-year tenure as racing manager to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the founder of Godolphin. However, in 2014 he reliquinshed that role and turned to training in his own right. After saddling 22 winners from 85 runners in 2015, at a strike rate of 26%, Crisford gradually increased his winning tally, season by season, peaking at 70 wiiners from 337 wiiners (21%) in 2018, the year in which he amassed over £1 million in prize money for the first time. As a sole licence holder, he saddled a total of 19 Listed and Pattern winners, although a Group 1 winner remained elusive.

In 2020, Crisford took out a joint licence with his son, Ed, who had previously worked for Eoin Harty, in California, and John Gosden, in Newmarket, before becoming assistant to his father from the outset of his training career. Nowadays, the pair as based at Gainsborough Stables on Hamilton Road in Newmarket and their operation has continued to go from strength. Indeed, in five seasons as joint-licence holders they have saddled no fewer than 52 Listed and Pattern winners, including two Group 1 victories.

Their Group 1 breakthrough came on August 20, 2023, when the two-year-old Vandeek, ridden by Andrea Atzeni, got up in the final strides to win the Prix Morny at Deauville.Less than six weeks later, the son of Havana Grey followed up in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket to give them their first and, so far, only Group 1 victory on British soil. The Crisfords have hardlly lacked for high-profile success, though, jointly saddling at least 60 winners, and earning at least £1.4 million in prize money, in every season since 2020. They currently lie twenty-third in the 2025 Flat Trainers’ Championship.

Contact details and social Links:

Website: https://www.highclereracing.co.uk/simon-and-ed-crisford

Social: https://www.facebook.com/HighclereRacing/

https://www.instagram.com/highclereracing/

Contact: enquiries@highclere.co.uk

Born in Otley, West Yorkshire, Samantha ‘Sam’ England (née Drake) was introduced to racing by Menston trainer Joanne Foster, for whom she would eventually 15 of her 31 winners under National Hunt Rules. Married to jockey Jonathan England – who can ride at 9st 9lb and, convenientally, holds a licence under both codes – Sam now operates a small, dual purpose yard at Manor Farm, Guisley, which is owned by her parents. Indeed, her father, Robert, initially took out a permit so that the family could train a small number of horses while Sam acquired the experience and qualifications required by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) for her to take out a training licence in her own right.

When she did, she made the perfect start to ner new career, saddling a winner with her very first runner, Star Presenter, won a handicap chase at Catterick on January 27, 2016, in the hands of her then-fiancé Jonathan. A second winner, Raktiman, followed at the same venue just over a week later, and the truncated 2015/16 National Hunt season eventually yielded five winners from 23 runners at a strike rate of 23%.Sam also saddled her first winner on the Flat, My Renaissance, ridden by Andrew Mullen, in a mile-and-a-half handicap at Wolverhampton on December 22, 2016.

In her first full season, Sam increased her seasonal tally to 12 National Hunt winners from 102 runners in 2016/17 and has continued to thrive ever since. She enjoyed her most successful season, so far, ‘over the sticks’ in 2022/2023, when she sadded 25 winners from 131 runners and amassed £297,038 in total prize money. In recent seasons, she has also become more of a presence on the Flat, too, breaking into double figures for the first time. In 2025, so far, she has already saddled 18 winners, with talented hurdler Saligo Bay, a winner at Chelmsford, Haydock and Chester, her leading money-spinner.

Contact details and social Links:

https://www.facebook.com/Sammyd547/?locale=en_GB

https://x.com/senglandracing?lang=en

Patrick ‘Paddy’ Neville hails from County Limerick but, nowdays, is based at Brecongill, a dual purpose training yard in Coverham, near Leyburn, in the Yorkshire Dales. Neville had been training race horses in his native Ireland for 15 years but, finding success hard to come by with low-grade horses, started to make occasional forays to Britain, before making the move permanent. While waiting for a British training licence, he worked for a spell as assistant to local trainer Ann Duffield, who credited him with masterminding the shock 28/1 victory of N’Golo in the Swinton Handicap Hurdle in 2022.

As a trainer in his own right, Neville enjoyed far his most successful season on British soil, numerically, in 2024/25, when he saddled 13 winners from 92 runners, at a strike rate of 14%, and amassed £205,522 in total prize money. Far and away his best horse, so far, has been The Real Whacker, who the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023 and the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in 2024.

At the time of writing, Neville was recently declared personally bankrupt at Darlington Crown Court as the result of a unpaid debt of €110,000 to Rebecca Dennis, who owns a quarter-share in The Real Whacker and loaned him the money in 2022. Ahead of his hearing, he said, “It doesn’t affect my licence.” I can’t own anything. I’ll be like a salaried trainer.” In the absence of Dennis, who said, understandably, “I wouldn’t feel comfortable at all”, The Real Whacker made his seasonal debut in a three-mile handicap at Perth in September, with the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in November, once again, his early-season target.

In the 2025/2026 National Hunt season, so far, Neville has saddled nine winners and 22 placed horses from 41 runners and collected £86,555 in prize money. He currently lies twenty-fourth in the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship.

Contact details and social Links:

patricknevilleracing.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Patrick-Neville-Racing-100093030171402/