Sheikh Mohammed Obaid moves horses from Simon and Ed Crisford to Karl Burke after amicable split

Owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum is set to have more of his horses trained in North Yorkshire after amicably splitting with Newmarket duo Simon and Ed Crisford in recent days.

The Gainsborough Stables operation enjoyed many great days with the Derby-winning, Dubai-based owner, including with Royal Ascot winner Ostilio in 2018 and more recently with Without A Fight and Finest Sound.

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has not been averse to moving his horses around in the past, famously falling out with Luca Cumani in 2015 and moving his top horse Postponed and others to Roger Varian.

More recently, Varian has seen the classy El Drama move up north to join Karl Burke this summer and five horses formerly based with the Crisfords have made the same move to Middleham.

The Crisfords' final runner for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid was the two-year-old South Shore, who was beaten at odds-on at Sandown last Friday, although this is thought to have had little to do with the latest move.

Simon and Ed Crisford: have split with Sheikh Mohammed ObaidCredit: Edward Whitaker

When contacted by the Racing Post, Simon Crisford confirmed the move and said: "Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has decided to make a switch and I think he just felt it was the right thing for both of us.

"We are extremely grateful to him for all of his support over the last few years and we very much appreciate what he has done for our stable. We had some fun days together with the likes of Royal Ascot winner Ostilio, Finest Sound and Without A Fight."

He added: "He puts a huge amount into racing and is a great owner to have."

The famous yellow and black silks have been seen less frequently at the Crisfords in recent years with two winners from eight runners in Britain in 2023, whereas Burke has had 15 winners from 46 runners, his cohort including smart juvenile Elite Status.

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid also backs Burke’s Yorkshire rival Kevin Ryan, who registered the owner’s biggest win of the year when Triple Time landed the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

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