Brett Crawford has been successful in every venture he has undertaken and is now proving his mettle in the tough arena of Hong Kong. He is pictured after his first win at Happy Valley (Picture: HKJC)
Sarah Whitelaw
Brett Crawford wasted no time in getting off the mark as a trainer during his first season in Hong Kong.
Brett’s first Hong Kong success came when New Zealand bred gelding Speedy Smartie (Satono Aladdin -Lemonade) won the Tropicbird Handicap at Sha Tin.Speedy Smartie, his trainer’s first starter in Hong Kong, had previously finished second when having his first start for the Crawford stable.
The same day that Speedy Smartie won, the Crawford yard celebrated their first double in Hong Kong when Ninja Derby won the Woodpecker Handicap. While Speedy Smartie was partnered by Karis Teetan, Ninja Derby (Ocean Park -Pastrana) was booted home by Lyle Hewitson.
Since this breakthrough, the Crawford yard has gone on to enjoy further success. At the time of writing, Brett had sent out runners to earn more than HK$13.106 million, a fine achievement given how competitive racing in Hong Kong is. He has also already enjoyed graded success in Hong Kong, with Brett having sent out Encountered (Churchill -Enrol) to claim the G3 SA SA Ladies Purse.
So how did his first ten runners in Hong Kong fare? Below is a brief summary of the Crawford yard’s initial Hong Kong starters:
SPEEDY SMARTIE: g Satono Aladdin -Lemonade
The first Hong Kong winner for the stable, Speedy Smartie has done nothing wrong since joining the Crawford stable. His first start for Brett saw Speedy Smartie finish second, with the gelding going on to win twice more. In his six starts for the Crawfords, Speedy Smartie is yet to finish out of the top four.
ONLY U: g Proisir -Princess Raaj
The son of champion New Zealand sire Proisir ran third when making his first start for Brett and followed that up with two consecutive fourth place finishers.
ENCOUNTERED: g Churchill -Enrol
He provided Brett with his biggest win in Hong Kong to date when he won the 2025 G3 SA SA Ladies Purse. Encountered did well on that occasion to overcome a wide draw of 14 to win under the urgings of Karis Teetan.
JUST FOLLOW ME: g Star Turn -Volcanic Eruption
After finishing unplaced in his first three starts for the stable, Just Follow Me finished fourth next time out.
RADIANT SWIFT: g Australia -Ultra Appeal
Having never finished closer than 11th in Hong Kong prior to joining Brett, Radiant Swift ran eighth on his first start for the stable.
NINJA DERBY: g Ocean Park -Pastrana
Was well beaten, when 11th at Sha Tin on Sunday, but prior to that run, Ninja Derby had won his first start for the Crawfords, before going on to win again for Brett when victorious at Happy Valley on December 3rd.
YOUNG HORIZON: g Star Witness -Shalimar Sky
Young Horizon followed up a ninth place effort when winning next time out for Brett and his team. He went on to finish third next time out.
DOUBLE SHOW: g Showcasing -Showus
After finishing 12th at Sha Tin last year, Double Show went on to win next time out. Subsequently, the Showcasing gelding finished second over 1400m at Sha Tin.
BEAUTY MISSILE: g Smart Missile -Five Card Charlie
He got off the mark for the yard when he won the Murray Handicap (1800m) at Sha Tin on January 7th. It was a good win from the gelding, with Beauty Missile having raced wide and without cover.
GOOD PROSPECT: g Churchill -La Chica Bella
After finishing tenth on his first start for the yard, Good Prospect went on to finish fourth and fifth respectively in his next two starts. He finished ninth, when racing with his tongue over the bit, at his most recent start.
