Simon (right) and son Ed Crisford pictured at Epsom Downs

Ed Crisford looks ahead to the Lincoln and Dubai World Cup at Meydan

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sun March 22, 2026 · 2h ago

Ed Crisford is excited by a big weekend for the stable with contenders set to line up in the Lincoln at Doncaster and the Dubai World Cup at Meydan.

Crisford, who trains on a join-licence with his father, Simon, in Newmarket, believes the stable has a live contender for the first big Flat contest of the turf season.

Shout has won three of his 10 starts and ended last season in fine form, winning over a mile at Ascot before returning to the course on Qipco British Champions Day where he finished fourth in the Balmoral Handicap, beaten under two lengths.

Shout is on course to line up in the William Hill Lincoln on Saturday and Crisford told Luck On Sunday on Racing TV that all is well with the four-year-old who is an 8/1 chance with Sky Bet.

"He worked really well the other day," he revealed.

"Dad is super happy with him. I think he loves a straight course, he's done well at Ascot and has won at Doncaster as a two-year-old, so really happy with him and goes there with every chance."

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The Crisfords are also set to be represented in Dubai on Saturday with Meydaan on course to take his chance in the Dubai World Cup.

Only nine remain in contention for the Dubai World Cup which could have its smallest field since seven went to post in 2007 but the possibles include last year's winner, Hit Show, and third, Forever Young.

Meydaan is a late recruit to racing on an artificial surface having made his all-weather debut in the September Stakes at Kempton where he finished third behind Giavellotto before travelling to Australia for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Meydaan then shipped to Dubai, beating Burdett Road in a conditions race on grass over 14 furlongs and finishing third to Sunway over the same course and distance in a Group 3 but he proved a revelation when dropped in trip on the dirt track last month for the Group 2 Al Maktoum Classic, running out a five and a quarter length winner.

That victory put Meydaan in line for a tilt at one of the world's biggest prizes and Crisford is excited by the prospect.

"It's hugely exciting to have a runner in the World Cup," he said. "We saw him running in Melbourne Cups and in Australia and he came to Meydan early January and won over a mile six on the turf and we opted out of going to Saudi and all the while he had been training really well on the dirt track although he hadn't galloped on it.

"When we didn't go to Saudi we spoke to Sheikh Ahmed [Al Maktoum, owner] and his team and said 'he's going well on it, maybe we should try and gallop him on it' and Sheikh Ahmed said 'go ahead and give it a go'.

"The more we galloped him, the more he came alive on the track and he really grabs the ground and he travels really well on it. So going into that race we were obviously dropping back in trip and dirt track and it's gate speed, as dirt racing is, but the way he travelled in that race, I was really pleased and he picked up super well in the straight and it was a really good performance.

"He goes into the race, albeit it's another step up, you've got the best dirt horse in the world in Forever Young, and he's going to have to step up to be competitive, but if he can improve another 5 lb or so he'll be in the mix."

Meydaan is the 5/1 second favourite for the Dubai World Cup with Sky Bet, behind only 2/5 market leader Forever Young.

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