Brett and James Crawford have been officially approved to operate as a joint training partnership, marking a significant milestone for Crawford Racing.

James Crawford, who has been assisting his father as a trainer in Johannesburg, confirmed the news to SAHorseracing.COM and expressed his gratitude: “A big thank you to my father, family, and everyone who has supported me on this journey. I’m excited about the future and what lies ahead.”

James has already achieved notable success, having trained two Durban July winners, Winchester Mansion and Oriental Charm, from his Johannesburg base. He added, "Although I’ll now be primarily based in Cape Town, the Johannesburg yard will remain fully operational. It's been a privilege to achieve such milestones out of the Joburg yard.”

James's Joburg yard famously has Oisin Murphy signed up to ride Team Valor's Frances Ethel in Saturday's Summer Cup. 

While James won’t officially be credited for the horses currently accepted under his father’s name, the joint partnership will officially take effect from the weekend of December 7th. This dynamic collaboration promises to enhance Crawford Racing’s operations across both Johannesburg and Cape Town.