Suzy Smith Racing Ltd - The Team
Suzy Smith
Trainer
Trainer
Suzy was born and brought up in Epsom and started riding out for local trainers in her free time from the age of 14. She gained the National Stud Diploma in Newmarket at 18, as have many successful trainers before her. Suzy started out working for National Hunt Trainer Gardie Grissell and subsequently John Hammond in Chantilly. On her return to the UK she was Assistant Trainer to Mr C J Bennett where she trained her first point to point winner, ridden by Sergio! Suzy started training for herself at County Stables at 25. Suzy is now a South East regional representative for The National Trainers' Federation and is also part of The Diversity In Racing Steering Group.
Suzy's early success came in her first season with the brilliant one eyed mare Material World who won numerous races and was 2nd at the Cheltenham Festival, gaining a loyal following around the country and putting Suzy on the map in the process.
Suzy has earned a reputation for having a high strike rate of winners to runners and is well known for sourcing and developing young horses with winning potential. This is always with a view to ensuring a strong team of horses for the future and consequently she has built a reputation for winning big handicaps. Suzy attracts a high number of owner/breeders to the yard due to her success with mares and takes a keen interest in the breeding industry.
Suzy is very careful to recruit and train the best staff, those who have a similar ethos to her own and is proud of the dedicated team she has built at Lower Coombe Stables.
Assistant Trainer
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Sergio Gordon-Watson
Sergio grew up in Dorset where his family had numerous equine interests, many of them having strong links to the racing industry. In 1972 his Aunt won a team gold medal in eventing on The Cornishman having previously been World Champion. Sergio worked for Diana Grissell where he had his first rides point to pointing before moving to Chantilly and working for Nicolas Clement and Madame Criquette-Head. On his return to Sussex he was Assistant Trainer to Anna Newton-Smith, before joining Suzy as Assistant where he has been for the last 16 years. Sergio is a dedicated horseman who cares absolutely about each horse entrusted to us. He does much of the schooling and work riding and takes care of all the gallops maintenance - accompanied by our dog Trixie. |
Stable Staff
Each member of full time staff is allocated a few specific horses to do. This allows them to form a good rapport with each of their horses and therefore they can immediately spot any problems or changes in behaviour as they happen. This encourages pride in their work and gives them all great satisfaction when one of their horses does well and ends up in the winner's enclosure!
Full Time Staff
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Megan Spencer
Megan works for us full time; she started in racing as soon as she left school, working for various local trainers most recently Philip Hide. Megan holds an amateur jockey's licence and has had rides in points, over hurdles and on the flat. Megan has completed her level 3 in Racehorse management and she is a valuable member of the team. She is also our diversity and inclusion champion.
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Kathryn James
Kathryn has worked for us now for almost two years and has recently completed her Level 2 in Racecourse management and is now working towards her Level 3. Kathryn really enjoys learning and going racing, where she always turns out her horses beautifully and wins plenty of best turned out prizes at the races. Kathryn works very hard and absolutely loves the horses.
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Part Time Staff
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Phoebe Cummiskey-Austin
Phoebe has recently joined us full time after completing the Equine Student Progression Program at The British Racing School in Newmarket. Phoebe started riding from an early age, then spent her weekends and school holidays working in a livery yard before going on to work towards her Level 2 and 3 in Equine Management & Horse Care at Plumpton College. She had a work placement with us when we were based in Lewes and after leading up Invicta Lake at the races decided racing was the career path for her! Rachel Linton
Rachel rides out for us each morning. She has experience of working in racing, point to point, hunting, eventing, dressage and show jumping yards. Rachel worked for Moorcroft Racehorse Welfare Centre dealing with injuries and rehabilitation and spent five years working for Rita Vaughan running her private stud, consisting of National Hunt horses, broodmares and younstock. She also holds a CE lorry license (arctic) and is a very cheerful member of the team. Archie Burgess
Archie comes in on Saturdays and school holidays to work at the yard. He started off at Ray and Sue Goldstein's riding school in Lewes and is keen to follow in the footsteps of Jason Watson who also started there. He attended the British Racing School's Pony Academy and came third in a Pony Race for us at Wolverhampton in September. He rides very well for his age, is always cheerful around the yard and loves following the progress of the horses. |
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Kirsty Huff
Kirsty rides out for us once a week at present although she did work for us full time for 3 seasons. Kirsty is an integral member of the team who originally started out in racing after coming to us on work experience from school. She was runner up in the Godolphin Stable Staff Awards whilst here. Kirsty often comes racing and does some of the driving for us when needed. Kate Allisat
Kate works part time for us as our Racing Secretary. Her interest in racing started with owning a couple of horses here and has developed into a real passion for the whole industry. She is very efficient and always happy to help with enquiries or to offer advice on ownership matters. She also makes a mean chocolate brownie! Terisa Jones
Terisa works part time for us and is in charge of all the gallops and paddock maintenance. Terisa has a wealth of experience with thoroughbreds and has been based at Angmering Park for the last 17 years where she initially worked for Lady Herries on the stud. Terisa works part time for the rest and recuperation yard on the estate and also at Goodwood racecourse in the stables during their meetings. |
Jockeys
The jockeys we currently use most frequently are the leading jockeys Gavin Sheehan & Micheal Nolan & Jane Elliott, Luke Morris and Jason Watson on the Flat.
The jockeys we currently use most frequently are the leading jockeys Gavin Sheehan & Micheal Nolan & Jane Elliott, Luke Morris and Jason Watson on the Flat.
