In The Hot Seat: Craig Lidster

[Wandering Eyes]

Six-time winner Alfa Kellenic (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) starred for Craig Lidster in 2024 when he enjoyed the best year of his training career to date, but it's all change ahead of the start of the new Flat season on turf. The Rotherham-born trainer will be operating with a reduced string in 2025, having recently moved across North Yorkshire from Easingwold to Malton.

Tell us a bit about your background and the path you took to becoming a trainer.

I'm from a small town in Rotherham and I had no background in racing. Kevin Frost got me into this game and I then spent 10 years with Brian Ellison and eight years with Richard Fahey, learning the ropes as travelling head lad. I had a short-lived career as a jockey. I'm probably a better rider now than I was back then! I found my way working with young horses and that paid my way until I was able to put together enough money to set up as a trainer.

The yard sent out 34 winners and won over £500,000 in prize-money in 2024. How do you reflect on last year as a whole?

Last year was amazing. The team did a great job and we obviously had Alfa Kellenic whose achievements were the pinnacle for us. She won twice at York and went on to win the Ayr Silver Cup. Unfortunately, we just missed out on getting into the Ayr Gold Cup, but it was a massive statement for a three-year-old filly to go and win the Silver Cup the way she did, taking on older horses off near-enough top weight. She was flawless all year and that was testament to our team.

What was your highlight of 2024 on the racecourse?

Ayr was a special day. I was very, very nervous leading into the race. I was walking the box all night before she ran in the Listed race at Newmarket, but not as much as I was before the Silver Cup. Things didn't go to plan at Newmarket, but it is what it is.

Do you think Alfa Kellenic can make the step up to Pattern company in 2025?

I'm not sure just yet whether she'll be coming back to me or not, but I would think that she'll definitely be picking up black type this year. She's got all of the right attributes and I'd be disappointed if she didn't.

You've recently moved to a new yard in Malton. Tell us a bit about that and how many horses you expect to have in training for the upcoming Flat season.

We've taken over Beverley House Stables where Linda and Bill Stubbs used to train, so I'm back to my old stomping ground in Malton. We've got that as a lease, with an option to buy it, and at the minute I've got 15 horses in. We can hold 21 and I think I've got another six waiting to come in, so we're probably going to be full to capacity in the next two weeks. We've majorly downsized from 60 horses down to 21, but sometimes you have to take a step backwards to go forwards. We've got a chance of going out and buying a yard of our own here, whereas I was never going to be able to afford the yard I was in.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career?

From a racing standpoint, Brian Ellison is like my second dad. He modelled me into the trainer I am. I've tried to mimick the different things that Brian and Richard Fahey do. Brian has spent a lifetime sweetening horses up and wouldn't be one for getting horses off the bridle at home, whereas Richard and Robin O'Ryan are major educators of two-year-olds. They were two great yards to be in and I tried to take everything on board before deciding on my own style of doing things.

What is your favourite thing about being a trainer?

I love young stock and horses who have their quirks, and I like trying to solve problems. It might take three months, four months or five months, but I like trying to figure out how to get that horse to work for us, and vice versa, until they start to enjoy it. We very rarely have problems with our horses in the stalls. I've spent a bit of time with Gary Witherford and that has helped me out a lot. It's about trying to find your niche in the market where you can use all of that to good effect.

Give us a dark horse to follow for the year ahead.

I ran Intinso (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the Winter Derby Trial at Southwell the other day. He came from the Gosdens and I think I stole him out of there to be honest–I can't understand how we got him for 7,000gns. He's a lovely, big horse who just wants a trip. He's a horse who probably wants a mile and six furlongs, or two miles, but I've got sprinters who struggle to keep up with him. He's got a massive reach on him. We started him on the all-weather and we'll probably keep tipping away with him because I don't think he wants rock-hard ground.

Who is the best value stallion with the start of the breeding season just around the corner?

Havana Grey (GB) is a great sire and he's done me no harm. I also think Ubettabelieveit (Ire) is a cost-effective stallion. I've got three of his in the yard at the minute and I looked at quite a lot of them at the sales. I really like what I've seen of them and they've got great minds. I'm looking forward to seeing them run.

What would make 2025 a good year for you?

New start, new targets. I don't really know yet because we've just moved to the new yard. I'll just keep my head down and keep kicking.

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