Simon Bray is a FanDuel TV racing analyst. Bray has been with the network for over 15 years. Prior to that he was a Grade 1 winning trainer.

Bray’s career began as a trainer when he went to work for trainer Henry Cecil, starting as a groom and eventually becoming an assistant trainer. In 1992, Bray decided to move to the United States where he found a job with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. He worked his way up—from hot-walker to assistant trainer—and was involved in the brilliant two-year campaign of Cigar, a Horse of the Year who holds the record for the most consecutive wins. Simon credits his deep knowledge of training to Bill Mott, “an incredible horseman.”

In 1998, Allen and Madeleine Paulson asked Simon to train for them privately. In just three years he trained Grade 1 winners Astra and Startac for the Paulsons, along with many other winners. Upon Allen Paulson’s death in 2001, Simon opened a public stable and again developed winners.

In 2004, Bray retired from training. After some freelance assignments, he came to work full time for FanDuel as an analyst. His job now, as he sees it, is to educate viewers, to bring insights from behind the scenes, and to eliminate the intimidation factor.

Born in Hertford, England, just outside London, Bray has been a racing insider since boyhood. His father owned several successful racehorses in the 1980s in England, and he instantly became fascinated by the racing scene. He spent most school vacations at the track or working for his father’s trainer, Robert Armstrong.