Tom Lacey is based at Cottage Field Stables, in the tiny village of Woolhope, in the Ledbury district of rural Herefordshire. Formerly a successful amateur jockey, with 27 point-to-point winners to his name, Lacey learned his trade breaking in, schooling and re-schooling National Hunt horses under the auspices of the late Captain Charles Radclyffe and as a pupil assistant trainer and head lad.

Lacey started training, in his own right, in the 2012/13 National Hunt season and, after a low-key start – he failed to break into double-figures in his first four seasons – increased his seasonal tally to 21 winners in 2016/17. His ‘breakthrough’ season, though, was 2017/18, in which he saddled 39 winners, including Vado Forte in the totepool Sussex Champion Hurdle at Plumpton, Jester Jet in the Grade Three Alder Hey Children’s Charity Handicap Hurdle at Aintree and Thomas Patrick in the Grade Three Betway Handicap Chase, also at Aintree, and amassed over £359,000 in total earnings.

In 2018/19, Lacey recorded two more high-profile victories at Listed level, courtesy of Glory And Fortune in the EBF Stallions & Cheltenham Pony Club at Cheltenham and Jester Jet, again, in the olbg.com Mares’ Hurdle at Warwick. All told, in the last five National Hunt seasons he has saddled 107 winners from 527 runners, at a strike rate of 20%, and has recorded an impressive level stakes profit of 101.4 points.

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