Emotional Victory at Southwell
Professional jockey David Egan delivered a powerful and emotional tribute to his late colleague and friend, Tommie Jakes, after riding a winning double at Southwell racecourse on Friday. The poignant victories came just hours after Egan had attended Jakes' funeral, where more than 400 people gathered to pay their respects to the 19-year-old jockey who died last month.
A Community in Mourning
The racing community came together in force at St Mary's Church in Newmarket to honour Tommie Jakes, who was found dead at his family home on October 30, just one day after he had ridden at Nottingham. Egan was among the congregation, accompanied by his father John and fellow jockeys including the renowned Ryan Moore and William Buick.
Speaking to Sky Sports Racing after his victories, Egan shared his emotional conflict about racing on such a difficult day. "A sad day. We had the funeral of our friend Tommie Jakes today and to be honest I didn't want to come racing," he confessed. "If Tommie was here, he would say 'what are you talking about, go racing.'"
Egan's successful mounts were both trained by Kevin Philippart De Foy and ran in the colours of Amo Racing. The horses Shiplake and Domina Ignis secured the emotional double for the grieving jockey, who dedicated the wins to his much-missed friend.
Legacy and Support
Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign established to support Jakes' family has seen an outpouring of generosity, surpassing the £20,000 mark in the last 24 hours. The GoFundMe page was set up to help the family with immediate costs and contribute towards creating a lasting legacy in Tommie's name.
Friend and racehorse owner Paul Corrigan expressed gratitude for the support, stating: "Every donation, no matter the size, is deeply appreciated. It will help the family with immediate costs and contribute towards creating something lasting in Tommie's name - a legacy of care, understanding, and support for others following in his footsteps."
Jakes, who hailed from a village near Newmarket, had ridden his first winner, Suzi's Connoisseur at Lingfield in 2023. The horse's trainer, Jane Chapple-Hyam, was among those attending his funeral, along with Jakes' boss George Boughey and another of his supporters, Linda Perratt.
In a touching tribute following his death, Chapple-Hyam remembered Jakes as a "much loved friend" to her team in East Kilbride, Scotland. She described watching him evolve from a "shy, quiet boy to a confident, fun loving young man" and noted that "the racing world lost a huge talent."
As Egan poignantly reflected after his victories: "It was great to see so many faces there. If Tommie knew how many people loved him... we are all thinking about him. I would give back all the winners to have him back."
