HEARTBREAKING moment Tommie Jakes’ parents struggle to hold back tears as they break silence over jockey’s tragic death at 19 and reveal suspected killer at home leaves fans shocked
In the quiet village of Freckenham, near the heart of British horseracing’s Newmarket, a family’s unimaginable grief has gripped the nation. Just over a week ago, on October 30, 2025, 19-year-old apprentice jockey Tommie Jakes was found dead in his bedroom at the family home he shared with his parents, Jeremy and Tonie, and his three brothers. The news, which broke like a thunderclap across the racing world, has left an indelible scar on a sport that prides itself on resilience and camaraderie. But it was the parents’ raw, tear-streaked interview aired on ITV News last night that truly shattered hearts, as they fought to compose themselves while unveiling a devastating revelation: their son’s suspected killer was the very illness that had silently stalked him for years.
Jeremy Jakes, a stoic man whose hands still bear the calluses of a lifetime working with horses, sat beside his wife in their modest living room, the walls adorned with faded photos of Tommie astride his first pony. His voice cracked as he recalled the evening before the tragedy. “He came home from Nottingham buzzing, you know? Dancing in the kitchen like a kid at Christmas. Said the chicken dinner was the best he’d ever had,” Jeremy said, his eyes welling up as he paused to wipe them with a trembling hand. Tonie, clutching a crumpled tissue, nodded silently at first, her shoulders heaving with suppressed sobs. It was a moment that viewers across the country described as “unbearably heartbreaking,” with social media flooded by messages of solidarity under hashtags like #JusticeForTommie and #RacingInMourning.
Tommie had ridden in his final race that Wednesday afternoon at Nottingham Racecourse, guiding the 125-1 outsider Guarantee to a respectable seventh place in a juvenile maiden. At just 19, he was the epitome of youthful promise in a demanding profession. Licensed as an apprentice since 2023, Tommie had notched up an impressive 59 career winners from 519 rides, including 19 in the 2025 season alone—bringing owners nearly £200,000 in prize money. His breakthrough victory came at age 16 on the veteran Suzi’s Connoisseur at Lingfield, a feat that turned heads and earned him a spot with top trainer George Boughey. “He was our golden boy,” Tonie whispered during the interview, her voice barely above a murmur. “Always smiling, always planning ahead. He’d just ordered a costume for a Halloween party with his mates on Saturday. He was excited about winter rides, about life.”
The couple’s composure crumbled when they addressed the elephant in the room—the “suspected killer” they believe stole their son away in the early hours of that fateful morning. “It was depression,” Jeremy stated flatly, his jaw set as tears finally spilled over. “That bloody silent thief that crept into our home and took him from us. He’d been battling it for years, ever since he was a lad pushing through the pressures of the weighing room. We thought he was winning, thought the track was his medicine. But it wasn’t enough.” Tonie reached for her husband’s hand, her own shaking uncontrollably. “He hid it so well, our brave boy. Joked about the nerves before races, but never the darkness inside. We saw glimpses—sleepless nights, the way he’d stare off sometimes—but he always bounced back with that grin. Now, we know it was eating him alive.”
The revelation sent shockwaves through fans and fellow jockeys alike, many of whom had idolized Tommie as the next big thing. Social media erupted overnight, with racing enthusiasts expressing horror at how mental health struggles could fell such a vibrant soul. “I thought he had it all—talent, youth, wins. Never imagined this,” tweeted one devotee, while another wrote, “This hits like a gut punch. Racing needs to talk more about the shadows behind the spotlight.” The interview, filmed just days after Suffolk Police confirmed the death was not suspicious and referred it to the coroner, highlighted the insidious nature of depression in high-stakes environments like horseracing, where the adrenaline of the track often masks deeper turmoil.
Tommie’s story is one of meteoric rise cut tragically short. Born into a racing family, he was on horseback before he could walk properly, his twin brother Mickie often by his side, along with siblings Vinnie and Kyle. Scottish trainer Linda Perratt, who gave him his most rides—169 in total, yielding 17 winners—recalled him fondly as “like a second son.” “He’d stay with us, full of energy and that infectious laugh. Dreadful, just dreadful,” she told reporters, her voice thick with emotion. George Boughey’s yard, where Tommie was a fixture, issued a poignant statement: “He wasn’t just talented; he was kind, hardworking, the heart of our team. We’ll miss him immensely.”
The outpouring of support has been staggering. A GoFundMe launched by friends has surged past £50,000, earmarked for mental health initiatives in racing and a memorial scholarship for young apprentices. Racecourses from Chelmsford to Southwell observed minutes of silence, with jockeys donning black armbands in his honor. Heart-wrenching tributes continue: 17-year-old Mason Paetel, Tommie’s best friend, choked back tears on Sky Sports Racing after a recent win, dedicating it to “my best mate, up there riding the clouds now.” Even established riders like Callan O’Brien dismissed a major victory as “irrelevant” amid the grief, underscoring the void left behind.
As Jeremy and Tonie concluded their interview, they issued a plea that resonated deeply. “Stop the speculation on social media,” Tonie urged, her eyes red-rimmed but fierce. “It wasn’t drugs, it wasn’t foul play—it was an illness we couldn’t see fully. Talk to your kids, your mates. Listen when they say they’re fine, because sometimes they’re not.” Jeremy added, “Tommie would want us to keep riding, keep fighting. For him, we’ll make sure no other family loses their light like this.”
In a sport defined by speed and spectacle, Tommie Jakes’ story slows us all down, forcing a reckoning with the human fragility beneath the silks. His parents’ courage in breaking the silence hasn’t just honored their son; it’s ignited a broader conversation about mental health’s hidden battles. As the racing calendar turns toward winter, the thunder of hooves will carry an echo of absence—but also a call to action. Tommie’s legacy, it seems, is far from finished.
