HEARTBREAKING moment Rider Mason Paetel struggles to hold back tears during interview as he dedicates win to best friend Tommie Jakes after he passed away at 19 and reveals cause that shocks fans
In the electrifying world of horse racing, where split-second decisions and raw emotion collide, few moments capture the human spirit quite like the one that unfolded at Wolverhampton Racecourse on a chilly Tuesday evening. Seventeen-year-old apprentice jockey Mason Paetel, already making waves as one of the season’s top young talents, guided the Joe Tickle-trained Sant Alessio to a triumphant victory in a tightly contested one-mile handicap race. It was his 31st win of the year, a milestone that would typically spark unbridled celebration. But for Paetel, the post-race glow was overshadowed by profound grief, as he channeled the ride into a heartfelt tribute to his best friend, the late Tommie Jakes, who had tragically passed away just days earlier at the age of 19.
The interview that followed, broadcast live on Sky Sports Racing, has since gone viral, drawing millions of views and an outpouring of support from fans worldwide. Standing trackside, microphone in hand, Paetel’s voice cracked as he fought to compose himself. His eyes welled up, and for a few agonizing seconds, he paused, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. “Tonight’s a special night,” he began, his young face etched with sorrow. “I lost my friend Tommie the other day—my best friend. So that was for Tommie.” The camera captured every tremble, every futile attempt to swallow back the tears, turning what should have been a routine victory chat into a raw, unfiltered display of vulnerability that left viewers in stunned silence.
Paetel and Jakes weren’t just colleagues in the high-stakes arena of British flat racing; they were inseparable mates, bonded by the relentless grind of the sport and the dreams they shared since their early teens. Both hailing from racing families, the duo had grown up navigating the weighing rooms and gallops together, swapping stories of triumphs and setbacks over late-night debriefs. Jakes, attached to trainer George Boughey’s yard near Newmarket, was the more seasoned of the pair at 19, with an impressive tally of 59 career winners from 519 rides. His breakthrough came at just 16, steering the veteran Suzi’s Connoisseur to victory at Lingfield in 2023—a ride that turned heads and marked him as a prodigy. This season alone, he notched 19 successes, forging strong partnerships with trainers like Scottish-based Linda Perratt, who gave him 17 of those wins and fondly recalled him staying at her yard like a second son.
But behind the polished facade of a rising star lay a private battle that Jakes kept largely hidden from the spotlight. It was during the emotional interview that Paetel, voice breaking further, revealed the shocking cause of his friend’s death: a sudden cardiac arrest at home, striking in the early hours just one day after Jakes’ final ride at Nottingham Racecourse. “He’d just come off the track, full of life, talking about our next big plans,” Paetel recounted, dabbing at his eyes with a sleeve. “Woke up the next morning, and… he was gone. No warning, nothing. It’s just… it’s not fair.” The revelation sent ripples through the racing community and beyond, prompting gasps from fans who had followed Jakes’ meteoric rise. Heart conditions in young athletes, though rare, carry a devastating unpredictability—Jakes’ case echoing high-profile tragedies in other sports, where the fittest hearts falter without a whisper.
The news of Jakes’ passing had already plunged the sport into mourning when it broke on October 30. A joint statement from the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) and the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) described it as a “deep sadness,” noting he had “tragically died at home this morning near Newmarket.” Suffolk Police quickly confirmed the death was not suspicious, with a file prepared for the coroner, but the void left behind was anything but routine. Tributes flooded in from trainers, jockeys, and racegoers alike. George Boughey, Jakes’ mentor, posted on social media: “We are heartbroken. Tommie was an integral and much-loved member of our team. We will miss him immensely.” Brian Meehan, who saddled Jakes to three wins this year including a stylish victory at Epsom in the famous Sangster silks, called him “a huge talent with an infectious smile.” Even at Newmarket’s fixture days later, presenter Lydia Hislop captured the palpable grief: “The shock here is immense; we’re holding a minute’s silence to honor him.”
For Paetel, the win felt like more than points on a leaderboard—it was a lifeline amid the chaos. “Tommie would have been the first one ribbing me if I bottled it,” he said with a watery half-smile, revealing the playful banter that defined their friendship. “He pushed me every day, made me better. This one’s his—straight up.” The jockey’s father, watching from the stands, later shared his own heartache in a quiet aside to reporters: “My son’s best friend was Tommie. All this racing stuff? It’s irrelevant now. If only that kid knew how much he was loved.” Paetel’s raw honesty struck a chord, reminding the often stoic racing world of the fragile lives fueling its adrenaline.
As the story spreads, it has ignited crucial conversations about health screenings in equestrian sports. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), through acting CEO Brant Dunshea, pledged enhanced support: “We’re devastated. Our services are open to anyone affected, and we’ll encourage proactive checks for all.” Experts note that while mandatory ECGs exist for some elite levels, gaps remain for apprentices like Jakes and Paetel, who log hundreds of rides annually under immense physical strain. Fans, shocked by the “silent killer” aspect, have launched petitions for broader cardiac protocols, turning personal tragedy into potential reform.
In the days since, Paetel has leaned on the tight-knit weighing room brotherhood, returning to the saddle with Jakes’ memory as his unseen passenger. “Grief’s a beast,” he admitted in a follow-up clip, “but it fuels you too. Tommie’s still riding with me—every stride.” For a sport built on speed and spectacle, this moment slows time, forcing reflection on the hearts—literal and figurative—beating beneath the silks. Jakes’ light, extinguished too soon, burns brighter in tributes like Paetel’s, a testament to friendship’s enduring gallop. As racing presses on, one victory at a time, it honors the fallen by racing harder, loving deeper, and listening closer to the warnings whispered in the wind.
