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Because Tom's father, George, was a bloodstock agent, it was natural to find horses about his home in Ininstioge, Co Kilkenny. Tom grew up with them and, aged 12, spent his school holidays working for up-and-coming young trainer Aidan O'Brien.On leaving school, Tom joined Aidan on a more permanent basis before moving on to spend a year with trainer Eamon Sheehy for whom he rode six winners.
Tom rode his first winner, Blackburn, when riding as an amateur for Dusty Sheehy at Fairyhouse in 1997.
Then the opportunity arose for Tom to travel to England to work for Roger Curtis, who trained at Lambourn. Tom's father had sold Curtis horses over the years and had arranged Tom's move.
Tom's first win in England came on Petasus (25/1) at Plumpton on Monday, September 13, 1999.
It was at this same course that Tom lost his 7 lb claim when winning the six-runner Credit & Guarantee Novices' Chase on Ourownfellow on March 13, 2000.
Tom then rode for Richard Lee and decided to turn professional at the end of year (2002). In February, 2001, at Wetherby, he had his biggest win to date when piloting Sam Wilderspin to a narrow victory over Banker Court.
Tom was then offered the ride on Esprit De Cotte in that year's Grand National. It was something of a fortuitous booking - it's trainer, Nicky Henderson, had wanted Paul Flynn to ride it, but, being unable to locate him, booked Tom instead, just about the only jockey available who could do the weight.
The conditions for the race were appalling: in fact, only two runners - Red Marauder and Smarty - got round in the mud without falling.
Tom parted company with his mount at the eleventh.
The next year, Tom & Sam Wilderspin were reunited for a second crack at the National: this time they came down at the fourth when the horse jumped too big and came down on his nose.
In January, 2005, after the Doncaster fences had been modified to address jockeys' concerns, Tom was among the first to praise the alterations.
Noting 'a 100% improvement' he said: Nobody has a problem with big fences as long as they ride well and horses enjoy jumping them, but when they barely touch the top, they don't deserve to flip over.'
In 2007, Tom became stable jockey for Paul Webber, but it was for trainer D W P Arbuthnot that he rode his biggest winner of the year when scooting clear before the last on the 14/1 shot Oscar Park in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival. Oscar Park was making up for a lifeless run in the Brit Insurance Hurdle twelve months earlier.
Tom's last ride came at Navan, Ireland on Saturday, 2 March 2013. September, 2012.
Riding Zardsky in the Newgrange Handicap Chase, Tom pulled up.
After riding over 270 winners, he said: 'I've been riding for 16 years and I've really enjoyed it but things have gone a bit quiet lately and the time has come to do something else. I've a few young horses at home and hopefully I'll have a few runners in point-to-points and see how we get on.'
Tom was born on February 8, 1980
Tom's other big race winners included:
Follow The Plan (2012 Betfred Bowl at Aintree)
Moon Dice (2011 Galway Hurdle)
Tom also rode Trafford Lad for Dusty Sheehy to win two Grade One races.
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