National Hunt jockey Thomas Frederick (Tommy) Dart rode a total of 16 winners but lost a good chunk of his riding career due to the last war.
During the early part of his career he struck up a partnership with a chaser named Field Master. They won at Newton Abbot on the opening day of the 1936/37 campaign, followed up at Fontwell in September and then landed the Newark Handicap Chase at Nottingham in October. The latter contest was worth £200 to the winner, double the average prize-money for a run-of-the-mill chase in those days.
When the first post-war National Hunt season got under way, on November 22, 1945, Tommy won the second race of the new campaign on a horse named Oh Joe! at Taunton. His winners in the 1946/47 season included chaser Inspection at Fontwell on October 14 and Freckled in a Cheltenham selling hurdle four days later.
He lost the right to claim a 5lb allowance when achieving his 15th success aboard Rowney Canyon at Stratford on February 10, 1951. He registered his final victory on stable companion Rowney Gem at West Norfolk Hunt (Fakenham) on May 17, 1952.
After retiring from the saddle, Tommy became head lad to Bedfordshire permit holder Francis Allingham.
Tommy Dart was evidently a popular character in racing circles, because a few years later, a horse was named after him. Tommy Dart, the horse, went on to win a few races too.