Tom Lacy

Tom Lacy

Prior to becoming a Group race winning trainer and breeder, Tom Lacy was a prominent jockey in Ireland during the 1960s. 

His career in the saddle is inextricably linked with that of the game mare Height O’ Fashion. Tom rode her in 58 races, winning a dozen, as well as finishing second twice in the Irish Grand National (to Arkle and to Flyingbolt), and runner-up in the Galway Plate, Thyestes Chase and Scalp (now Irish Champion) Hurdle. 

Having ridden Height O’ Fashion to win three handicap hurdles and a chase in the 1961/62 season, they began the following campaign by winning over fences at Dundalk, then finishing second to Mrs Miles Valentine’s good chaser Carraroe, ridden by Fred Winter, in the Galway Plate, beaten just half a length. 

They followed that narrow defeat by reverting to hurdles and won three in a row, including two valuable prizes, the Carroll Handicap Hurdle at Dundalk and the Double Diamond Handicap Hurdle at Listowel. Later that season they finished seventh behind fellow Irish raider Winning Fair in the 1963 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. 

Tom and Height O’ Fashion combined 11 times in the 1963/64 season, winning twice: the Peard Cup Handicap Hurdle at Phoenix Park (one of the few jumps races held there) in October and the Guiness Handicap Chase at Punchestown at the end of April. In between those victories they finished second in the November Handicap Hurdle at Liverpool, beaten a length and a half by Imperator, second to Flyingbolt in the Scalp Hurdle, unplaced behind Magic Court in the Champion Hurdle, and second to Arkle, beaten a length and a quarter in the 1964 Irish Grand National, albeit in receipt of 42lb from the great champion. 

The field for the 1965 Irish Grand National was decimated by an outbreak of coughing, to which the luckless Height O’ Fashion succumbed on Good Friday, three days before the race. In the end only four took part, the winner being the Tom Dreaper-trained Splash, ridden by Paddy Woods.

Height O’ Fashion and Tom nonetheless won twice before the end of the year, landing the Phoenix Beer Handicap Chase at Mullingar in May and Navan’s Troytown Chase in November. They also finished second twice to Flyingbolt in 1966, first in the Thyestes Chase, then in the Irish Grand National. 

They were beaten two lengths on the latter occasion, sparking heating fierce debate as to the respective merits of Arkle and Flyingbolt, using Height O’ Fashion as the yardstick. In moving Flyingbolt to within 2lb of Arkle following his 1966 Irish Grand National triumph the handicapper added further fuel to the flames. . 

One of the few times Tom did not ride Height O’ Fashion was when she came within a neck of defeating Arkle in the 1966 Leopardstown Chase, ridden that time by J.P. Sullivan, again receiving 42lb from the winner. 

Tom and Height O’ Fashion combined for the final time when finishing fifth in the Ulster Harp Lager National at Downpatrick on 27 March 1968. 

Having retired from the saddle, he began training, saddling Ingabelle to win the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes. He also gave the late Pat Smullen early experience with his race-riding career.

Alongside his son Barry, Tom bred Persian Force who went on to win Newmarket’s Group 2 July Stakes and gain Group 1 placings in the Phoenix Stakes, Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes. Another son of Tom’s sons, Tony, is the vice president of sales at Keeneland.

Tom Lacy died following a brief illness surrounded by his family at his home in July 2025, aged 89. He was survived by his wife of 58 years Peg (nee Behan), with whom he had six children. 

His dozen wins on Height O’ Fashion were as follows:

1. Cahir Handicap Hurdle, Clonmel, 1 November 1961

2. Winter Handicap Hurdle, Thurles, 9 November 1961

3. Tower Handicap Hurdle, Leopardstown, 26 December 1961

4. Holiday Chase, Mallow, 13 April 1962

5. Ardee Handicap Chase, Dundalk, 17 July 1962

6. O’Dearest Handicap Hurdle, Waterford & Tramore, 16 August 1962 

7. Carroll Handicap Hurdle, Dundalk, 13 September 1962

8. Double Diamond Handicap Hurdle, Listowel, 4 October 1962

9. Peard Cup Handicap Hurdle, Phoenix Park, 12 October 1963

10. Guinness Handicap Chase, Punchestown, 30 April 1964

11. Phoenix Beer Handicap Chase, Mullingar, 20 May 1965

12. Troytown Handicap Chase, Navan, 27 November 1965