Toby Lawes

The highlight of his career so far came on 1 February 2025 at Musselburgh, when he won one of the top races in Britain — his first and, to date, only Class 1 victory. Landing a race at that level in just your fourth year of training is a serious statement. It suggests Lawes isn't simply filling out the lower end of the racing calendar; he's capable of competing at the very top when the right horse turns up.

That horse, more often than not, has been Duhallow Tommy. Together they have won 4 of their 23 races — a partnership that has produced the yard's most memorable moments. Four wins from 23 doesn't make Duhallow Tommy an unbeatable machine, but it does make him Lawes' most trusted ally, the horse the whole operation seems to build around.

In the saddle, Kevin Brogan has been the trainer's go-to jockey, riding to 7 wins from 60 races together — winning roughly 1 in every 9 rides for the yard, or 12% if you want the number. That consistency across 60 races isn't luck; it's a working relationship built on familiarity and trust, and those tend to pay dividends over time.

One detail that stands out is how well the yard performs when the weather turns nasty. On wet or muddy ground, Lawes wins 3 from 16 races — a 19% win rate, or nearly 1 in every 5. For context, his overall rate is closer to 1 in 9. That's a significant gap, and it hints at a trainer who either knows how to spot soft-ground performers or conditions his horses specifically for those conditions. Either way, when the rain comes down, Toby Lawes is someone to watch.