Tom Symonds

Three of Symonds's career wins have come at Class 1 level — the highest grade of race in Britain — and they have arrived at three of the sport's most prestigious venues. Newbury in November 2024, Warwick in February 2025, and Haydock Park in February 2026. Winning one top-level race in four years would be a landmark moment for most small yards. Winning three, and at different tracks, is a statement. It says this is not a trainer who is merely competitive in the lower tiers — he can prepare a horse to peak on the biggest days.

The jockey Symonds turns to most often is Ben Poste, and between them they have built a solid working relationship: 5 wins from 50 rides together, a win rate of 10%, or 1 in every 10 races. In racing, consistency between a trainer and jockey matters as much as raw numbers — it means Poste understands how Symonds's horses are prepared and can ride them accordingly. The partnership clearly works.

The one area where results have not quite followed is with The Winslow Boy, a horse Symonds has sent to the track 10 times for just 1 win together. That kind of record invites patience rather than panic — some horses take time to find their conditions, or need a specific type of race to show their best. The fact that Symonds keeps running The Winslow Boy suggests he still believes in what the horse can do, which is often the most telling sign of a trainer's judgement.

Still only four years in, Symonds is building exactly the kind of career that tends to accelerate rather than plateau. The big-race wins are already on the board, the yard is producing winners at a consistent rate, and the best is very likely still ahead.