An Interview with Dominic Toole

Dominic Toole, in his capacity as stable manager, is an integral part of every Derby Day at Epsom Downs, and all the Flat and Jump meetings at Sandown.

He maintains the stable yards, controls the stable allocation on race days and puts up the Derby winning plaques outside the relevant stables a couple of weeks later; just a few of his many tasks that keep the stable yards in tiptop condition. He is an ex-jockey whose love of Flat racing is very clear, with a little love for National Hunt thrown in.

Dominic, 50, grew up alongside a brother and sister in Ormskirk, Lancashire and now lives near the Surrey racecourse in Epsom with wife Sharon and a three-year-old German Pinscher called Archie.

Please describe your job?
'I look after everything that happens inside the race stables on and before a race day. That’s making sure all the stables are clean and disinfected, ready for the runners to come in and also that the stable yard is all tidy and clean.'

Please describe the Derby week from your point of view?
'That’s a tricky one as I treat every race as if it’s the Derby. Derby week generally starts on the Saturday the week before when we get the entries and we start seeing who may be coming in early, like the foreign runners.

Derby day itself is very magical because you get to see the cream of the crop of three-year-old colts and fillies.'

What is the best aspect about racing?
'Seeing these fantastic athletes at the peak of their fitness and the stable staff looking so proud whilst walking them around.'

And the worst?
'Too much racing. We are being drowned with too much weekend racing which isn’t very good for the stable staff - and this will make them seek other employment. Racing at the moment is struggling to cope with a staffing crisis. It will only get worse with more weekend racing.'

Which have been your favourite race days at Epsom and Sandown?
'At Epsom, it would be Harzand winning the Derby in 2016. He’d spread his front shoe getting on the plane from Ireland on the way over and, when he arrived, it was touch and go if he would race. But with a lot of hard work and ice, we managed to get him on the racetrack, and he went on to win. It was lovely to see a great jockey in Pat Smullen winning a Derby too as he was an excellent rider.

At Sandown, it was the Tingle Creek meeting where Gary Moore had six winners in two days and topped it off with Sire De Grugy winning the big race. I’ve known Gary from when he was a jockey and when he started his training career in Epsom, so that made it all the more special for me.'

Which is your favourite racecourse?
'Unfortunately, my favourite is no longer in use and that was Folkstone Racecourse in Kent.

I had a lot of luck there, both as a rider and a stable lad. I also rode in a three-horse race there; the other two jockeys were Lester Piggot and Pat Eddery. That was a great thrill as a young apprentice and I had an article in the Racing Post about it too.'

Which has been your favourite Derby winner?
'Golden Horn, as it was my first Derby.'

Which has been your favourite racehorse?
'A horse I rode at home for Terry Mills called Resplendent Glory. He had problems as a young horse but, after giving him a bit of time, he turned into a Group winner and was very fast which gave me a great adrenaline rush.'