Tom Dascombe to switch to Lambourn in famous Uplands Stable as he sends out last runner from Michael Owen's yard
Trainer Tom Dascombe leaving Michael Owen's Manor House Stables after 12-year stay and heading to Uplands Stable in Lambourn; Hugo Palmer is moving to Owen's yard after Dascombe sends out final runner at Wolverhampton on Saturday
Friday 11 March 2022 13:55, UK
Tom Dascombe will continue his training career in Lambourn after sending out his last runner from Michael Owen’s Manor House Stables on Saturday.
The 48-year-old has agreed a lease on Uplands, a yard made famous by Fred Winter and most recently the base of Warren Greatrex.
Dascombe spent 12 years at Manor House and tasted Classic success with Brown Panther, who won the 2014 Irish St Leger, and sent out over 700 winners at the Cheshire yard, which will now be home to Hugo Palmer.
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His last runner from Manor House will be Misty Grey at Wolverhampton, live on Sky Sports Racing.
"I've always said I've worked in horse racing for thirty something years and never done a day's work, but the last two months I've really had to graft to find somewhere to go," Dascombe told Sky Sports Racing.
"It's been tricky but I've been lucky because so many people in the last thirty years have been so kind and helpful.
"I wanted to go to Lambourn and it's taken a bit of time but it does look like finally I've got somewhere.
"It's so important to know what you're doing. You can have all the passion in the world but if you don't know the gallops you are going to struggle to get everything right.
"Going back to Lambourn will be a huge help to me because I've worked their for 15 years and know the place inside out.
"I feel at home and that will make a massive difference."
Dascombe added: "I must thank my new landlords at Uplands, Amber Varcoe and Dominic Hoult, for their support and a mutual desire to see this great yard among the winners and I am very much looking forward to a new chapter in my career.
"But I enjoyed my 12 years at Manor House Stables. We shared Classic success and plenty of winners, and it would be nice to think Misty Grey can end this chapter of my career on a high.
"I'm hugely grateful to Michael Owen and Andrew Black (the ex-footballer's business partner) for affording me the opportunity to develop the stable effectively from scratch to a thriving operation and we are proud of what we have achieved.
"We've shared memories that will be impossible to erase and I'll forever take great pride in training Michael's homebred Brown Panther to Classic and Royal Ascot victory. We have shared some great times and now I'm looking forward to having a few more at Uplands."
Dascombe, who spent two years with Mike de Kock and having been assistant to Ralph Beckett, made a storming start to his own training career in Lambourn in 2005.
He trained plenty of two-year-old winners and won two Group Twos in as many days at Newmarket's July meeting in 2008, before teaming up with Owen.
The pair enjoyed success with Brown Panther, who won the Irish St Leger, Dubai Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, earning over £1.1million in prize-money before suffering a fatal injury when defending his Irish St Leger crown in 2015.
Now he is looking to build again from scratch after Owen's surprise announcement in December that Dascombe would be leaving.
Dascombe added: "At the time, it did come as a shock, but Michael and Andrew Black wanted to go in a different direction and that is their prerogative. I will always be truly grateful for the chance and for the good times we shared.
"I am just excited to get started again in Lambourn.
"How many horses will we have? The simple is answer is I have no idea.
"I wanted to sign on a yard with 106 stables, but have ended up signing on with a yard that has 20 available stables. Day one, I will have just empty stables. Day two, I want to have a few more than that.
"But, I'm thrilled that I am back in Lambourn and looking forward to the future."
