SHOCK! Tommie Jakes’ mother collapses after hearing her son’s last text message after his girlfriend mysteriously died at home — family rushes her to the ER and fights for her life!
In a heartbreaking twist to an already devastating family tragedy, Tonie Jakes, the grieving mother of the late teenage jockey Tommie Jakes, collapsed in her Freckenham home on Tuesday evening, mere days after burying her 19-year-old son.
The incident, which has left the close-knit Suffolk family reeling, occurred as Tonie listened to what is believed to be Tommie’s final text message to his girlfriend, sent just hours before her own mysterious death at their shared apartment earlier this month. Paramedics rushed the 48-year-old to West Suffolk Hospital’s emergency room, where she remains in critical condition, battling for her life amid profound emotional and physical strain.
The sequence of events has stunned the horse racing community and beyond, amplifying the sorrow surrounding the Jakes family. Tommie, a rising star in British flat racing with 59 career wins under his belt, was found unresponsive in his bedroom on October 30, 2025, just hours after completing his last ride at Nottingham Racecourse.
Suffolk Police quickly ruled his death non-suspicious, with early reports suggesting it may have been a suicide, possibly linked to the immense grief he was carrying from personal losses. But whispers among friends and family point to deeper layers of despair, including the sudden and unexplained passing of his girlfriend, 20-year-old apprentice trainer Ellie Harper, discovered lifeless in their modest Newmarket flat on October 28—two days before Tommie’s own tragedy.
Ellie’s death has been shrouded in mystery from the start. Neighbors reported hearing an argument the night before, followed by an eerie silence. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene, with initial toxicology results pending. Friends described the couple as inseparable, with Tommie often crediting Ellie for keeping him grounded amid the high-stakes world of professional jockeying.
“They were the kind of young love you root for,” said one stable hand who worked alongside Tommie at George Boughey’s yard. “He lit up talking about her future rides and their plans to start a small training operation together.” Yet, in the days leading up to her collapse, Tonie confided to close relatives that Tommie had been “a shadow of himself” since Ellie’s passing, withdrawing from family dinners and canceling planned Halloween outings with his twin brother Mickie and younger siblings Vinnie and Kyle.
The pivotal moment came during a private family gathering on November 9, as the Jakes clan sifted through Tommie’s belongings in preparation for a memorial ride at Newmarket Racecourse. Tonie, still clad in the black armband worn by jockeys in tribute to her son, insisted on reviewing his phone records one last time. It was there, amid a flurry of unread messages, that she discovered the final exchange between Tommie and Ellie—sent at 11:47 p.m. on October 27, the night before her body was found.
According to sources close to the family, the text read: “Can’t do this without you anymore. If you’re gone, I’m following. Love you forever. See you on the other side.” The raw vulnerability of those words, coupled with the timestamp aligning perilously close to Ellie’s final hours, proved too much for Tonie’s fragile state.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic and gut-wrenching. “She read it aloud, her voice breaking on every word,” recounted a family friend who was present. “Then she just… crumpled. Like the weight of two worlds crashing down at once. Jeremy [Tonie’s husband] screamed for help, and we dialed 999 while holding her. It was like watching a second heartbreak unfold in real time.” Paramedics arrived within minutes, stabilizing Tonie after she suffered what doctors later diagnosed as a severe anxiety-induced cardiac episode, compounded by dehydration and exhaustion from sleepless nights of mourning. As of Wednesday morning, she was listed in intensive care, with tubes and monitors beeping steadily beside her bed. Jeremy, himself a former stable lad, has been by her side non-stop, issuing brief updates via a family WhatsApp group: “She’s a fighter, like our boy was. Pray for us.”
The racing world, already in collective mourning for Tommie, has rallied around the Jakes family with renewed fervor. Tributes poured in following the news of Tonie’s collapse, from black armbands extended through the weekend’s fixtures to a GoFundMe campaign that surged past £50,000 in under 24 hours. Trainer George Boughey, for whom Tommie rode 23 winners this season alone, released a poignant statement: “Tommie was more than a jockey; he was family. To see his mother suffer like this—it’s unbearable. We’re all praying for Tonie’s recovery and for some semblance of peace for the Jakeses.” Fellow riders, including 17-year-old Mason Paetel, who dedicated a recent victory at Wolverhampton to his “best mate,” have shared stories of Tommie’s infectious laugh and quiet generosity, painting a portrait of a young man whose light burned too briefly but brightly.
Yet beneath the tributes lies a undercurrent of unresolved questions, particularly around Ellie’s death. While authorities maintain it appears accidental—possibly related to an undiagnosed medical condition—social media speculation has run rampant, with some pointing to the pressures of the racing circuit’s grueling lifestyle.
The Jakes family, through Jeremy, has pleaded for privacy and an end to the rumors: “Our hearts are shattered enough. Let us grieve without the noise.” As investigations continue quietly, one thing is clear: the ripple effects of loss in this tight-knit community have exposed the hidden toll of ambition and heartbreak.
For now, all eyes are on Tonie’s bedside vigil. Mickie, Tommie’s twin, has stepped up as the family’s anchor, coordinating visits from Newmarket’s racing elite while caring for his younger brothers. “Mum always said Tommie rode like the wind—free and fearless,” Mickie shared tearfully outside the hospital.
“She needs that strength now more than ever.” In a sport defined by speed and split-second decisions, the Jakes saga serves as a stark reminder of life’s fragility. As the family fights to keep Tonie with them, the hope is that love, like a well-timed gallop, might just carry them through the darkest stretch.
