What really sets Tate apart is his record in the sport's top races. Seven Class 1 wins in four years — in other words, seven wins in the most prestigious races in Britain — is a serious achievement for a trainer still finding his feet at this level. Those wins have come at venues like Kempton Park, Lingfield Park, and York, tracks that attract the best horses in the country. He has added two more top-level wins already in 2025, at Bath in April and at Pontefract in July, which suggests the yard is hitting good form at exactly the right time of year.
The most telling sign of a well-run stable is often the relationship between trainer and jockey, and Tate's partnership with Clifford Lee tells a compelling story. Across 44 rides together, Lee has ridden 9 winners for the yard — winning 1 in every 5, or 20%. That is actually a higher rate than the stable's overall average, which means when Lee is in the saddle for Tate, the combination is punching slightly above its weight. That kind of trusted partnership tends to emerge when a trainer knows exactly which horses suit a particular jockey's style, and it is worth paying attention to when the two team up.
One name that keeps appearing on the scoresheet without a win to show for it yet is Blue Deveron. Three races together, no wins so far — but the fact that Tate keeps returning to this horse suggests he believes there is a performance in there waiting to come out. Trainers do not persist without reason, and it is the kind of storyline worth following as the season develops.
Four years in, 168 winners, and seven wins at the very top of the sport. James Tate is building something worth watching.
| Course | Races | Wins | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwell | 48 | 15 | 31.2% |
| Wolverhampton | 43 | 5 | 11.6% |
| Kempton Park | 34 | 5 | 14.7% |
| chelmsford | 22 | 3 | 13.6% |
| Lingfield Park | 15 | 1 | 6.7% |
| Newcastle | 13 | 4 | 30.8% |
| Haydock Park | 10 | 1 | 10% |
| Nottingham | 9 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Leicester | 9 | 1 | 11.1% |
| Great Yarmouth | 7 | 2 | 28.6% |
| Newmarket | 7 | 1 | 14.3% |
| York | 7 | 0 | 0% |
| Thirsk | 6 | 2 | 33.3% |
| Ripon | 6 | 2 | 33.3% |
| Chester | 5 | 1 | 20% |
| Sandown Park | 5 | 1 | 20% |
| Ascot | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Newbury | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Doncaster | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Beverley | 4 | 1 | 25% |
| Windsor | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Pontefract | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| Bath | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Goodwood | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Ayr | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Wetherby | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Epsom Downs | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Market Rasen | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Carlisle | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Chepstow | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Catterick Bridge | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Hamilton Park | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Redcar | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Brighton | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Ffos Las | 1 | 0 | 0% |