Tom Marquand has realised a cherished childhood dream landing the first Group One win of his burgeoning career, fittingly aboard English raider Addeybb.
The UK-based jockey has become somewhat of an adopted Australian, riding with success in Sydney over the summer before deciding to return for the major autumn carnival races.
With horse racing in Britain shut down due to the coronavirus, Marquand is making hay while the Australian industry’s wheels continue to turn.
He produced a superb frontrunning display aboard the William Haggas-trained Addeybb in Saturday’s Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill, much to the delight of his girlfriend, prominent English jockey Hollie Doyle who tweeted her support from the UK.
“A Group One is all I have dreamt of since childhood,” Marquand said.
“An international Group One, even more so. And an international Group One on an English horse, even better.”
Addeybb’s win gave the Haggas-Marquand combination a stakes double after they earlier won the Group Three Manion Cup (2400m) with Young Rascal.
The two victories were mirror images with Young Rascal under hard riding before the turn and getting off the canvas to deny Mugatoo while Addeybb was headed by Verry Elleegant and came again to score.
Harry Eustace, overseeing Haggas’ Australian team, credited Marquand’s strong riding for the wins.
“The way he gets them rolling, the other jockeys think he’s got less horse than he does so you wonder if they just commit that bit early,” Eustace said.
“He knows our horses are going to run all the way to the line, they were pretty fit when they came.
“I am just delighted for Tom to ride his first Group One, it’s fantastic we managed to get it for him.”
James McDonald aboard $3 favourite Verry Elleegant kept Addeybb ($3.40) in sight and the mare headed the English raider in the straight but could not match his stamina.
She went down fighting by a half-length and they streeted the rest with Avilius more than five lengths back third.
“Too good the winner. She is going enormous, she can’t go any better. She will get her day,” McDonald said.
While Young Rascal is headed to the Sydney Cup, Addeybb is on a path to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Eustace says both horses will benefit from Saturday’s runs.
“They came here for the two runs, they certainly weren’t wound up for this to be their world cup,” Eustace said.
