Don’t expect to see visiting English apprentice Tom Marquand riding at Victorian race meetings on a regular basis during his four-week stay in Australia.
Marquand made the perfect start to his stint in Melbourne, guiding Tashbeeh to victory in the Swettenham Stud Summer Championship at Caulfield on Saturday.
The 17-year-old is spending his stay with Lindsay Park trainers David Hayes and Tom Dabernig, shifting between the country training property at Euroa and its Flemington stables.
Indentured to Richard Hannon in England, Marquand was last year’s champion apprentice and has now ridden 69 winners.
He will lose his claim after riding a further, irrespective of whether they are in the city or country.
“Mr Hannon didn’t want me coming over here trying to win as many race as possible,” Marquand said.
“But to win a race like that for Mr Hayes and Sheikh Hamdam, he won’t mind that too much.
“While it would be brilliant getting some winners out here I can’t be silly about it and get on everything I can.”
Easy in the betting from $2.50 out to $3.80 equal favourite, Tashbeeh fought hard to defeat fellow equal favourite Radical by a half neck with River’s Lane ($5) 1-1/2 lengths away third.
Marquand arrived in Australia on Thursday on a racing scholarship initiated by the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies which is funded by Sheikh Mansour in Abu Dhabi.
He said he would take plenty away from his winning ride on Tashbeeh as the small field went at a slow tempo before sprinting home.
“I think it’s brilliant to learn those sort of race tactics and have the feel of when to kick into a race,” he said.
“In England we tend to go a more even gallop and then horses tend to find that bit more for you.”
Dabernig praised Marquand for his ride on Tashbeeh, saying for a jockey of his age and experience he has a lot of strength.
“I think I was panicking more than the jockey,” Dabernig said.
“He kept his cool and got the job done and I can see why they are protective of his claim.”
Dabernig said Tashbeeh was likely to return for the Swettenham Stud Summer Championship final at Caulfield on January 26.
