Newmarket trainer William Haggas needs no prompting when it comes to the nickname for his stable jockey Tom Marquand.
“He is Aussie Tom, all the boys in the yard call him that,” Haggas said with a smile. “These days he is also Tokyo Tom, which just shows how far he has come since he was here with Addeybb.
English jockey Tom Marquand with Addeybb after winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2020.Credit:Getty
“We used to use him a bit before Addeybb but that cemented the relationship and led to where we are now with him as my stable jockey, and it’s a relationship I want to continue into future.”
Marquand arrived in Australia unheralded for a summer stint with John O’Shea in 2019, but by the time he left a return was assured.
“Tom Marquand came to my attention via Tom Ward, who worked with me at Godolphin, and I watched his tapes from England and thought, ‘Let’s give him a go’,” O’Shea said. “He was a bit like James McDonald because after the first day with James out here I thought he was even better than I thought he was.
“With Tom, we realised in the first week that he was better than anyone was giving him credit for and knew we wanted him on more of our horses – and to come back.”
It was 2020 that would change Marquand’s career. He rode 26 winners in Australia and his first two group 1 wins during Addeybb’s first all-conquering visit to Australia.
While racing had stopped in the UK due to COVID, Marquand was putting himself in front of every trainer over there. In a few months he went from a young Brit on the rise to a group 1-winning jockey who had a profile after winning the group 1 double of the Ranvet Stakes and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
“We were in lockdown, so Tom got well-known riding Addeybb out here, but it is a credit to him where he has gone since,” Haggas continued. “He was good in England before he came over here with Addeybb in the first year, and then his career just took off, but it was always going too.”
Marquand has become the stable jockey for Haggas, and the pair will look for a third Queen Elizabeth Stakes when Dubai Honour attempts to unseat local hero Anamoe on Saturday.
It could be a day of celebration for Marquand at Randwick with those who have supported him. He takes the ride on the O’Shea-trained Premise in the Australian Oaks. It was the O’Shea stable that gave him his first chance in Australia and quickly worked out that he was much more that a very good jockey.
“I’m not surprised where he has ended up now because he is very decent fellow,” O’Shea said. “To have talent and be a good person is a rare commodity.”
Marquand would return to England and by the end of 2020 had his first classic – the St Leger on Galileo Chrome for Joseph O’Brien. It was a year that was the making of Marquand and, when he returned with Addeybb for a second Queen Elizabeth raid, he had a permanent spot as Haggas’ jockey.
“I was riding quite a lot for William at home before Addeybb but James Doyle was his stable jockey,” Marquand said. “The opportunity was there to come back with Addeybb, and he did what he did.
“I can’t say it changed the path I was on but it certainly sped it up very bit. I went home with a bit of confidence and people knew me, which made a difference. It meant I would get better rides and then became the stable rider for William.”
Marquand had to watch Dubai Honour’s win the Ranvet Stakes with Ryan Moore in the saddle from home in England after he fell and injured a shoulder in the Inglis Millenium in February.
“That’s the good thing about being the stable rider – I was going to get back on him,” Marquand said.
“Even though Ryan was on him, it was great to watch and made me want to get back here quicker.
“He has always had that sort of talent but that was his best win.
“He seems to have enjoyed it over here and I think he might have gone to another level. We will find out on Saturday because he is taking a good one in Anamoe.
“He looks like he took another step from the Ranvet and he feels great when I have been to Canterbury.”
Marquand has kept busy riding since arriving back in Australia after the Golden Slipper and his popularity will see him with near full books when he goes to the races.
He will hook up with Jospeh O’Brien again when he rides Baron Samedi in the Sydney Cup, while Haggas’ mare Purpleplay is his ride in the Queen Of The Turf, but he would love to win on Premise in the Australian Oaks.
″John backed me to come out here and to win a group 1 for him would be great,″ he said.
O’Shea made sure he had Marquand booked for Premise a long way out.
“We knew we had a good filly and we want a strong rider, and Tom was our first choice,” O’Shea said. “It would be great to share a group 1 with him because of who he is.”
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