Tom Marquand strikes Group One gold with Addeybb in Australia

Tom Marquand rode his first Group One winner as the William Haggas-trained Addeybb lifted Saturday’s Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill.

Marquand dictated the pace aboard Addeybb, who was last seen finishing second to Magical in the Champion Stakes last October and is a seven times winner in Britain, including at Group Two and Three level.

The duo set a steady pace with Verry Elleegant on his heels, before Marquand made his move with around two furlongs to go in the mile-and-a-quarter contest.

Addeybb made all in the Ranvet Stakes

Verry Elleegant initially looked set to match his effort and edged in front, but Addeybb kept finding for pressure and battled back to prevail by half a length, with Avilius a further five and a quarter lengths back in third.

The six-year-old’s victory topped a fantastic start to the year for Marquand, who has ridden 20 winners in New South Wales during his Australian spells.

He told Racing.com: “A Group One is all I have dreamt of since childhood, an international Group One even more so, and an international Group One on an English horse is even better.

“Addeybb was extremely tough. It’s on ground that he doesn’t really want nor appreciate.”

Haggas was not at the track, but his travelling foreman Harry Eustace said: “It was another peach, he (Marquand) controlled it from the front.

“He gets going and I think everyone thinks he is struggling, but he is just stoking the fire.

“I did say to Tom because he does love soft ground and he might take a bit longer to let himself down on this track, and I think that was the case because he came back at the end and was well on top.”

Marquand and Haggas were completing a double after Young Rascal had earlier struck gold in the Group Three Iron Jack N.E. Manion Cup.

The five-year-old was saddled with top weight in the 12-furlong contest and Marquand settled him in fourth, with ex-David Simcock runner Mugatoo stalking him through the race.

Marquand went to win his face with a furlong and a half to run and Mugatoo went with him, but Young Rascal was just half a length too good at the line.

“He’s a typical English-style horse,” Marquand said. “He was never hitting top gear until the last 100 metres really.

“It was a great performance considering we went pretty slow – he’s a staying type. Once he gets to the business end of the race, from the bottom of the straight I was always pretty confident I was holding Mugatoo.

“The only thing he could do us for is speed. Once he joined, he didn’t go by, so I was confident I would stay with him and keep moving forward to the line.”

Young Rascal, who finished seventh in the 2018 Derby at Epsom, was last seen coming home ninth in December’s Hong Kong Vase after meeting trouble in running.

Eustace added: “He went home from Hong Kong. Part of the planning behind that was to get a trip into him. It’s tough coming down here. It stood him in good stead, he settled in straight off the bat. He’s thrived since he’s been here.”

Meanwhile, Gai Waterhouse registered a record seventh win in the Longines Golden Slipper as Farnan claimed the Group One prize at Rosehill.

Waterhouse’s father, Tommy Smith, saddled six winners of the prestigious juvenile event, but the Hugh Bowman-ridden Farnan, who is jointly-trained by Adrian Bott, took her past that tally with a convincing victory.

Bowman pushed forward early from his wide draw and Farnan soon took control, finding plenty up the straight to see off Away Game by a length and three-quarters in style. Mamaragan was back in third.

Waterhouse was not at Rosehill, which was closed to members of the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, but she watched the race on television and was delighted to see her charge chalk up a fourth career winner.

“It’s a thrill and a relief that he’s won it – it’s an absolute dream come true,” Waterhouse told Network Seven.

“This is a very special race and it takes a really exceptional horse, both mentally and physically, to do it.

“You saw his barrier speed, you saw his cruising speed and then the toughness in the straight when he was being attacked by all the rest of the field. But he’s just too good.”

It was the first Golden Slipper Waterhouse has won in partnership with Bott, who became her training partner midway through 2016.

She added: “I just get such a kick out of it because Adrian is involved and he was superb to put his hand up and come into the business and take it over from me – he’s just absolutely flying. He’s a very special young man.”