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| Staff Writer |
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Having tasted Breeders' Cup success at Santa Anita last year, Tom Marquand is heading to Del Mar with another enviable book of rides as he bids to enhance his growing international reputation.
The 26-year-old broke his duck at the world championships aboard Big Evs, who stormed to victory in the Juvenile Turf Sprint for trainer Mick Appleby. The son of Blue Point returns to California for the Gr.1 Turf Sprint, looking to add to his impressive resume.
Marquand's juvenile rides include another Appleby charge, Big Mojo, who attempts to emulate his stablemate's heroics in the Gr.1 Juvenile Turf Sprint. The in-form rider also partners The Waco Kid, trained by Hugo Palmer, in Friday's Gr.1 Juvenile Turf following their Tattersalls Stakes triumph.
However, his ace in the pack could be Porta Fortuna in the Gr.1 Mile. The Donnacha O'Brien-trained filly has formed a potent partnership with Marquand this season, landing both the Gr.1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
Previous winners of the Mile include the legendary Goldikova, who claimed an unprecedented hat-trick (2008-10), while Wise Dan (2012-13) and Tourist (2016) have also etched their names into the race's illustrious history.
"She went round Santa Anita great last year and was narrowly beaten and has been absolutely faultless since, it will be nice to be aboard," said Marquand.
"The Breeders' Cup is a hard place to find the right horses to go there and be successful and it is such a unique meeting.
"You have to have so much speed with your sprinters and especially with your juvenile sprinters, they are very fast. Luckily I held an ace card in Big Evs and hopefully this year goes similar."
Already established as a force in Australia, where he has claimed multiple Group One successes including the Queen Elizabeth Stakes worth US$2.8 million, Marquand's international ambitions show no signs of waning. He and wife Hollie Doyle will venture to Japan later this year for their second stint in the Far East.
But first comes Del Mar, where he added: "The Breeders' Cup is tough racing and a tough place to go and win, but it's also exciting and it's an event you get a chance to look forward to as the build up is quite long compared to just a normal British big race day. It's always an exciting week.
"I enjoy travelling and I like going abroad to different places and trying to adapt as fast as you can. I've been very lucky and fortunate enough to have big winners in most of the places I've gone. I'll just keep going and keep trying to tick off big ones."