Jockey Tom Marquand makes The Championships reveal

English star Tom Marquand has revealed his wife, gun jockey Hollie Doyle, could join him on his next Australian crusade as he prepares to chase an amazing third Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes in just four years at Royal Randwick this Saturday.

Marquand, affectionately known by punters as “Aussie Tom”, has been a revelation in recent years when making annual trips to Australia to snare a share of Sydney’s lucrative autumn carnival loot.

He won consecutive Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Addeybb and will combine with English trainer William Haggas again on day two of The Championships aboard overseas raider Dubai Honour.

Just as Marquand has made a huge name for himself on a global scale, Doyle has done likewise around the world with both riding successfully in Japan last year.

A date with Australia and next year’s The Championships is now firmly on the agenda.

“I am pretty sure she is sold on the whole idea,” Marquand said.

“Hopefully she will come down next year and be able to make it work.

“She has obviously spent some of the (English) winter in Japan with me and once you get up to consistently riding in those high level stakes races, travelling comes into it.

“You want to chase the calendar.”

Marquand has no plans to move to Australia full-time but hopes to continue making annual trips to the carnival while he can.

He has become a regular rider on international stages around the world but his relationship with Australian racing began before his association with Addeybb after having stints in Sydney and Melbourne.

But it was through Addeybb that Marquand raised his game to another level, winning both the Ranvet and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2020 before claiming the latter for a second time in his fourth and final duel with Verry Elleegant.

“The first year was great while it was during Covid and I came down here and got my first couple of Group 1 winners, it was amazing but I think it was the second year that was a game-changer,” Marquand said.

“It was a tactical race. We all knew he had to match Verry Elleegant and it will always be one of those rides that I will be proud of pulling it off to a degree.

“He is a special horse and it was a special day all together.”

Marquand will be attempting to lower the colours of another Australian superstar when he takes on the James Cummings-trained Anamoe in the Queen Elizabeth.

Dubai Honour ($2.50) is a narrow TAB favourite from Anamoe ($2.60) after the English raider announced himself to Australian racing with a dominant victory in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill Gardens last month.

“You are running into Anamoe, that has done it nine times (at Group 1 level) and a strong field but if Dubai Honour can match his performance in the Ranvet to a similar level, he is going to make it a real race,” Marquand said.

“He looks great, he is thriving and is as good as he can be.

“He has done what all horses that come out here and do well do, he looks like a better horse for being out here physically.”

Marquand will ride another two internationals in Group 1s on the card with Haggas’ filly Purplepay ($34) in the Sydney Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) and the Joseph O’Brien-trained Baron Samedi ($12) in the Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m).

His other Group 1 ride comes aboard the John O’Shea-trained Premise ($23) in The Star Australian Oaks (2400m) while he links up with Perfect Thought (South Pacific Classic), Zou Tiger (Arrowfield Sprint) and Jai Lei (Sapphire Stakes).