TOM MARQUAND COUNTED his blessings after fate contrived to give him a first domestic Classic triumph in the Pertemps St Leger on Galileo Chrome at Doncaster.
When the four-day meeting began on Wednesday, the 22-year-old rising star had been booked for English King – but when it became apparent that horse would be heading for the Grand Prix de Paris on Sunday, he was without a ride again.
But as happened in this year’s Derby – when he lost the ride on English King and was snapped up instead for Khalifa Sat and was second on Andrew Balding’s 50-1 outsider – there was a twist in his favour.
As Marquand arrived at the start on Sacred before Doncaster’s Flying Childers Stakes on Friday, he was told he was going to partner Joseph O’Brien’s Galileo Chrome – after Shane Crosse had tested positive for Covid-19.
He had to pinch himself, but it turned out to be a dream of a spare ride.
Marquand shows maturity and ability way beyond his years – and to win the world’s oldest Classic, founded in 1776, was just reward for his talent.
He said: “I can’t say how bad I feel for Shane Crosse – because we’ve all been in situations where things haven’t gone our way, and we’re both relatively young – so I can relate, and he’ll be sat at home in pieces, no doubt.
“I guess in racing it all comes back round. No doubt he’ll have his time, and I look forward to seeing him do it.
“I’ve never met Shane in person. We’ve both only been riding a relatively short time – and I guess, without the restrictions over the last few months, he’d have been over here and I would have come across him.
“I’ll certainly have a chat with him later on.
“It really is a dream come true. Classics in Britain are some of the hardest races go come across. Group One races in Britain are equally hard.
“To have my first Group One winner on UK soil in the St Leger for Joseph O’Brien who, when I as growing up was one of the best jockeys in racing, is mind-blowing.”
In Leopardstown, Cadillac showed his rivals a clean pair of heels to run out an impressive victor in the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes.
Jessica Harrington’s charge was sent off the 11-8 favourite for the Group Two affair despite being edged out in the Futurity Stakes and settled on the outside by Shane Foley, tracking the pace set by Van Gogh.
Cadillac travelled well throughout the mile heat, and when Foley asked his partner to quicken inside the final furlong, the Lope De Vega colt displayed an electric turn of foot, quickly pulling clear to run out a three-and-a-half-length winner over Van Gogh. Reve De Vol was a further two and three-quarter lengths back in third.
Coral made Cadillac their 8-1 co-favourite for next year’s 2000 Guineas, with Betfair cutting him from 33-1 to 12-1 for the Newmarket Classic.
The latter also go 5-1 about his chances for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in the autumn and the trainer’s daughter, Kate, indicated America could be the next port of call.
“You’d have to be delighted with him. You saw the real Cadillac there today and he’s a lovely horse.
“He’s a horse that just goes through the motions at home, you don’t really know how big an engine is in there, but it’s fairly big.
“He didn’t really learn much the first day, but learned a lot the last day and he did it right there today.
“It’s great for the syndicate (Alpha Racing 2020), which we started two years ago and this is the second running of it. We’re going to go forward with it next year and it’s great to have a high-profile horse like this.
“I’d say all being well his next start will probably be in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.”
Monday (12-1) made every yard of the running to claim the Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes.
Fourth on her only previous run, Seamie Heffernan had his Aidan O’Brien-trained mount sharply away, with better-fancied stablemate and 9-4 favourite More Beautiful settled on her heels.
However, Ryan Moore was pushing the market leader from some way out and it was left to No Speak Alexander to throw down a challenge, but she fell short by three-quarters of a length at the line.
The winner was introduced as a 33-1 shot for next year’s 1000 Guineas by Betfair, and 25-1 by RaceBets, and she could now take a jump up in company.
O’Brien said: “She’s the first foal out of Ballydoyle. She can step into a Group race fairly quick, I’d say.
“She probably learned a lot the first day and learned a good bit more today. I’d say she won’t have any problem stepping up quick.
“The Boussac, Fillies’ Mile, all those races will be open to her.
Tiger Moth (5-6 favourite) then made it a treble on the day for O’Brien with a clear-cut victory in the Paddy Power ‘Is It 2021 Yet?’ Stakes.
O’Brien also struck gold in the feature Irish Champion Stakes with Magical, and Irish Derby second Tiger Moth brought up the hat-trick with the minimum of fuss, coasting home by four lengths under Ryan Moore.
O’Brien said: “He’s a lovely horse. Obviously his last run was in the Irish Derby.
“We gave him a break, said we’d come back here and maybe have a look at the Melbourne Cup, but he probably won’t get in where he is. He’s 8lb below Santiago.
“I wasn’t sure a mile and a half was his thing and we would have been very happy going back to a mile and a quarter. It was a strong-run mile and a half and we were going to find out today whether he stayed or not.”
