Marquand set to keep ride on Derby hopeful after trial win
» TOM Marquand’s English King shot into the Derby picture after showing an impressive turn of foot to secure a taking victory in the Betsafe Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield.
Ed Walker’s charge is joint-favourite with Ladbrokes and Coral at 6-1 for the Investec Derby on July 4, with Sky Bet making him their 5-1 favourite, having put his rivals to the sword in some style under Winchcombe jockey Marquand.
There was a charge for the early lead in the extended 11-furlong heat, with King Carney eventually allowed to take it up and he appeared to set a decent pace.
Berkshire Rocco was travelling well in behind and he looked to have made a winning move as he kicked for home with a couple of furlongs to run.
However, English King was just starting to motor and he swept down the outside with only the minimum of encouragement, stretching away to win by an eased-down two and threequarter lengths.
Fellow 9-4 market leader Berkshire Rocco was in turn seven lengths clear of the third, Summerons even hills.
The race was won by subsequent Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck 12 months ago, and Marquand said: “Coming here today, there is always a question mark down that hill and he still clearly has signs of immaturity, so to have won that impressively and gone away in the style he did, we are all pretty excited about him.
“He is one to look forward to for the future, not just for Epsom.”
Asked if Marquand would keep the ride in the blue riband, Walker added: “Tom has done absolutely nothing wrong, at the moment he is full of confidence and confidence as we all know is absolutely key to any sportsman. At the moment Tom is full of it, so I see no reason to change it while he is riding so well.”
Last Thursday, Shatha sprang a 66-1 shock in the Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day “Confined” Fillies’ Novice Stakes at Kempton to give Marquand his first winner since the resumption of racing.
Marquand enjoyed a fantastic spell in Australia while racing was on hold in the UK and Ireland, winning two Group One events on William Haggas’ Addeybb and is fancied by some for the champion jockeys’ crown.
He got a nice trip round the inside on the Charlie Hills-trained Shatha and as the pace-setting favourite Sun Bear began to toil, Marquand switched his mount to make her challenge.
She battled it out with Lightness in the final furlong, with only a short head separating them at the line, while 150-1 shot Rozalia kept on for third.
Betfair gave Shatha a 33-1 quote for next month’s Investec Oaks at Epsom.
Marquand said: “It was very good, it probably wasn’t the winner I thought was going to happen initially looking at my rides.
“She is relatively green, but she is a nice, big filly and she is going to do well going forward after that.”