Tom Marquand eager for Addeybb reunion at Ayr

Keith Hamer and Ashley Iveson
September 19, 2020 4:19 am

Dual Group One winner tackles Doonside Cup.

Tom Marquand is excited to renew his association with his old friend Addeybb in the Jordan Electrics Doonside Cup at Ayr on Saturday.

Marquand owes a great debt to William Haggas’ gelding as he gave the young rider the first Group One triumphs of his career earlier in the year in Australia.

Haggas is preparing Addeybb for the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot next month and this Listed contest fits in nicely with those plans.

It will be the first time Marquand has sat on the gelding since they finished second behind Lord North in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“Obviously I’m looking forward to getting back on board him,” said the 22-year-old.

“I’ve not sat on him since Royal Ascot. William said I had enough fun on him that day and someone else deserves a go at home!

“He’s a cracking animal. Hopefully the ground doesn’t dry out too much. He certainly looks in good order at home.

“It’s probably a different path to Champions Day, but it’s perfect for him. He should have his conditions. A mile and a quarter on a galloping track, that’s what he wants.

“It was a well-spotted race by William, perfect timing. Hopefully it will set him up nicely for the big day.

“He’s got the penalty, but he’s a dual Group One winner and hopefully he can overcome that.”

Euchen Glen has won four of his five starts at Ayr and finished second in the other.

The seven-year-old completed his recovery from a serious injury that had kept him off the track for nearly two years with victory on his sixth run back at Haydock earlier this month.

Trainer Jim Goldie targeted this race straight afterwards, but did not expect Addeybb to be in the line-up.

“He’s in great order and we know he likes the track, albeit his wins have come off a lower rating,” said the Glasgow handler.

“I was hoping Mr Haggas might go elsewhere with Addeybb, but at least we’ll know where we going afterwards. If we beat him we might have to supplement for the Arc or something!

“Our horse is adaptable trip-wise and ran a good race at Group One level behind Stradivarius at Goodwood earlier in the year.

“Hopefully he’ll run well.”

Lord Glitters, winner of the 2019 Queen Anne Stakes for David O’Meara, drops down in class, while San Donato and Fox Chairman are others that bring strong form to this Listed contest.

Richard Fahey is expecting a big performance from Umm Kulthum in the Scotty Brand Firth Of Clyde Fillies’ Stakes.

The daughter of Kodiac showed she was capable of winning a race of this stature when third to Miss Amulet in the Group Two Lowther Stakes on only her second start at York last month.

“She won first time at Thirsk and backed that up with a solid race in the Lowther,” said the Musley Bank handler.

“She’s improved so I hope she’ll run a big race.”

Karl Burke’s She’s So Nice and the Tom Dascombe-trained Scarlet Bear, who were fourth and fifth in the Lowther, are among the opposition again.

Adrian Nicholls felt Mamba Wamba might have taken the Roses Stakes at York had she not been hampered at a crucial stage of the Listed contest.

Instead she had to settle for fourth place, just half a length behind the winner, Acklam Express. She has, however, gone on to open her account back at the same course two weeks ago.

“She’s going into the race in great form. She ran well in a Listed race at York and broke her maiden well,” said Nicholls.

“It looks the right option to go for. It looks quite a strong renewal. If she could get some black type, it would be great.

“She’s run very well all season. At York she went close, but I think she would nearly have won if she hadn’t got bumped. She could have been going into this a Listed winner, but I wouldn’t swap her. If I was riding, I wouldn’t swap her either.”

Dual Kempton scorer Perfect Times has a bit to find on ratings, but connections of the Mark Johnston-trained Gleneagles filly believe she could run into a place.

Charlie Johnston, son and assistant to his father, said: “She has been quite impressive in both her Kempton wins and I think she has won with a bit in hand on both occasions.

“The handicapper has given her a mark of 84 and in normal circumstances we would be running a horse like this in a nursery and working our way up, but getting some black type would be valuable to her owner/breeder.

“I don’t think you have to read too much into the fact she has won twice on the all-weather – it is just where the races were as opposed to a preference for that surface.

“Franny (Norton) felt after her last run she could get seven, but we decided to stick to six for the time being.”