Marquand gunning for more Breeders’ Cup glory

Adam Morgan
October 29, 2024 1:19 pm

Porta Fortuna, Big Evs and Big Mojo headline an enviable book of rides.

Having conquered Santa Anita 12 months ago, Tom Marquand is looking to repeat his Breeders’ Cup heroics with a crack book of rides at Del Mar this time around.

It was Mick Appleby’s Big Evs that broke Marquand’s duck at the Stateside showpiece when storming to Juvenile Turf Sprint victory and the 26-year-old will again be aboard the fleet-footed son of Blue Point as he returns to California for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

He will also partner Appleby’s Big Mojo when he bids to follow in Big Evs’ footsteps in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, and Hugo Palmer’s Tattersalls Stakes scorer The Waco Kid when he goes for Juvenile Turf on Friday.

Big Evs has done it again! Victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint for @MickApplebyUK and @TomMarquand #BC23 pic.twitter.com/F8vkmLvR4M
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 3, 2023

However, his trump card could prove to be Porta Fortuna in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Marquand has built up a fine association with Donnacha O’Brien’s star filly this term, striking in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and gaining more Group One honours together in Leopardstown’s Matron Stakes last month.

Just touched off at Santa Anita as a two-year-old, it would be the perfect way to round off Porta Fortuna’s season by correcting the record on the outskirts of San Diego.

“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

Porta Fortuna winning at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“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.”

No stranger to success on the international stage thanks to his exploits in Australia, Marquand is eager to add to his Breeders’ Cup tally following his maiden win last year.

Someone who relishes the differing challenges racing overseas presents, he will head to Japan with his wife Hollie Doyle later in the year for a second stint in the Far East.

Big Evs struck Breeders' Cup gold — Big Evs struck Breeders’ Cup gold at Santa Anita (PA)

But first it is the excitement of the end-of-season world championships that provides Marquand with the opportunity to enhance his growing CV.

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.”