What’s Tom Marquand’s strike rate for William Haggas?

Tom Marquand, 23, became apprenticed to Richard Hannon, as a 16-year-old, in 2014, and rode his first winner, Mecado, in the Watch Racing UK on 3 Devices Selling Stakes at Kempton on December 17 that year. The following season, 2015, he won the apprentices’ title 54-52, after protracted battle with his nearest rival, Jack Garritty, which he later said helped him to mature professionally and personally.

Marquand first rode for William Haggas in 2017, winning on three of his six rides for the yard at a strike rate of 50%. That strike rate fell, to 9-42 (21%), in 2018 as his number of rides for the Newmarket trainer increased, but rose again to 24-102 (24%) in 2019 and only fell back to 44-232 (19%) in 2020. Indeed, in early 2020, Marquand plied his trade in Australia, winning his first two Group 1 races, the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill in March and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in April, on Addeybb, trained by Haggas. In September that year, he also won his first British Classic, the St. Leger at Doncaster, on Galileo Chrome, also trained by Haggas. At the time, Haggas said, ‘He [Marquand] is top class and will be the champion one day.’

Marquand won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Addeybb once again in 2021 and, domestically, finished clear third in the Flat Jockeys’ Championship, with 117 winners between May 1 and October 16. As far as William Haggas is concerned, he has a strike rate of 55-242 (22%) so far, which takes his career strike rate for the yard to 135-630 (22%).

Which were the top three staying chasers in 2020-21?

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the obvious starting point for any discussion of the staying chaser division, so it’s no surprise that the first three home in the 2021 renewal topped the ratings for 2020/21, according to Timeform. Stablemates Minella Indo (175) and A Plus Tard (174) gave trainer Henry de Bromhead a notable 1-2 in the premier steeplechase and were followed home by defending champion Al Boum Photo (170); the latter shared third place in the ratings with Punchestown Gold Cup winner Clan Des Obeaux (170).

Minella Indo had suffered an agonising defeat when run down close home by Champ in the RSA Novices’ Chase at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, but returned to action with routine wins, at long odds-on, at Wexford and Navan. However, he fell before halfway when favourite for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and was beaten favourite again in the Irish Gold Cup, back at Leopardstown, in February. Indeed, in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he was forsaken by regular partner Rachael Blackmore, but defied expectation by staying on gamely to beat A Plus Tard by 1¼ lengths.

A Plus Tard made an inauspicious start to the season when turned over, at odds-on, in the Fortria Chase at Navan for the second year running on his reappearance in November. However, stepped back up to 3 miles, he stayed on strongly to beat Kemboy by half a length in the aforementioned Savills Chase and headed straight to the Cheltenham Festival as the better-fancied of the De Bromhead-trained pair. However, although he briefly moved upsides Minella Indo on the turn for home in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he was always fighting a losing battle in the straight and had to settle for a highly creditable second.

Of course, Al Boum Photo won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2019 and 2020 and, having hacked up in his traditional preparatory race, the Savill’s New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore, was made favourite to complete a notable hat-trick. Although denied a slice of racing history, the 9-year-old was carried out on his shield, staying on to finish third, beaten 5½ lengths, but 24 lengths ahead of the fourth horse home, Native River.

In the absence of Minella Indo, sidelined with a bruised foot, Al Boum Photo was also sent off favourite for the Punchestown Gold Cup in April, but was beaten 1½ lengths by Clan Des Obeaux. Clan Des Obeaux had been beaten on his first three starts of the season, in the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and Denman Chase, but had returned to winning ways with a facile, 26-length defeat of Clondaw Castle in the Betway Bowl Chase at Aintree on his previous start.

Have Kim Bailey and David Bass won a Grade 1 race?

The short answer is yes, they have; just one, but a landmark victory all the same. In his heyday, Bailey won the Grand National with Mr. Frisk in 1991 and completed the Champion Hurdle – Cheltenham Gold Cup double with Alderbrook and Master Oats in 1995. However, prior to January 23, 2021, he had failed to win another Grade 1 race for 9,444 days, or nearly 26 years. Nevertheless, on that day, he saddled the 9-year-old First Flow, ridden by David Bass, to win the Clarence House Chase at Ascot and record the third Grade 1 victory of his training career.

Reflecting on his success, Bailey said, ‘I was absolutely staggered, to be honest, because we both felt the ground wasn’t going to be soft enough and that if he had finished third he would have done very well. I admit I didn’t expect him to improve like that.’

Winning jockey David Bass also had two previous Grade 1 wins to his name, the Challow Hurdle at Newbury in December, 2015 on Barters Hill and the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, 2017 on Willoughby Court, both trained by Ben Pauling. Bass, who was recently elected Jumps President of the Professional Jockeys’ Association (PJA), began his riding career with the late Richard Phillips, before moving to Nicky Henderson – for whom he won the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock on Eradicate, as a 7lb claimer – and subsequently striking up a fruitful association with Bailey.

 

How many races has Golden Sixty won?

How many races has Golden Sixty won? While some of us may have experienced big win casinos in australia, Golden Sixty – a son of outstanding American dirt winner Medaglia d’Oro – was born there (before being exported to Hong Kong as an unraced three-year-old in October, 2018). Indeed, he has raced exclusively at Sha Tin, where, at the last count, he has won 17 of his 18 starts, including the last 14 in a row, and amassed over £7.35 million in prize money.

Owned by Stanley Chan Ka Leung, trained by Francis Lui Kin-wai and ridden, exclusively, by Vincent Ho Chak-yiu, won his first three starts, all over 6 furlongs, before tasting defeat for the one and only time on his first attempt at 7 furlongs in July, 2019. However, that proved only a momentary ‘blip’ and he continued his progress through the ranks, graduating from handicaps to Group Three, Group Two and, eventually, Group One company.

A strong-travelling, hold up type, Golden Sixty is blessed with an extraordinary turn of foot, which has often seen him clock under 22 seconds for the final quarter of a mile of his races. That an impressive as any rivernilecasino online casino winning run! Now a 5-year-old, in 2021, he has won three Group One races, the Stewards’ Cup, Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup and FWD Champions Mile, by a head, a short head and a head, respectively. Sooner or later he may be beaten but, for now, his winning streak continues.

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