One of the next generation of British Flat jockeys, the talented Tom Marquand won his first race at just 16 years of age and had claimed his first Classic, the St Leger, by 22.

Marquand's fledgling career has gone from Champion Apprentice with Richard Hannon, to a first Group One in Australia on Addeybb, via a high profile romance with fellow jockey Hollie Doyle.

 

Early life

Growing up in the National Hunt hotbed in Cheltenham, a career in racing wasn't beyond the realms of possibility for the slight Marquand but his only equine link as a youngster was riding ponies on his grandparents' farm.

Fate would have it that Marquand was thrown into the same pony club region as future female star jockey Doyle, with the pair thick as thieves as youngsters. In fact, Doyle, two years Marquand's senior, won the first pony race that the pair competed in together at Chaddesley Corbett.

Marquand went to the British Racing School at Newmarket to pursue his "fixation" with being a jockey, where he took part in some Arab racing, while Doyle went to work with trainer Richard Hannon.

Due to Marquand's diminutive size, riding out for jumps trainer Jonjo O'Neill never developed into a career over obstacles and he instead followed girlfriend Doyle to Richard Hannon's flat stable in Marlborough.

Richard Hannon connection

Marquand's first ride for Richard Hannon was an apprentice handicap at Linfield on all-weather in November 2014 in which he finished sixth on Here For Good.

His first winner came three weeks later on Hannon's Mecado at Kempton in a Class 6 Selling Stakes. It was a win in lowly company for Marquand's first success but it gave the ambitious jockey a thirst for more.

The 2015 season saw Marquand take the Champion Flat apprentice jockey title in only his second term in the saddle.

Marquand totted up 67 wins, including a nice victory in a Class 3 handicap at Sandown on Who Dares Wins for his boss Hannon. The year was completed by Marquand's inclusion in the final three shortlist for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.

The 2016 season saw a slight reduction in winners from 67 to 63 as Marquand found his feet, but a sharp increase in prize money collected to £604,244.

Connections of Oh This Is Us would have been thrilled with Marquand's ride at Goodwood in May 2016 as the young jockey delivered the Hannon colt to a half length victory in the Class 2 contest.

Marquand won on horses for various trainers in 2017, including Brian Meehan and Robert Cowell but his standout victory came in a first Group success at Salisbury in September.

Marquand produced a 40/1 shock aboard Anna Nerium in the Group Three Bathwick Tyres Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes.

Oh This Is Us helped the rapidly improving jockey to a first international success, travelling to the UAE to pick up the Shaista AZIZI handicap at Meydan in February 2018. Marquand took the same horse to Lingfield for the All-Weather Mile Championships and the result was no different, showing the jockey's adaptability on different surfaces.

In 2018, Marquand celebrated his first hundred winner season, while old favourite Who Dares Wins provided a long-range victory in the two mile Northumberland Plate in June 2019.

Then came a call from down under.

 

First Australian adventure

After collecting a tonne of winners, Marquand made the bold move to Australia in search of more experience and success.

Marquand took to Australia like a Kookaburra to a billabong, stringing together a number of valuable wins.

Standouts include a victory aboard Prime Star in the Inglis Millennium at Warwick Farm and then a first Group One victory for Marquand in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill aboard the promising Addeybb for William Haggas.

Marquand topped off his first stint down under with a superb win in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Addeybb, earning a sizzling prize of £674,338.62 at Randwick in April 2020.

Earning the nickname "Aussie Tom", Marquand secured 26 winners at a strike rate of 17 per cent in his first Aussie stint.

 

Back home to a St Leger win

Returning to the UK in June 2020, Marquand made a quick return to domestic winner's enclosures by taking the Lingfield Derby Trial at Lingfield on English King for Ed Walker.

He followed up with a first Royal Ascot winner in the same week that his partner Hollie Doyle achieved the same feat. Marquand steered Alan King's dual purpose Who Dares Wins to a neck win from The Grand Visir in the Queen Alexandra Stakes.

A trio of Group Three wins came next at Newcastle, Goodwood and Deauville but the crowning glory would come in the 2020 St Leger.

Marquand's inclusion in the race was a stroke of luck for him but unfortunate for Shane Crosse who was booked to ride Galileo Chrome but tested positive for Covid-19 in the build up.

Sent off a 4/1 shot for Joseph O'Brien in the 244th St Leger, Marquand settled Galileo Chrome in midfield at Doncaster. The race turned into a sprint two furlongs out with no less than six horses in contention including Galileo Chrome.

Marquand chose Hannon over Andrew Balding early in his career and it was a Balding horse in Berkshire Rocco that the jockey beat home in a thrilling finish on Town Moor.

Galileo Chrome was a game victor by a neck, earning the then 22-year-old Marquand a first English Classic while the jocked-off Crosse watched on ruefully at home.

 

Back Down Under

"Aussie Tom" was in big demand for his second spell in Australian racing starting in February 2021 but first he had to spend two weeks in quarantine due to coronavirus regulations.

Marquand spent his isolation period keeping fit on an exercise bike and would have been peddling hard at the thought of being reunited with the talented Addeybb.

The pair had teamed up in the UK to win the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot before heading to Australia, setting up a shot at back to back wins in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick near Sydney.

As a warm up, Marquand won the Sky High Stakes at Rosehill on Toffee Tongue for Chris Waller at a sweet price of 13/1.

All eyes were on the Waller trained favourite Verry Elleegant at Randwick but the astute punters backed Marquand on Addeybb and the Haggas globetrotter held on for a game half-length victory to take the hefty £1,367,696 prize.

Marquand had shown boomerang abilities to come back and win the prestigious Aussie race, once again showcasing his versatility.

In 2022 he won his first Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Royal Ascot on Bayside Boy and the Goodwood Cup on Quickthorn on 2023.

Porta Fortuna brought Marquand another Group 1 victory in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2024.

 

Back in Britain and in the winners

If Marquand was suffering from jet lag after his journey back from Australia he wasn't showing it as he won the Sandown Derby trial just six days after victory at Randwick.

He again teamed up with top trainer Haggas, this time aboard Alenquer, beating the eventual Epsom Derby winner Adayar in the process.

Although Marquand could only finish 8th in the Derby on Youth Spirit he did take a decent Epsom win in the Group Three Diomed Stakes aboard regular mount Oh This Is Us.

While Haggas swerved the Derby with Mohaafeth, he sent Alenquer to contest the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot with Marquand handed the assignment.

Alenquer kept on well under Marquand in heavy conditions at Ascot, winning by one and a half lengths from the Sir Mark Todd trained Tasman Bay.

Personal life

Jockeys Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle have been in a relationship since they were teenagers and previously competed against each other in pony races as children.

They announced their engagement in January 2021 on social media and married in 2022.

The hard-working pair live together near Hungerford in Berkshire.

Away from racing they enjoy catching up on their sleep and, conversely, going skiing when time allows.

Net worth

Tom Marquand's net worth is reported to be £10million.