Tom Marquand makes Group 1 breakthrough after Addeybb strikes in Ranvet Stakes

Tom Marquand rode his first Group 1 winner when the William Haggas-trained Addeybb edged out Verry Elleegant in Saturday's AUD$700,000 (£335,000) Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill.

Marquand dictated a steady pace aboard last year's Wolferton Stakes scorer, who led throughout the first half, with 2018 Australian Oaks winner Verry Elleegant settled at his girth.

After being asked for maximum effort from the four-furlong mark, Addeybb was briefly outpaced on the home turn but showed plenty of grit for a half-length success on ground that was quicker than ideal according to his rider and trainer.

It was a first top-level success for the six-year-old son of Pivotal, runner-up in last season's Champion Stakes behind Magical and the winner of eight of his 16 starts.

Last year's winner Avilius was best of the rest, finishing five and three-quarter lengths behind in third.

Tom Marquand: celebrates his first top-level triumph in the Ranvet StakesCredit: Mark Evans (Getty Images)

Marquand's victory continued his meteoric rise in 2020 – the 21-year-old has ridden 32 winners from 162 rides at a strike-rate of 19.7 per cent during the first three months of the year, with 20 of those victories in New South Wales.

"A Group 1 is all I've dreamt of since childhood, an international Group 1 even more so, and an international Group 1 on an English horse is even better," Marquand said.

"Addeybb was extremely tough. It's on ground that he doesn't really want or appreciate."

The last Ranvet Stakes winner to start their career in Australia was Zavite, who in 2011 claimed the race as a 100-1 outsider, but Addeybb became the first British-trained winner of the race.

Marquand factfile

First Pattern winner Oh This Is Us - Spring Trophy Stakes
First Group winner Anna Nerium - 2017 Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes
First Group 1 winner Addeybb - 2020 Ranvet Stakes
Most lucrative winner Prime Star - £619,141

A delighted Haggas said: "I thought Tom gave him an excellent ride and the horse showed plenty of guts and courage on ground that was drying up. He [Tom] thought it was on the fast side when he rode in the Golden Slipper and that it was only just good ground."

He added: "The Queen Elizabeth was always the plan but they've got to race first and that's by no means a certainty."

"It was another peach, he [Marquand] controlled it from the front," said Harry Eustace, the travelling foreman for Haggas who is the brother of Ciaron Maher's training partner David Eustace.

"I did say to Tom because he does love soft ground and he might take a bit longer to let himself down on this track and I think that was the case because he came back at the end and was well on top."

Farnan lights up Golden Slipper

Gai Waterhouse's Farnan obliged favourite backers when running out an impressive winner of the AUD$3.5 million (£1.73m) Group 1 Golden Slipper.

Sent off the 19-5 favourite, the Not A Single Doubt colt was providing his trainer with a seventh success in the race.

Hugh Bowman returns to the winner's enclosure after Golden Slipper success on FarnanCredit: Jenny Evans

"It's a thrill and a relief that he's won it – it's an absolute dream come true," Waterhouse told Network Seven. "This is a very special race and it takes a really exceptional horse, both mentally and physically, to do it.

"You saw his barrier speed, you saw his cruising speed and then the toughness in the straight when he was being attacked by all the rest of the field. But he's just too good."

Marquand finished sixth on the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Prague.

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