TOM MARQUAND
My latest ‘PIGEON RACING’ jockey interview sees me speak to 2015 Champion Apprentice Tom Marquand
Tom is hoping to defend his title with a lead at present of three ahead of Josephine Gordon and speaks about his short career so far and ambitions for the future
15 August 2016
Date and Place of Birth
30th March 1998 Cheltenham
Who inspired you to get into racing and when did you first realise you wanted to be a jockey
Nobody in particular, living near Cheltenham played a massive part in getting me into the sport from a very young age
What age did you first ride / first actual race ride
I first rode at about 2 years old, my first pony race was when i was 13 and my first ride came when I was 16 in November 2014
What time do you get up in the morning
5.45am to get up and muck out
Which stables do you work for or ride out at the moment
I’m still with Richard Hannon full time
What are your strengths and weaknesses
I’ve never been interested in going out and partying and things like that, so I suppose that makes a massive strength in being able to stay on track and focus on getting to where I want to be. I’d say my weakness would be experience, obviously having only ridden for the last year and a half its something I’ll always be gaining
Who are your jockey idols you look up to or maybe base yourself on
Ryan Moore has always been a jockey I’ve looked up to, I think it is pretty much impossible to model yourself on anybody though, every jockey has their own style and little ways of doing things and you just have to create your own style
What was your first winner and where
MECADO at Kempton for the boss (Richard Hannon) 17 December 2014
Which would you regard as your biggest win
Definitely OH THIS IS US at Goodwood (21 May 2016) , it was a very valuable handicap and very good of the boss to put me on him on such a big day
Which racecourses do you like best
I think I’ve got the best strike rate at Chepstow but I really enjoy riding at Goodwood and was fortunate enough to become their ambassador at the start of this season
Who gives you your best advice
Sash Righton my agent is definitely the one who keeps me right, he’s a good friend and a fantastic agent and is rarely wrong
What is the best horse you have ever ridden
I used to ride TIGGY WIGGY most days and obviously would have loved to have sat on her on the track, she was electric and showed pure guts and heart on multiple occasions
Who are your best mates in the weighing room
The majority of people in the weighing room get on really well which makes things a lot more relaxed
What’s worst part of the job
Driving is by far the most draining part of the job, however on the plus side, if you’re doing a lot of miles it means you’re getting lots of rides!
What hobbies or sports do you like to watch or play away from racing
I’d quite often go cycling if I’m not riding to both keep fit and I enjoy it
Food and drink
Steak, mostly just drink water, I don’t drink either so that’s off the menu
Music I tend to stick radio 1 on most of the time in the car
Which course would you like to ride a winner at this year
Goodwood
How do you like and compare the different All-weather surfaces/courses
I don’t mind the all weather, I think all the surfaces are slightly different and a certain horse favours the different courses, I first started riding in the middle of the winter so my first couple of hundred rides were on it so I soon got used to it!
If you were put in charge of racing for one day what changes would you make
I don’t think I would change an awful lot, racing is supported by so many great people the structure holds itself up
What are your ambitions for the near future
To be champion Apprentice again would mean the world to me but I realise how hard it will be to do it again, this time without a claim making it twice as hard
Can you give readers a horse to follow for the rest of the season
I think Fair Eva is going to be one that will prove profitable time and time again
Big thanks to Tom for his time and the very best of luck to him for the rest of the season in his quest to again become champion apprentice. Might be worth keeping an eye on his rides this week at his beloved Chepstow on Wednesday and Thursday !
