Marquess thrashes rivals at Rosehill
Marquess, the promising New Zealand-bred gelding representing Godolphin, left a strong impression at Rosehill last Saturday by securing a commanding victory.
This marked his fifth win in the last six starts, solidifying his position as an up-and-coming talent in the racing world.
With a career record of 10 starts, Marquess has now notched up five wins and two placings, accumulating A$270,400 in stakes.
His recent performance as a four-year-old included back-to-back victories, and last month, he added two more wins to his streak.
Although he faced a narrow defeat by Howgoodareyou at Rosehill on September 9, Marquess had a chance for redemption in a rematch against the same rival on Saturday, and he seized it in style.
Jockey Zac Lloyd, who rode the five-year-old, showed great patience by settling Marquess in third place.
Even when Special Swey increased the pace during the middle stages of the race, Lloyd remained composed. As they rounded the home turn, Marquess was still in third place, but Lloyd made his move 300m from home.
Marquess responded instantly, shifting into a higher gear and surging ahead to win by an impressive two and a half lengths.
Trainer James Cummings praised Lloyd’s riding strategy.
“That’s the way to ride the horse… He’s promising. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet. He keeps elevating,” said Cummings.
“It’s difficult to predict the ceiling with horses like these – particularly since we’ve been so patient with him and he’s such a lightly-raced five-year-old.
“He’s got a lot of rating points to catch up on against a bunch of good horses his age. But he’s very fit now, and we can just keep him ticking over and keep our options open.
“He keeps savaging the line, and he’s a very interesting horse in our stable.”
Marquess, sired by the late Tavistock from Cambridge Stud, is out of the multiple Group One-winning mare Purple, known for her victories in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m). Notably, Marquess is bred and raced by Godolphin, adding to the stable’s growing success.
The Rosehill card saw Marquess as the second New Zealand-bred winner from the first three races, following the victory of Peace Officer.