Marquand back in action – and back in the winner’s enclosure

Tom Marquand was back among the winners as William Haggas’ Amleto caught the eye with a comfortable success in the Deepbridge Syndicate Maiden Stakes at Chester.

The three-year-old is by Sea The Stars and out of the highly successful broodmare Holy Moon, a dam who also produced the late Sea Of Class – a Group One winner who finished second to Enable in the 2018 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Amleto did not win in two starts as a juvenile and was gelded earlier this year ahead of his seasonal debut on the Roodee.

He escaped any broken bones, but was wounded enough to require both stitches and a few days to recover.

He and Amleto went off at 7-2 and battled through the testing ground to pull away around the final bend, eventually going on to cross the line three and a half lengths ahead of their nearest rival.

Marquand said: “This is why you rush yourself back, to ride horses that are exciting for the future.

“He’s a horse that’s learning and building on what he’s been doing. He’s certainly going the right way.”

On his arm he added: “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t sore, but I’m sound enough to ride and it feels all right once I’m on the back of the horse, so that’s the main thing.”