'It's just insane' - Marquand and Haggas take another Australian scalp as Dubai Honour strikes in Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Tom Marquand and William Haggas took down another of Australia's champions as Dubai Honour ran out an easy winner of the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes against Anamoe at Randwick in Sydney on Saturday.

Mohamed Obaida's five-year-old was emulating his now-retired former stablemate Addeybb, who famously followed up his victory in the Ranvet Stakes with success in the AUS$5 million contest (£2.685m/€3.033m) for Haggas and Marquand in 2020, and won it again against local hero Verry Elleegant the following season.

Dubai Honour produced a power-packed finish down the home straight, brushing aside his key rival and nine-time top-level winner Anamoe. The victory was his second at Group 1 level, while Anamoe narrowly lost out on second to Mo'unga.

Marquand missed out on riding Dubai Honour in the Ranvet Stakes after picking up a shoulder injury in a racing incident at Randwick in February. The rider, 25, required a CT scan after being hampered and falling from his mount but escaped serious injury from the incident – stewards issued fellow jockey Josh Parr with a 20-meeting ban for careless riding – and was able to make his return in late March. Ryan Moore instead took over last month.

Marquand, enjoying his biggest winner since his return to action, said: "To be honest it's a bit surreal. It feels like yesterday that I was, not that I can remember it, laid up in hospital and thinking that the game was over and I'll be missing this chap. 

"It was a tough one to stomach. It's easy to say in hindsight, but when you've got targets you can work hard and it makes it easy to keep your head down. I was probably guilty at points of thinking it's not going to happen, it's not meant to be. What a game horseracing is.

"For the boss to target the Queen Elizabeth with another horse and pull it off, it's just insane. Genuinely, I've jumped aboard this horse on the right day at the right time and it's everyone else behind it that got the job done, not me. All I had to do was point and shoot. A huge well done to the team."

Dubai Honour: completed a memorable Group 1 double in AustraliaCredit: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images

The QEII Cup at Sha Tin in Hong Kong at the end of the month is reportedly under consideration next for Dubai Honour, although Haggas confirmed after the race he would return to England as connections "regroup".

Haggas told Racing.com: “He relaxed very well, and I knew when he relaxed well, he would pick up and he picked up well. Anamoe is a great horse, take nothing away from him, but this horse has come forward for being here and he’s won well. 

"I think Tom was keen to track Anamoe. The horse was prominent in the Ranvet which is not normally his style of running. He likes to come off the pace.”

Anamoe was having his final run in Australia and is now set to be campaigned in Britain. 

The Godolphin four-year-old was suffering just his second defeat from his last nine starts, having won six top-level contests in that period including the Cox Plate. He is reportedly being aimed at the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 20, before heading to Royal Ascot.

His jockey James McDonald said: "He was gallant in defeat. He got away beautifully, looked like the winner and the English horse is pretty good."

Elsewhere on the card, Alcohol Free finished midfield on her first run in Australia in the Group 1 Sydney Queen of the Turf Stakes. She was challenging on the turn for home but faded out of contention. The Sussex Stakes and July Cup heroine was bought for 5,400,000gns by Yulong at Tattersalls in December.

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