Tom Marquand believes ‘there are very few holes to pick’ in Economics as he bids to stretch his unbeaten record to five in the Qipco British Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
William Haggas' chestnut has gone from strength to strength this season, landing the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York in May before a reappearance success in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano set him up for a tilt at top-level action.
Sent off the 7/4 market leader in his bid to deny the likes of Auguste Rodin, Shin Emperor and Irish Derby hero Los Angeles in the Irish Champion Stakes at the Curragh, Economics moved up powerfully before fending off the challengers to prevail by a neck under Marquand, who understandably cannot wait to get back on board in the English equivalent this weekend.
"I've been very lucky to ride some very good horses, but I've not come across one like him," said Marquand on Sky Sports Racing. "The anticipation is still there after winning a Group 1, most horses, you win a Group 1 on them and it's like that's fantastic, but with him, it's off we go again."
The striking son of Night Of Thunder is a general 5/4 chance for Saturday's Ascot feature and while the prospect of soft ground is an unknown, Marquand believes his mount has the versatility to handle conditions.
"He looks fantastic," added Marquand, who landed the 2020 Champion Stakes during Covid on the William Haggas-trained Addeybb. "This will be another big test for him and another pivotal moment in his career. We're really hoping he will be as versatile as we think he is and handle this ground as well as he handles faster ground."
While the horses he beat in the Irish Champion Stakes need no introduction, the form of his victory in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano took a sizeable boost when Brian Meehan's Jayarebe, who finished two lengths behind that day, went on to land the Group 2 Qatar Prix Dollar at Longchamp.
Marquand added: "He's batted off some top horses and even his French win has had that form boost with Jayarebe coming out and winning at Longchamp. There are very few holes to pick in him at the moment and I think for that reason, you can't help but not look forward to him."
"I jumped on him a few weeks ago and he felt fantastic. He's beautifully straightforward and Ricky (Hall) does a brilliant job riding him every day. All I've had is glowing reports which is always nice news to have!"
