English apprentice Tom Marquand is wasting no time getting down to business on his four-week stint in Australia.

Last season’s champion British apprentice, Marquand will mix up riding trackwork and races for trainers David Hayes and Tom Dabernig.

He rides Tashbeeh, the $2.70 favourite, for the stable in the Swettenham Stud Summer Championship at Caulfield on Saturday.

Marquand has come to Australia under a racing scholarship initiated by the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies, funded by Sheikh Mansour in Abu Dhabi.

Ron Hall, the Wellbeing and Safety Officer of Racing Victoria’s Apprentice Jockey Training Program, said Marquand was the first to be funded through the IFRHA program which comprises 19 training centres around the world.

“It’s through all the racing schools that are partners of IFHRA and there is a agreement that they will support Tom on a scholarship,” Hall said.

“IFRHA pays all expenses and it gives the apprentices great opportunities.

“We’ll be nominating someone to go to England, Ireland or America while the funding remains.”

Marquand, who is apprenticed to Richard Hannon in the UK, arrived in Melbourne early on Thursday morning and is looking forward to his stay in Melbourne.

“I’ve spoken with Oisin Murphy who was very successful out here and he’s taken it home and has ridden a lot of winners and Kieran Shoemark who is out here at the moment and they’ve both been helping me and giving me plenty of tips,” Marquand told racing.com.

“I’ve never been to Australia before and that’s why I thought it would be a brilliant idea to come here and learn something new.

“It’s brilliant to be getting a ride like that on a Saturday meeting at Caulfield.”

Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au