Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup report and free video replay: Quickthorn remarkable winner

“I was aware of what could happen – yet he was still able to do it.”

Oisin Murphy, rider of the third home Coltrane, perfectly summing up a dramatic renewal of the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup – long before the winner Quickthorn had returned to the winners’ enclosure.

He deserved to take his time having routed his field, scooting around the bends in the early stages to establish a clear lead that the chasing pack never threatened to close down.

He’s done it before – in last year's Lonsdale Cup at York – but this was different, this was a Group One and the smiles on the faces of connections afterwards will last long into the night.

When a horse wins like Quickthorn does people fall into one of two camps.

Either it’s a masterclass from the winning rider, Tom Marquand in this case, or the rest of the jockeys should be lined up, fined, banned and then sent home.

They weren’t – Murphy bemoaning the fact he cost his mount second by trying to close Quickthorn down from the three furlong marker as there was always the chance he’d stop to a walk.

In the end it was his mount who tired late, allowing Emily Dickinson to snatch the forecast spot in the very last stride.

This was Quickthorn’s finest hour, an honest stayer who wears his heart on his sleeve having his day in the sun.

Marquand did indeed get the fractions right, timing it to perfection, and as he freewheeled down the Goodwood straight with a lead of ten lengths on tacky, testing ground horses were struggling to pick up on all afternoon, the game was up.

By the line the advantage had been whittled down to a six lengths with two short-heads separating the placed horses and Eldar Eldarov, back on track with some cut in the ground.

Courage Mon Ami was caught in a pocket down the home straight but treading water inside the final furlong in fifth.

There’ll be other days for those in behind – but maybe not another quite like this one for Quickthorn.

Reaction from winning connections

“Lady Blyth (owner) has bred a Grade One (over jumps) and a Group One winner, not many people have done that,” said winning trainer Hughie Morrison.

“I was quite excited going up the hill, we saw what he did last year. I’ve always felt he needed a bit of juice in the ground, his autumn flops in the last couple of years are when he’s just gone over the top. As you can see, he just puts so much into it that he probably deserves to go over the top some time between now and September.”

When asked if he fancied a crack over hurdles and taking on Constitution Hill Morrison quipped: “I don’t think that would be fair on Constitution Hill! He’s just a galloper, he’s fantastic to train. Watching him every morning he just goes like he did to post, like a three-mile chaser, the other horses have to do about three strides to his one.

“We’ll enjoy this a lot. Tom got the fractions fantastically right, as he did at York. Jason (Hart) got them exactly right when he rode him at York and I thank him for giving him such a fantastic ride last time.

“We all know how to ride him to his strengths, he’s a galloper, pure and simple, and we’re very lucky to have him.”

Marquand added: “It was a fantastic performance and he’s a fun horse to ride. He goes out wearing his heart on his sleeve, you know that everybody knows what you’re going to do and they’ve got to try and stop you almost.

“That was a huge thrill. All credit to Hughie Morrison and the team at home for keeping him right, and Lord and Lady Blyth – it’s fantastic. He’s had some great days, but he deserved a Group One and it would have felt wrong if he had never got one.”

On whether it was the plan to go that far clear, he added: “It’s a case of going and finding a rhythm and wherever that puts you, it puts you. Obviously we showed that in the Lonsdale Cup last year and it just feels like the right way to ride him. Thankfully I got it right today.

“Once I lit him up at the three pole, it was evident that we were going to get home – it was just whether something would have exceptional ability to come and catch him. It’s a nice feeling to go to that sort of race with that amount of stamina underneath you. Big performance.”

Timeform View: David Cleary

How good is Quickthorn? The bare results of his wins in the Lonsdale Cup at York last August and, particularly, in this afternoon's Goodwood Cup might suggest he's an outstanding stayer. The balance of his form, however, suggests otherwise. Caution looks the best view to take.

The two races turn on the ride he received, on each occasion building a long lead and never really looking likely to come back, seen to excellent effect. He's thrived since being asked to front run over the last year and a bit, often seen to advantage, but these were the two races in which his rider has been able to slip the field.

It's perhaps significant that at Goodwood Tom Marquand, on board for most of last season, was back in the saddle for the first time this year. By the highest point of the track, Quickthorn was the best part of 20 lengths clear. Although he needed riding from two furlongs out, he never looked likely to be caught and the pack was making no further ground inside the final furlong.

Those behind, laying out of their ground, are probably also better judged on other form. Coltrane travelled best for longest of the pursuers, but couldn't quite hold on to second. The Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami was not in the same form as at Ascot. Too keen for his own good, he possibly found softer ground than previously against him as well.

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