Sumo Sam and Marquand spring 25-1 surprise in Lillie Langtry

Tom Marquand excelled from the front at Goodwood as Sumo Sam ran her rivals ragged to win the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes.

Having stolen a decisive advantage on Quickthorn in the Group One Goodwood Cup earlier in the week, Marquand was again allowed to do his own thing on a stayer.

He bounced straight into an early lead on Paul and Oliver Cole’s filly, and in a race run in very testing conditions, he never looked like being caught at any stage.

Frankie Dettori briefly looked a threat on Free Wind who moved into contention on the bridle, however, as soon as Dettori asked his mount for an effort, she floundered in the heavy ground.

Sumo Sam (25-1) was allowed to come home unchallenged, with River Of Stars staying on from the rear to claim second, some eight and a half lengths away, with a further five and a half lengths back to Time Lock in third.

Marquand was a late jockey booking and Oliver Cole said: “Tom’s given her a brilliant ride and she’s a very good filly.

“Out in front like that, she was not going to be pegged back. It’s great for the old man and Sir Martyn (Arbib) as they have been together so long.

“I’m not sure what we’ll do next, she’d have a penalty in the Park Hill. She’s got the class to run in a Cup race but she’s got to have her conditions.”

Cole added: “We’ve done a lot of stalls work with her since her last run – she’s gone in twice a week. In her last two races she’s been left and that hasn’t been helpful. She takes a lot of pushing in and a lot of cajoling, and the stalls handlers make it look so easy. We’re always standing a few lengths behind because we don’t want to get booted!

“Full credit to the team at home, and thanks very much to the guys at the stalls who are the unsung heroes. They do what a lot of us wouldn’t do, so full credit to them. Also to the boys who have ridden her in the stalls at home, because I know I wouldn’t ride her.

“I was as confident as you can be with the ground because you never know how they will go through it, but she’s gone through it like a really, really good horse. Someone said to me a few weeks ago if you want to get the best out of that horse leave her until next year, so this just shows you have to persist with horses. They are not there to be decorations.”

Marquand was thrilled to secure a winning ride and said: “I’d be lying if I said I did any research into the race.

“I came back in from the last race and they said ‘can you do 8st 11lb?’ so I jumped aboard. I’ve seen plenty of her and was due to ride her on the day I got kicked at the Guineas weekend. I watched her go and finish second and it looked like she wanted a trip.

“Mr Cole and Olly were keen to go and make it a solid test, and as the other day showed if you find a rhythm in front it’s a hard track to get horses back. She’s done well, and while she was getting tired in the last half furlong the damage was already done.”

Sweet William’s rapid progression continued apace at Goodwood with another smooth success in the Coral Summer Handicap.

John and Thady Gosden’s stayer finished second on his first three outings, admittedly never beaten far, but has come into his own in recent weeks.

He opened his account in a mile-and-a-half Doncaster novice before landing a valuable pot when upped to an extended two miles at Newbury last time out.

Sent off the 9-4 favourite to bring up his hat-trick, his supports never really had much to worry about.

Having moved into contention smoothly to take over from Torcello at the head of affairs, Adjuvant appeared as a threat.

With Rab Havlin maintaining his partnership on Sweet William, it was Frankie Dettori who he had to beat on Michael Bell’s charge, but when Sweet William’s stamina kicked in the race was over.

He ended up pulling two and three-quarter lengths clear and while bookmakers were quick to chop his price for the Sky Bet Ebor, his owner Philippa Cooper had previously stated she is not a huge fan of the race.

However, John Gosden would be eager to run at York next month, with Sweet William the 5-1 favourite with the Ebor sponsor.

He said: “He only ran a fortnight ago at Newbury, he’s fresh and well and has won again decisively which is great.

“He’s a lot of fun to train. It was a long time before he could race but he has a strong view on life. As soon as he hits the front, he looks around and goes where he wants to go.

“I hope personally that Philippa elects to run him because the York Ebor meeting is my favourite of the year.

“It will be touch and go whether he gets in, and if not we will take it on the chin and step him up into Cup races.”

Cooper could yet be persuaded to run at York, although Sweet William sits some way down the field with a weight of 8st 11lb at this stage.

She added: “My husband is an Ebor person – he loves the Ebor and trying to find the winner. I’m willing to go with the flow. I’m not going to tell the trainer what to do because without the trainer I wouldn’t even have the horse.

“If they want to do it – could he get in off a low weight? I’m just grateful and it’s one day at a time, so let him come through today.”

Proven soft-ground performer Monsieur Kodi came out on top in the Coral Stewards’ Sprint Handicap, providing Richard Fahey with his first win of the meeting after a couple of near misses.

Monsieur Kodi (9-2F), who stayed with the majority of the field on the far side, burst clear under Oisin Orr before staying on to prevail by half a length.

Runner-up Capote’s Dream (17/2) had to wait for an out before finishing strongly to close on the winner late on. Many A Star (9/1) was three quarters of a length further back in third. Morning favourite Zaman Jemil was withdrawn at the start.

Orr said: “It is hard work, and I think it's not far off heavy ground, but this lad has shown he can handle it before, so it was probably a bonus to us.

"It [the far rail] is the freshest ground and if you can get an advantage anywhere it's on fresher ground, so we were aiming to get over there and it's worked out."

Of his decision to move from Ireland to take a job with Richard Fahey, Orr said: "It wasn't a very difficult decision. I had done well in Ireland, but at the time I needed a change and it's been great ever since I came over."

Harriet Cozens, part of winning syndicate Middleham Park Racing XVI, said: “I think there are six of us here today. We were hopeful, very hopeful, as he likes the ground. Callum [Pittendreigh, work rider] said he had a really good chance today. It depended on whether he could cope with the really soft ground, but they were very, very hopeful for an excellent run – and it’s brilliant that he’s got his head in front again, as he is superb.”

She added: “I have been involved in Middleham Park for about five or six years now. I have quite a few shares in quite a few horses, it’s my hobby. I just love it – love it to bits.”

On Monsieur Kodi’s Goodwood win, she said: “It is totally glorious. To have a horse win on one of the biggest days of the whole calendar is very special.”

Tom Marquand said of Capote’s Dream: “He ran super. The race came over to the far side, and he is a horse that likes to come through them. I would have loved to have got out two strides earlier, but it probably suited him in that regard. The ground is very soft."

Jeffrey Hobby, husband of owner Phoebe Hobby, said of Many A Star: “He ran really well. Oliver [Cole] has done a great job getting him back to form. The ground is challenging and that did not really suit, but he ran really well. He struggled to get out as they all came in very tight and, when he got out, he did not pick up as we would have liked. On this ground, the softer ground horses did better. He put in a very creditable performance.”