Hughie Morrison revels in Goodwood Cup triumph after 16-1 Quickthorn runs rivals ragged

Hughie Morrison's role in racing might seem more provocative participant willing to slam the authorities at any opportunity, but Quickthorn reminded everyone he is a bona fide Group 1-winning trainer when powering to victory in the Goodwood Cup – even if the circumstances that led to the victory will be pored over for some time.

Ridden by Tom Marquand, the six-year-old was sent off at double-figure odds but had gunned into a 16-length lead by the halfway point and never looked remotely troubled from there to the line, which he crossed a comfortable six lengths clear of the chasing pack.

Bizarre was the word Frankie Dettori kept reaching for when describing a race in which his mount – the Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami – was only sixth behind the bold winner with Emily Dickinson, Coltrane, Eldar Eldarov and Giavellotto in between.

Quickthorn pulls way ahead of the chasing pack in the glorious surroundings of GoodwoodCredit: Edward Whitaker

Andrea Atzeni, who rode Giavellotto, offered a smile when asked for his thoughts on the race, which came around a year or so after Quickthorn – running in the colours of his breeder Lady Blyth – demolished York's Lonsdale Cup field by 14 lengths from the front.

Morrison, who trains not far from Lambourn in West Berkshire, is well known for his forthright opinions and the idea one of his stable stars had stolen things was something he was not about to consider.

He last savoured top-flight success on the Flat 16 years ago when Sakhee's Secret earned big-race glory in the July Cup and was revelling in the moment.

"That's fantastic for James and Pam [Blyth]," he beamed. "They bred him and have been incredibly patient with him. We've all got our reward and I felt when he won at York last year by 14 lengths it was no fluke and he proved that today.

"Tom got the sectionals fantastically and gave the horse a breather at the top of the hill, but you have to say – what a horse. We don't have a huge amount – 50 to 60 – but it's brilliant to train these homebreds and bring them on to reach their zenith at the right sort of age."

Tom Marquand: "It's plain and simple what we are going to do on him and it's testament to him that they still couldn't stop him"Credit: Edward Whitaker

By Nathaniel, Quickthorn is out of Daffydowndilly, who the Blyth family raced to achieve an official rating of 72. Victory far removed from that was not lost on Lady Blyth, who said: "It's amazing. We've never had a Group 1 winner – ever, ever, ever. I didn't think he'd like the going or the up and down bits of the course and didn't want to run, but Hughie and my husband were keen to."

Morrison added: "This fella puts so much into it and he's a galloper. The only time he can't do that is if he has a spoiler up front. We all know how to ride him to his strengths – he's a galloper pure and simple and we're lucky to have him."

It was not long ago Morrison was winning at the Cheltenham Festival with Third Wind landing the Pertemps Final last year, and Grade 1 success over jumps came in 2021 when Not So Sleepy, another Blyth homebred who has become a firm favourite, dead-heated in the Fighting Fifth.

He said: "We've had so many close misses in Group 1s on the Flat and the yard deserved that. It didn't irk me that we haven't had a Group 1 since 2007 because we're not in the big league. I'd love to be sent more yearlings, but the fact is we're running our first two-year-old of the year tomorrow."

Marquand, typically dismissed any notion of outfoxing his weighing room colleagues, simply saying: "There's no masterplan with him, it's plain and simple what he's going to do. Down at the gates Frankie looked across and laughed and said, 'Are you going to drop in?'"

There was nothing for Dettori to laugh about after the race, but everyone connected with Quickthorn had something to cheer, quite rightly too.

Read this next:

Ten lengths clear after three furlongs and 25 ahead at halfway: how Tom Marquand stole the Goodwood Cup on Quickthorn 

Andrew Balding defends Oisin Murphy's Coltrane ride after Quickthorn leaves Goodwood rivals trailing 

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