TIS Marvellous treated his five rivals in last Sunday’s Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte with utter contempt and also put up the best time in the race since 1975.

Racing in group company for the first time, the colt had dispensed with the opposition by the furlong pole. It was a second Papin for Clive Cox and owners Julie Deadman and Stephen Barrow as they had been associated with Reckless Abandon in 2012. English trainers have now captured the Group 2 event four times in the last five years.

Perfectly placed on the rail by Adam Kirby, Tis Marvellous wandered a little once in the lead, but he will have learnt a lot from his third outing. The colt was giving his first season sire, Harbour Watch, a first group success and surely there must be enormous scope for further improvement even over longer distances than five and a half furlongs.

Ten minutes before the off, Tis Marvellous was the favourite on the pari-mutuel but this place was finally taken by fellow traveller Prince Of Lir, who had shot his bolt a good furlong from the line before fading into fifth place.

Tis Marvellous had Al Johrah more than two lengths back in second place, then came the German filly, Hargeisa and the rank outsider Morigane Forlonge.

Tis Marvellous came to France after winning a maiden at Windsor by eight lengths and he did not have the best of runs when second on his debut at Newbury.

Cox said, after greeting his second Papin winner: “He won his maiden so easily that we came here with a certain amount of confidence. He’s got a super character, very calm and professional. Certainly a colt on the way up.

“We bypassed Royal Ascot as he wasn’t quite ready for such a challenge. Now we have the choice between the Prix Morny or the Gimcrack at York and we will select the best ground.

“It was marvellous to win another Robert Papin with the same owners.”

After Reckless Abandon won in 2012, Cox saddled him to win the Morny and then the Middle Park Stakes. He was bought by Godolphin after taking fifth place in the following year’s Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp.

Tis Marvellous was bred by Crossfields Bloodstock. He was bought as a foal by the Yeomanstown Stud at Tattersalls for 48,000gns and Cox picked him up as a yearling for £52,000 at the then Doncaster Sales.

The runner-up, Al Johrah, has come up against top horses in her last two outings. First it was Lady Aurelia and now Tis Marvellous. She was on the outer but never seriously threatened the winner. Henri-Francois Devin reported: “The filly made her presence felt again and she’s the best two-year-old in France.

“She was a little outpaced when the race quickened but ran on again at the end. We will probably miss the Morny and give her a break and prepare her for something like the Criterium back here in the Autumn.”

Luke Morris felt the ground (good) was a little lively for Prince Of Lir.