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.