Big Mojo proved he was a three-year-old to be reckoned with in the sprinting division when scoring in the Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes at Ascot on Wednesday.
The Mick Appleby-trained colt showed some top-class form as a juvenile, following up in the footsteps of his stablemate Big Evs by winning the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood prior to excellent efforts in defeat in the Gimcrack, Flying Childers and at the Breeders' Cup.
Stepping back up to six furlongs on his seasonal debut, Tom Marquand's mount was a 4/1 chance to land the spoils, with Rebel's Gamble sent off the 7/2 market leader on his turf debut for Karl Burke.
Big Mojo struck the front inside the final furlong and although he drifted left-handed under Marquand in the closing stages, he found plenty to repel the late challenge from Diablo Rojo by half a length.
Paddy Power cut the winner to 14/1 (from 25s) for the Commonwealth Cup, although connections appear to be swaying towards dropping back to five furlongs for the King Charles III Stakes.
"That (King Charles) would be more the likely way we'd go down, I would think. (But) he is in both races," said the winning handler.
"It's always a concern when you've got a decent two-year-old, whether they've trained on, but at home he looked like he had – he's been working really well against some of the older horses.
"I'm really delighted with him."
Marquand also echoed the idea of dropping back to five furlongs.
He said: "He's a very good horse, he showed that last year and I think it's just changed him a little bit as a type as well – the second I even went to think about going this lad was up and away, which is something he didn't do last year in quite the same manner.
"I thought that was a good performance, he's done well to go and win, and I feel like on a track like Ascot, where you're going to get tempo and he doesn't lack early speed or the ability to travel, over five he could be lethal here.
"On the right track I still think six furlongs is correct for him, but Ascot being Ascot, it (going back to five furlongs) is definitely a strong possibility."
