Trainer Mick Appleby won the Group 3 Jaeger-LeCoultre Molecomb Stakes for the second year running when 25/1 shot Big Mojo followed in the hoofprints of Big Evs at Goodwood on Wednesday.

The Mick Appleby-trained youngster made a pleasing start to his career when runner-up at Beverley on debut and connections were duly rewarded by pitching their colt into the deep end on his second start.

After a fairly sluggish beginning, Big Mojo raced with plenty of cover in the hands of Silvestre de Sousa before quickening up smartly on the far side. He lugged left-handed, giving a nudge to stablemate Mr Lightside in the process, but was always doing enough out in front. The winning margin was three-quarters of a length, with Archie Watson's 2/1 favourite Aesterius staying on best of the rest to claim the runner-up position.

Appleby said: "I said I couldn't split Big Mojo and Mr Lightside – I worked them together on Saturday and couldn't pick between them. I just said they will both be in the frame.

"They both wouldn't be far behind Big Evs either as two-year-olds. They could both go to America for the Breeders' Cup, but Big Mojo will go to the Gimcrack first. The owner [Paul Teasdale] wants his wife to do the speech as the winning owner at the Gimcrack dinner. To be fair this was our main target with him. 

"It's good to get some good two-year-olds because we can't train them apparently!"

De Sousa added: "It was great – Big Mojo is an exciting horse. He's improved a lot since his last run in a maiden, and it was a nice way to break a maiden in a Group Three. He is only going to improve.

"He has a lot of speed, and I'd like him over six furlongs as well. I think he is a quality horse going forward. He is strong physically, but his mind is not there yet."