“This has been a stellar season,” Charlie Appleby said on Thursday after winning the Nassau Stakes with Wild Illusion and, though a pedant might point out that he still trails John Gosden and Aidan O’Brien in the trainers’ championship, a serious run at the title – which would be the first for one of Godolphin’s exclusive trainers since 2004 – now feels like a matter of time.

Masar, the undoubted star of Appleby’s season after his win in the Derby, will be missing until next season after sustaining an injury. Wild Illusion’s victory, though, showed that Appleby now has the strength in depth to roll with the inevitable punches and stay competitive.

Glorious Goodwood: Lightning Spear and Oisin Murphy take Sussex Stakes Read more

Wild Illusion had been beaten in Classics at a mile and 12 furlongs earlier in the season and the decision to drop her back to a mile and a quarter at this easy track proved decisive.

Rhododendron, the favourite for the Nassau, was the latest runner from the O’Brien stable to run below form in recent weeks and trailed home last of the six starters. Even at her best, though, she would have struggled to cope with Wild Illusion, as Appleby’s filly was in front from the off and galloped on strongly from two out, outlasting the challenges of both Urban Fox and Veracious inside the final quarter-mile.

“I felt the drop back was going to help and tactically we couldn’t see where the pace was going to come from,” Appleby said. “So I asked William [Buick] to go out there and do what he is good at. He is great on the front end and he gave her a lovely tactical ride from the front.

Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) Wild Illusion shows her class under William Buick to take the @Q_REC Nassau Stakes for @godolphin#GloriousGoodwood #QGF pic.twitter.com/hgzb16EhRO

“This is where Godolphin should be and hopefully we can keep the momentum going. Everyone talks about Godolphin and Coolmore [Stud, O’Brien’s main supporter]; we are great sporting rivals and as a team we are happy to congratulate them and likewise they congratulate us. It is what we enjoy, and hopefully what racing enjoys.”

One bookmaker quoted Wild Illusion for the Group One Yorkshire Oaks at York later this month after Thursday’s success, but the drop back to 10 furlongs here seemed to be a significant factor in her win and other challenges may await. She also has form with some autumn cut in the ground, having taken the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac last season, and a race on Arc weekend in Paris in early October may also be high on her list.

Quick guide Racing tips for Friday 3 August Show Hide Bangor 1.30 Northern Beau 2.00 Mr Caffrey 2.35 Premier King 3.10 Passing Call 3.45 My Renaissance 4.20 Thahab Ifraj

4.50 Outrageous Romana Thirsk 1.40 Isvestia 2.10 World Order 2.45 Boudica Bay 3.20 Elysee Star 3.55 Raydiance 4.30 Fairy Falcon 5.00 Pentland Hills 5.35 Letmestopyouthere Goodwood 1.50 Mirage Dancer 2.25 Threading (nb) 3.00 Escobar (nap) 3.35 Battaash 4.10 Leading Spirit 4.40 Pretty Baby 5.15 Groveman Newmarket 5.20 Lalania 5.50 Point In Time 6.25 Garrus 7.00 Royal Reserve 7.30 Trulee Scrumptious 8.00 Rawdaa 8.30 Bernardo O’Reilly Wolverhampton 5.30 Capla Demon 6.00 Island Of Life 6.35 Molly Mai 7.10 Grey Spirit 7.40 Galileo’s Spear 8.10 Dolcissimo Musselburgh 5.40 The Resdev Way 6.10 Caballero 6.45 Bibbidibobbidiboo 7.20 Lomu 7.50 Diamonique 8.20 Military Madame 8.50 Dundunah Tips by Greg Wood

The stewards considered Rhododendron’s disappointing run but O’Brien’s representative could offer no explanation for her performance and a veterinary examination also failed to provide clues. The form of O’Brien’s runners is patchy rather than uniformly poor at present, however, and his colt Land Force proved a ready winner of the Group Two Richmond Stakes on his sixth start of the season.

Land Force, somewhat surprisingly, is his first winner of this race since 2000 and quotes of around 20-1 for the Commonwealth Cup next year reflect the fact that he looks more like a sprinting three-year-old at this stage than a Classic contender.