Impending motherhood obviously agrees with Long Tall Sally. The filly shrugged off joint top weight to win the Southern Daily Echo Apprentice Stakes at Goodwood last night.

The four-year-old, confirmed as being in foal to former top sprinter Bold Edge, returned from stud to trainer David Arbuthnot's Lamborne yard a couple of weeks ago.

"We thought she might need the race but obviously didn't." said winning jockey Frankie McDonald, registering his 32nd success as a rider.

Ironically Long Tall Sally had only ever won one previous race, at Catterick, and was the first winner for McDonald when he came to England.

The 8-1 shot, who had drifted in the betting, was always in the forefront of the action. She took up the running two furlongs out, and with McDonald riding her out with just hands and heels, easily repelled the sustained challenge of second favourite Attorney.

Long Tall Sally, who is now only qualified to run for another 90 days, brought a welcome change of luck for Arbuthnot, who celebrated his first winner since Kempton a month ago.

"They've all been running well, but have not just been hitting the target," he explained. "We will now run Long Tall Sally wherever we can. Once in foal, some horses really can improve - as she showed, and Frankie rode a really good race on her."

Brian Reilly reported that Toppling - the odds-on favourite, who flattered to deceive with a run on the outside which petered out just over a furlong out - had run "flat".