Mark Johnston© Photo Healy Racing
Mark Johnston loves having winners at Goodwood and opened his account for this year's meeting as 20-1 shot Blue Wave made a winning reappearance Summer Stakes.
The five-year-old had been on the sidelines since pulling up at Epsom on Derby day last year - an absence of 416 days - but travelled powerfully throughout in the hands of William Buick, keeping a close eye on his pacesetting stable companion Notarised.
The two Johnston runners remained at the head of affairs heading inside the final furlong and although Notarised faded in the final reckoning, Blue Wave to his guns to clinch victory by a neck.
Nicky Henderson's veteran Forgotten Voice finished with a flourish to grab the runner-up spot, ahead of 6-1 joint-favourite Astronereus in third.
"It's an unbelievable training performance and you've got to hand it to Mark. He's been off for such a long time," said Buick.
"I actually won on this horse two years ago at Kempton. To bring him back after such a long lay-off is a very good effort.
"Mark's horses are flying at the moment, which is a huge help.
"He's game and tough, he's a joy to ride and he deserved to win.
"They were coming at him and he fought them all off one by one."
The trainer's wife, Deirdre Johnston, said: "He's been off a long time, so he did that really well. It's over 400 days since he last ran, so we're absolutely delighted.
"We were going slightly into the unknown, as he's never won over more than a mile and a half, but we thought he was in good order at home.
"We're on the scoresheet and it would be nice to win a Group race this week. That would be a really good aim.
"Just to get a winner always makes the week special."
Johnston, enjoying his 64th Glorious Goodwood success and saddling a record 44th winner in July, is in no rush to commit his charge to future targets.
He said: "I 'm absolutely delighted with that. We thought it was coming too soon as he was a bit overweight and the racing manager (John Ferguson) didn't want to run him over this trip as he hadn't been over it before.
"It was a pretty serious injury, we've brought him along steadily, but I just thought he was a bit short (of work). Clearly, he wasn't!
"I didn't think he'd get past Notarised a furlong and a half out, because Watersmeet couldn't at Haydock.
"We've no plans. We were just trying to get him back.
"Notarised and Watersmeet are our main Ebor hopes."
