Dubai: Muhaarar stormed into the 2,000 Guineas (G1) picture when posting a resounding victory in the Greenham Stakes, a race that the great Frankel, and more recently Night Of Thunder, used as a stepping stone to Classic glory.

Sent-off as a lesser considered 16/1 outsider at Newbury Racecourse’s Dubai Duty Free-sponsored Spring meeting, the Shadwell-bred son of Oasis Dream was ridden in big-race fashion by Frankie Dettori to secure a neck victory over the Paul Hanagan-ridden dual Group 2 winner Estidhkaar.

Heavily fancied Ivawood, the 5/1 third favourite for the Guineas (May 2) at Newmarket, was 4 ½ lengths back in third under Richard Hughes, while Godolphin’s Dewhurst (G1) victor Belardo was way back in eighth place, with only Flaming Spear behind him in the seven-furlong contest.

British bookmakers reacted by slashing Muhaarar’s odds for the colt’s Classic to 12/1 (from 401/) and also shaving Estidhkaar’s price to 12/1 (from 20/1), prior to the race.

Both horses are owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, who has won the Guineas twice in the past with Haafhd (2004) and Nashwan (1998).

The winner was trained by Charlie Hills who told Racking UK: “I always knew he was a good horse as he won the Gimcrack, it was just a question mark if he’d get the trip.

“They went a good, solid pace and he travelled well throughout the race, if anything he got there a bit too soon.

“Frankie said the French Guineas (May 1) would suit him, but we will see how he comes out of the race and the decision is up to Shaikh Hamdan where he goes. The 2000 Guineas will be on the agenda, but that is a decision he will make,” added Hills.

“He’s got a great cruising speed and we tried him over seven last year, but he just saw a bit too much daylight.

“I think the horse has grown up mentally and is so much more relaxed than last year, and that will stand him in good stead for the future.”

Dettori, who last won the Greenham in 1997 with the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Yalaietanee described Muhaarar as a horse with a ‘lot of speed.’

“He’s a good horse, they went a good pace and he settled,” he said, “When he hit the front he started looking around a bit and I could feel Paul (Hanagan, on Estidhkaar) coming back, but the line came in time.

“He has a lot of speed, the team will decide where to go.”

The 11/4 market leader for the 2,000 Guineas is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Gleneagles, who has won his last five starts including two Group 1s, the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at The Curragh, Ireland (Sept 14) and the Grand Criterium) at Longchamp, France (Oct 5).

Earlier in the afternoon, Ralph Beckett’s Redstart won the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Registered as The Fred Darling Stakes) while Sir Michael Stoute’s Arab Spring was an easy winner of the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes (Registered as The John Porter Stakes) (Group 3).