Dubai: Old Persian edged stable companion and favourite Cross Counter to lead home a 1-2 for Godolphin handler in the Group 3 Great Voltigeur Stakes on the opening day of York’s Ebor Meeting on Wednesday.

Winner of the Group 2 King Edward Stakes, before being sent off to contest the Irish Derby at The Curragh in July, the son of Dubawi produced just that little extra at the busy end to score by a head.

The winner is likely to head to the St. Leger, Britain’s oldest Classic, while Cross Counter could head to Australia to challenge for the Melbourne Cup.

Both Old Persian and Cross Counter are trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin.

“We knew both horses came here in good form,” he told ITV racing. “We were happy to put a lien through Old Persian’s Irish Derby run. It was my fault. I told William to drop him in and ride him to come home and it was won from the front.

“We’ve freshened him up since and he’ll go to the St Leger now.

“The Melbourne Cup has always been the plan for Cross Counter and hopefully this will put an extra half-kilo on his back and get him into the race.

“I didn’t want to take him to Australia and run in a prep-race — not as a three-year-old. I want to run him off the plane.”

Meanwhile, Roaring Lion upstaged a classy field to win the Group 1 Juddmonte Stakes, the race of the season which featured winners of the King George Eclipse and Dubai World Cup.

Ridden by Oisin Murphy for trainer John Gosden, Roaring Lion scored by 3¼ lengths from the favourite, Poet’s Word, with Thunder Blue, who was supplement to the race at a cost of £75,000 (Dh355,098), running on late finish third under Fran Berry.

Godolphin’s Benbatl, winner of the $6 million (Dh22 million) Dubai Turf (G1) at Meydan in March and a Group 1 contest in Germany subsequently, finished fifth.

Gosden told ITV Racing: “He’s run a lovely race. They went an honest pace. You’d got Dubai World Cup winners in there, Poet’s Word came at him and ran a blinder. There were no hiding places out there.

“We were delighted with him — I was expecting a big performance from him. This horse ran a great race in the Derby. He won his Eclipse well and he’s got better through the season. He’s got bigger and stronger. He had a difficult spring, but he’s done nothing but improve since.”

Phoenix Of Spain was an impressive winner of the Group 3 Acomb Stakes, a seven furlong contest for two-year-olds.

The winner was trained by Charlie Hills, who said: “Jamie Spencer said he was a bit nervy and edgy heading down so he wanted to settle him early.

“They went a good gallop and he came home well. He hit the line hard and you’d think he’ll get a mile. There’s a lot of speed on the dam’s side, so whether he gets further I wouldn’t know.

“He’s in the Dewhurst and Royal Lodge, but wouldn’t want very quick ground. He’s a heavy-topped horse and I’d just worry about the undulations at Newmarket. Maybe the Racing Post Trophy is the race for him.”