Goodwood: Jim Crowley got world-renowned owner Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, 2018 Goodwood Festival off to a rousing start when he landed the opener aboard Alfarris.

Sent off as the warm favourite on a glorious, sunny afternoon at the picturesque racecourse, Alfarris progressed well with three furlongs to run in the 1,800 metre contest, before being pushed to lead inside the final two.

The four-year-old Shamardal son stayed on willingly and run on strongly to win by half-a-length from Plutonian, with Original Choice taking third.

Both the winner and the third are trained by William Haggas, who was notching up a 45th win at the Festival, while Crowley, retained jockey to Shaikh Hamdan, improved to 61 wins.

Haggas said: “It was very good and I’m very pleased. He’s grown up and he’s a different horse to what he used to be. He had a pretty big operation last year. He’s matured a lot this year. Things have not gone right for him. We had to delay his [seasonal] debut and he just got beat at Sandown last time, but he’s made up for that today.”

The Newmarket-based Yorkshireman added: “He’ll probably go to York as he likes the northern air, like his trainer! I fancy him going up in grade at some point. I think he’s decent.”

The day’s feature, the Group 2 Lennox Stakes, was won by Sir Dancealot. who claimed victory in the shadow of the post.

The winner was trained by David Elsworth and ridden by French veteran Gerald Mosse. Meanwhile, the Mark Johnston-trained Dark Vision maintained his unbeaten record with in eye-catching performance in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes.

A nice-looking son of Dark Angel, the Silvester de Souse-ridden colt flew later to land the spoils for the champion jockey.

Following previous victories this month at Yarmouth and York, Dark Vision has now stormed into the reckoning for next year’s 2000 Guineas.

Johnston said: “That was quite incredible. I can hardly believe it myself. I was trying to keep everybody’s feet on the ground today. This horse [just] cost £15,00

“I never really thought when I set him off at Yarmouth that he’d be coming to a Group Two race and when he missed the break I thought it was all over. I was thinking I’d have to go home and teach this horse to come out of the stalls.

“At that stage, if he’d come fourth I’d have thought I’ve got a really nice horse my hands. I never thought until a furlong out that we had any chance of winning.”

Result

Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap 1,800m

1. Alfarris ((trained by William Haggas) ridden by Jim Crowley

2. Plutonian (Charlie Hills) P J McDonald

3. Original Choice (William Haggas) Danny Tudhope