By Cornelius Lysaght BBC racing correspondent

Dual Classic winner Cockney Rebel and Geoff Huffer, his colourful trainer, have been the unlikeliest stars of the Flat racing season so far.

Having won both the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and its Irish version last month, the cheaply-bought colt, named after Steve Harley's famous band, aims to rock and roll into Royal Ascot, with Tuesday's prestigious St James's Palace Stakes as his target.

And it's not just the horse with a musical connection: Huffer was once part of the success of 1970s pop legends Mungo Jerry, though he was also later jailed for fraud.

Here, Huffer talks to the BBC's racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght.

Q: What has it been like in the six weeks since the Newmarket Guineas win?
A: It's been absolutely fantastic. Words cannot describe how wonderful it's been. What it has done for racing has been wonderful because it shows that everybody has got a chance.

This horse is improving all the while and is becoming a legend Cockney Rebel's trainer Geoff Huffer

People can go to the Sales, pick out their horse and whether it costs �5,000, �30,000 or �30m, they have got a chance. We have shown that and, also, everyone loves an underdog.

Q: How did you find Cockney Rebel?
A: His owner Phil Cunningham and I were in the bar at Doncaster Sales and looking at the catalogue, and he said to me that lot 369 was his favourite.

I looked at the pedigree and I liked the fact he was a son of Val Royal, who was a wonderful Breeders Cup Mile winner, so I agreed to go and have a look. He was a great big, gangly thing, but very athletic, and I liked him. Phil said go to �20,000, and I went to �30,000. We had a row afterwards but we're all very happy now.

Q: How did he come to get the name?
A: Phil calls all his horses after groups or songs. He had a share in a horse called Rebel Rebel, named after the David Bowie song, and he has Heroes as well.

There were copyright issues with this fellow, but Steve Harley very kindly gave permission, and has become the horse's biggest fan. He told me the other day that he feels a song coming on about the horse, so watch this space.

This horse is improving all the while. He's better now than he was. I said when he won as a two-year-old at Newmarket that this was possibly the best horse I'd ever trained - and remember I had Persian Heights (winner of the St James's Palace Stakes in 1988) who was very, very good- but this is the best, and he's becoming a legend.

He's a complete athlete, I would say he's still maturing, and he will get better and better at four and five years old.

Q: There has been a bid of �10m offered for him- how does that make you feel?
A: Wealthy, but it's not in the bin yet. We are just holding on because he's never going to be devalued so we can wait and see.

Rock star Steve Harley (r) celebrates with trainer Geoff Huffer

Q: Being involved with Mungo Jerry is an unusual entry on anyone's CV.
A: I was with them for a bit as a session drummer. I had been involved in racing before, but had a sabbatical and was part of their entourage in the 70s when they had hits with 'In The Summertime' and 'Baby Jump'. They were fantastic times, nearly as good as the times I am having at the moment.

Q: And we know that you did a bit of time in prison.
A: Looking out of prison at racing, I couldn't have imagined this sort of thing happening. When I came out, the time was right to go back to something that I knew I could do well. So I bought a few mares and a few yearlings and made a lot of money and decided that it was time to get stuck in.

But this has been a dream come true. It is fair to say that there has never, ever been a Newmarket trainer that has done what I have done.

Q: What about the next chapter on Tuesday at Royal Ascot in the St James's Palace Stakes?
A: We just keep it normal. There was tension going to Ireland because he had to prove that Newmarket wasn�t a fluke. It wasn�t, so now we go at Ascot as a big winner, in fine form, and you will see a better horse.

When we won at Newmarket, Phil Cunningham took the trophy down to the pub of one of my other owners and it was nine deep with people celebrating, and he let everyone have a drink out of it. I can't imagine what will happen when he wins at Ascot as well.