Harbinger had only raced twice before

Sir Michael Stoute's colt Harbinger ran out an impressive winner of the Gordon Stakes on the opening day of Glorious Goodwood in Sussex.

The three-year-old, ridden by champion jockey Ryan Moore, was the 11-4 favourite and beat Firebet by a length-and-three-quarters in his third race.

Urban Poet finished third in the mile-and-a-half feature race.

Harbinger was immediately installed as the bookmakers' favourite for September's St Leger at Doncaster.

Stoute, winning the Gordon Stakes for the fourth time in nine years, said: "I was highly delighted with the performance because he has had his muscle problems and they take time.

"He's not an elaborate home worker and that makes it very difficult to get an edge on him. He's lazy at home but he's a lovely horse. I loved the way he travelled, he's got some class.

"I don't know about the Leger, when you look at his pedigree it doesn't scream Leger horse.

"Let's go to the Voltigeur [at York next month] and then we'll see. There are 30-odd owners [of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing] who I'll have to talk to about it."

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