Geoff Huffer's charge made his move on the outside of the stands side group and, after taking control with around a furlong to go, kept up the gallop to shoot clear of 33-1 chance Vital Equine and score by a length and a half. Dutch Art claimed third spot at 14-1, a further three-quarters of a length away, faring best of those to have raced on the far side, while Duke Of Marmalade took fourth.

Harley and Cockney Rebel hit the number one spot in 1975 with 'Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)' and he was certainly all smiles after seeing his namesake strike Classic glory.

He told Channel 4 Racing: "I have lived a life and I have just lived it all again in two minutes there! This was as exciting as anything for me and I have done a lot. Geoff is a serious trainer, who people don't give enough credit to.

"I like handicap hurdlers to own, but I was never going to have a horse like this so I told Phil (Cunningham, the owner) he could have the name if he wanted it. Ask him if he's going to run him in the Derby now as I have 100-1 for that!"

Speaking afterwards, Cunningham said it was "a dream for a small owner. He's in the Derby . . . Geoff 's preference was for the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot but he didn't look like he was stopping there. "It's a marvellous day. Geoff would have told anyone the horse would have been in the first three. He was the forgotten horse."

A delighted Huffer added:

"He was 8lb behind the best before, but he's a few pounds in front of them now I think!

We were dithering about jockeys and we couldn't get who we wanted so we said we'd get Olivier Peslier. We never did anything with him until January and then we just brought him on steadily and he showed all his old sparkle.

"I took him to Lingfield about 10 days ago and he worked with Banjo Patterson over a mile . . . who is a good lead horse . . . and in the last furlong and a half he took 25 lengths out of him. I've been in the game long enough to realise what I'd got."

Trainer Eoghan O'Neill said of the runner-up: "I'm delighted with that. Chris (Catlin) rode him just according to plan, but he did say the ground just took the sting out of him a bit. The plan was to get him here in one piece and we'll have a look at the Irish Guineas now."

Peter Chapple-Hyam, trainer of Dutch Art, said: "Jimmy (Fortune) said he would have won if he was drawn on the stands side. He got there but had nothing to race with. I knew the ground was slower on that side but he's a very, very good horse.

"He'll go to the St James's Palace now, although there is nothing wrong with the Irish Guineas."

Earlier in the day, Aqmaar found the winning post arriving just in time for him to take the StanJamesUK. com Handicap from the unlucky favourite We'll Come.

Richard Hills positioned the John Dunlop-trained Aqmaar (11-2) off the pacesetter Zafonical Storm, asking him for an effort when joining the lead with two furlongs to run.

Paul Hanagan had far less luck aboard We'll Come, finding his path blocked repeatedly and when he finally saw a gap, he quickened rapidly to cut the margin to half a length at the finish.

"He ran very well at Newbury over seven and Richard thought he'd be even better over another furlong, " said Dunlop. "He loves fast going and this would be his level.

We may look at the Britannia as a possible target."

Echelon made a winning reappearance when justifying favouritism at 8-11 in what proved to be an exciting renewal of the StanJamesUK. com Dahlia Stakes.

Kerrin McEvoy's mount was always travelling smoothly behind the early pacesetters but Michael Stoute's filly was starved of a clear run when the pace initially quickened.

However, McEvoy kept his cool and when the split did arrive just over a furlong from home, Echelon displayed a bright turn of foot to take control.

Once hitting the front she was strongly pressed by runner-up Topatoo, but McEvoy was always just winning the argument and Echelon fought off the 14-1 chance by a neck.

Chris Richardson, racing manager for owners the Cheveley Park Stud, said:

"She's like a lot of her family, she's very progressive and the trip and ground suited her well. Hopefully the Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot will be her target."