Dean Ivory achieved the biggest win of his career on Saturday when Lancelot Du Lac won the Stewards’ Cup at Glorious Goodwood and £155,000 in prize money, under the ever youthful Frankie Dettori.

The booking of the former three-time champion jockey on “Lance”, a 25/1 shot for one of the racing calendar’s most prestigious but competitive sprints may have raised some eyebrows among a few punters but the Harper Lodge Farm handler’s shrewd booking paid dividends as the pair gave the trainer his first Glorious Goodwood success.

At 46 years young, there is still nobody better to have on your side on the big stage. Only a week previously, Frankie was winning the King George at Ascot on Enable, having been on a diet of fish and grapefruit water to shed 6lbs to get down to 8st 7lbs. At Goodwood, he had no such weight worries as the 7yo son of Shamardal carried 9st 3lbs.

Drawn 15 of 26, the seven-year old Lancelot Du Lac broke well, made his way over to the far rail where the ground was better and hitting the front three out, he came home to win by three-quarters of a length. It was an uncomplicated ride on an uncomplicated horse for whom Dean said: “I’m not surprised Lancelot Du Lac has won a big race, but must admit I didn’t expect it today because of the ground.”

The form backs that up as two years ago at Royal Ascot, the sprinter was third in the Wokingham off a four pound higher mark. Maybe, not having won a turf race since 2013 put some people off and that was probably why he went off at what looked in hindsight a very generous price!

It was also one of the biggest successes for Michael and Heather Yarrow, the very proud owners of Lance, who has now won 11 races and over £400,000 in prize money.

Dean, who took over the training licence from his father Ken Ivory in 2002 had his best ever season in 2016 for the fourth year running winning over £600,000 for his owners. He is heading for another good year and is just three winners short of 400 career victories.