Desert Hero emerged as a genuine Classic prospect for the King and Queen as he followed up his famous Royal Ascot success by landing the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.

The William Haggas-trained three-year-old raised the roof when carrying the royal silks to victory in the King George V Stakes, providing the King and Queen with their first winner at the showpiece meeting.

He had more to do stepping up to Group Three level, but proved up to the task under a typically well-judged ride from Tom Marquand.

A field of six runners set out to tackle the mile-and-a-half contest, with James Doyle intent on making every yard of the running aboard Chesspiece.

One by one his challengers came and went, but Marquand always looked confident in behind and after negotiating his way out of a pocket, Desert Hero powered home to get up and score by a neck.

The winner was cut to 6-1 from 16-1 by Betfair for the St Leger at Doncaster in September, a race the late Queen won in her Silver Jubilee year of 1977 with Dunfermline.

John Warren, racing manager for the winning owners, said: “This horse is so committed and brave. We don’t know if he will stay a mile and three-quarters yet, he’ll have to tell us whether he does. I’ll chat with William, who couldn’t be here today, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they want to roll the dice and give it a go (the St Leger).

“Tom just said the horse is such a remarkable animal, he said he felt confident all the way through the race because the horse just wants to please. He’s a genuine horse, we’ve seen a lot of horses for a long time and there are very few horses who really have the brain and will to win and this horse really is a pleaser. He really wants to win and that is fantastic.

“William was pretty confident that if he could cope with the ground, then he was a horse who had made progress. I don’t know how you calculate the progress, but he thought he had really come on and he was physically maturing.

“Horses that are bred the way he is are the ones that actually can improve. They can come to their own in their career, this is the moment where they can make a move up the ranks.”

Maureen Haggas, assistant to her husband, said: “It wasn’t the easiest watch, but Tom said he always thought he was going to win.

“The important thing with this horse is getting him switched off early, which he did really well, and I think if you can do that you can let the rest of the race unfold. He’s got guts. He wants to win and that counts for a lot.

“Yes, he could go further. The obvious aim would be the St Leger, I suppose, and I think, with all these things, you never really know until you run in the race. We thought Storm The Stars would stay all day and he didn’t quite get home in the St Leger, so you never really know until you try, but there’s no reason not to try, is there?”

Asked about the Melbourne Cup, she replied: “I know three-year-olds have done it, but it’s quite hard for a three-year-old, especially at the end of a fairly busy season. He’s come to two festivals and run his guts out. It’s quite a big ask, I think.

“We are so lucky to be training for the King and Queen and to have a horse as good as this, and I am sure they will be enjoying it and good luck to them.”

Connections of the runner-up Chesspiece are also keen to target the St Leger, while James Ferguson, trainer of the third-placed Canberra Legend, is eyeing the Great Voltigeur at York.

Simon Crisford, who trains Chesspiece in partnership with his son Ed, said: “We just got outpaced at a crucial moment. He wants a mile and three-quarters but he ran his heart out – fantastic.

“The St Leger dream is still alive.”

Ferguson said: “I was very pleased with the run. Most importantly I thought it’s the first time he’s got all the preliminaries bang on. He’s really, really grown up and mentally matured.

“He handled the occasion, handled the step up in trip no problem and has certainly run a career-best.

“If he is OK we will go back to York for the Great Voltigeur.”