Frankie Dettori delight as outsider Blue Bunting steals 1,000 Guineas

Twenty-four hours on from Frankel's astonishing display in the 2,000 Guineas, here was a filly who was not even considered the first choice of Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin team until the leading fancy White Moonstone was withdrawn a week ago.

Blue Bunting is essentially seen as a middle-distance, Oaks type, having rounded off her two-year-old career with a win over the course and distance last October, and was sent off at 16-1.

Stamina is clearly her forte as she motored through a fierce Rowley Mile headwind in the final furlong to pick off Together and Maqaasid, who had been locked together for some time.

Mahmood Al Zarooni, who has only been a trainer in his own right for a year, was winning a first British Classic while it was No 14 for Dettori.

"That felt great," said Dettori "It was a pleasant surprise. The lads had been telling me she was working well, but, honestly, she had a lot to prove on form. It's fantastic as I haven't won a Classic for a while and I'm based here in Newmarket. This is my home town.

"The wind was very strong but we had fresh legs at the end. I'm delighted for the Godolphin team. Mahmood told me she was more of an Oaks filly, so whatever she was going to do today was a bonus. To win is fantastic."

Al Zarooni has already enjoyed considerable success in his native Dubai and has been putting Godolphin's more senior trainer Saeed Bin Suroor in the shade this season.

He beamed: "To win a Classic in England isn't like anywhere else in the world. It's a different taste, especially in Newmarket. You've got the best horses and the best trainers here, it's not easy to win the big races.

"It has all come about because of His Highness, we follow what he says because he has the experience. He knows the racing here."

The Investec Oaks, for which Blue Bunting is a best-priced 7-2 favourite with Victor Chandler and Boylesports, is now the aim, with Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford confirming: "We have been in two minds whether to run in an Oaks trial but we decided to come here. We did it with Moonshell who came third and went on to win the Oaks (in 1995) and that's the plan with this one. She's a highly progressive filly and certainly a step up in trip and a bit of cut in the ground wouldn't hurt her."Of White Moonstone, who pulled up stiff after a recent piece of work, Crisford added: "She's still not right and won't be back until later in the season." The 9-2 favourite Moonlight Cloud appeared well-held in seventh, although jockey Davy Bonilla blamed the fact there was a delay at the start when her fellow French raider Immortal Verse was withdrawn. But the major disappointment was Memory, who stood still leaving the gates and finished a remote last. Jockey Richard Hughes reported: "If she wants to go she can win but she refused to jump off (from the stalls]. She nearly did the same at Royal Ascot but I got away with it."

Aidan O'Brien's Together held on for second after a brave and positive run which was far better than her previous form and 33-1 price implied. Unfortunately jockey Colm O'Dono-ghue was given a two-day ban (May 15-16) for using the whip with excessive frequency. "I was delighted to see her run so well and the trip seemed to suit her," said the trainer.

And John Gosden's Maqaasid, a long way clear of fourth-placed Nova Hawk, was another to perform with great credit. "She's not very big and got a bit caught out with that headwind, she was just blown about a bit," said Gosden.

"It was a real test of a mile because of the wind but I was delighted with that. It was a great run and she'll go for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot now."