Barry Hills ensured he will start 1998 with at least one Classic hope among his team by saddling La-Faah to land the Vodafone Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury yesterday. The colt's 2,000 Guineas odds were reduced from 40 to 1 to 25 to 1 after he surprised his handler with the quality of his display in the Group Three contest.

La-Faah made it three wins out of four - the one blemish occurring on bad ground at York - when leading home stablemate Sensory and Victory Note.

Overcoming traffic problems approaching the final furlong, he shot clear once finding daylight to score by a length and three quarters under Richard Hills.

Duck Row, among next year's leading Derby contenders following his debut win at the track, was among the first under pressure and eventually finished sixth. As a result his odds were eased out to 40 to 1 for the Epsom Classic.

Old age continues to be no barrier to Whitechapel who at nine years old clinched his ninth victory in the colours of The Queen at the end of a three way battle for the Vodafone Group Handicap.