Haffner won the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at York | report, reaction and video replay

The seven furlong Group 3 has been won by some talented horses in recent years with Gewan, The Lion In Winter and Chaldean all advertising the form and connections of Haffner will be hoping the son of Justify can follow suit.

Haffner, runner-up in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, jumped well from his outside draw and took up a prominent position behind the front-running pair of Stardom Glory and Vega King who took the field into the homes straight.

On the inside of Haffner was the well backed and once-raced Gentle Hurricane, representing the Andrew Balding stable that saddled Gewan and Chaldean, and both moved notably well through the race.

Trean and Alfred Wallace came through from the rear to lay down their challenges but just as they were about to get to the heels of the principals, they quickened again with Haffner coming nicely clear to win by two lengths.

Gentle Hurricane was second, half-a-length clear of Trean.

O'Brien told Racing TV: "Lovely horse, he ran a lovely race in Goodwood. Ryan thought he was a little bit babyish, little bit green, that he would improve.

"He's a very good mover so we thought the ground, the quicker the better for him but Ryan said he had no problem, he handled it well; he thought it was good to soft, a little bit more soft than good.

"Every week that goes by he will get better. He's a typical Justify, they very rarely relent when they get to the front. Big long stride and the stride doesn't shorten and that's the way he is. Ryan said he was a little bit slow away but he gave him a chance, then when he asked him, he said he really quickened, he said he got there a little bit earlier than he wanted but he kept going well.

"It [his experience] will be great for him for next year. He's a very sound horse and we always think those horses, after five battles at two, it stands them in great stead as three-year-olds, it makes them tough and hard and to win Classics, they have to be tough and they have to know what they're doing and used to being in competitive races.

"This horse will have no problem going to a Breeders' Cup Mile, a Futurity Trophy, a National Stakes or Dewhurst because he cruises up there and keeps going. He's a lot of roads he can go."

Haffner is a 5/1 chance with Paddy Power and Sky Bet for the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October and 14/1 for the 2000 Guineas at the same track in May.

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