NAYEF ROAD will be aimed at the William Hill St Leger following his gutsy success in the Qatar Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

Technician briefly flattered on the outside, as did Floating Artist, but it was Nayef Road (9-1) and Silvestre de Sousa who saw off Constantinople by a neck, with Spanish Mission not far behind in third.

After a record 50 winners in July, North Yorkshire trainer Mark Johnston was beginning August with a Group 3 winner and the victory saw him edge in front of Sir Michael Stoute as the winning-most trainer at Glorious Goodwood on the 81-winner mark.

In turn, Nayef Road had his Doncaster odds halved to 20-1 by Paddy Power.

Middleham-based Johnston said: "That's got to be the target (Leger). It is just whether we run between now and then, and that is what we have just been discussing with Bruce (Raymond, owner's racing manager).

"We will keep an open mind on that. We clearly think he is better over further, so the Voltigeur is a possibility, but it is not written in stone and he could go straight to the Leger.

"I thought when there was a rush on from the back we were travelling better than anything. I was surprised that it took so long to get to the front - the two at the front stuck on so long and it didn't look like they were going to.

"Silvestre said he was always travelling well."

On his Goodwood record, he said: "That's good, sorry Sir Michael! He has been around a while longer than me, so that is quite good. We always target the meeting and love to win here.

"It is great to be up there holding some of the records. I wouldn't mind swapping them for a couple of John Gosden's Group Ones, though."

Johnston also had a winner in the Telegraph Nursery Handicap as Ryan Moore piloted Governor Of Punjab to victory at 9-2.

Meanwhile, Deirdre came from way off the pace to win the Qatar Nassau Stakes and record a historic success for Japanese trainer Mitsuru Hashida.

Settled way off the pace by Oisin Murphy as Mehdaayih and Hermosa set a stiff gallop, the five-year-old stayed on powerfully to notch a famous overseas win.

Brought over to run at Royal Ascot, the Harbinger mare was undone by soft ground in the Prince of Wales's Stakes and her connections took the brave decision to keep her in Britain for a while longer.

Although an unconsidered 20-1 chance, Deirdre had form against some of the best horses in the world, such as Almond Eye and Glorious Forever, and eventually ran out a clear-cut winner.