Andrew Balding’s Furthur bounced back to his best when running out a smooth winner of the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

Having disappointed when last of five behind the current St Leger Stakes favourite Scandinavia in the Bahrain Trophy Stakes at Newmarket on his final outing, Furthur was sent off a 13/2 chance to get back on track under Oisin Murphy, who was happy to bide his time as Nighttime Dancer took the field along at a sedate gallop.

As the pace began to lift down the straight, four horses still looked firmly into contention, with Pinhole, Candleford, Furthur and Epic Poet all on the scene passing the two pole.

However, after seeing the gap open like the Red Sea down towards the rail, Murphy pushed his mount to the head of affairs and too his credit, from there on in, Furthur kept up to gallop to run out a ready three-length winner over Epic Poet.

It was a first success for the Andrew Balding-trained three-year-old since his maiden victory at the same track in April and a clear bounce back to form for the son of Waldgeist, who had pushed the unbeaten Carmers to three parts of a length in the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot prior to his Newmarket flop.

"He was narrowly beaten in the Queen's Vase, and we had big hopes in the Bahrain Trophy, but it probably came too soon for him," said Balding on ITV Racing.

"He's had a nice break since and that was much more like it. He's not an overly enthusiastic horse in the morning but the team do a great job.

"The race at Ascot lit him up a bit and we went back too soon really. He relaxed beautifully today, Oisin rode him lovely, very pleased."

Furthur was cut to 16/1 from 50s for the final British Classic of the season, with Balding keen to allow his talented colt to take his chance.

He said: "I think so (head to the Leger), we've made the entry, and this is a trial as it were. Why not."

Balding also confirmed that his charge would head straight to Doncaster.