It was all rather pleasant. Jarvis has now held a licence for over three decades and there have been major results along the way, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1989 with Carroll House and another French incursion when Holding Court collected last season's Prix du Jockey Club.Yesterday, though, was the apex. There was no exhibition from the man though, just the gentle glow of a job well done. "This is my 33rd year of training and it's a marvellous feeling to have won a Classic here at last," he said. "I know I have won the Arc and a lot of other big races here and abroad, but when you are English and have been training here for as long as I have it is a bit special to have won one of our Classics. I thought I might have been running out of time."Ameerat, in her trainer's image, was no stand-out in the paddock Others took the eye.

Muwakleh was well conditioned if not typically Godolphin burnished, while Ameerat was pleasing if not imposing. That distinction belonged to Crystal Music and Karasta, huge bookends to Dora Carrington and Enthused in the parade ring.Muwakleh was bounced out of the stalls swiftly by Frankie Dettori, who channelled his filly over to the rails. Sayedah was a brief companion and Arhaaff was also prominent for a time, but this was a contest in which few runners got to the main table.Karasta ran the dirtiest race, slogging away at the rear on the inside rail, her head cocked unco-operatively The uneasy 9-2 favourite plodded home in 13th. Up front, Muwakleh and Ameerat staged a private duel for the last two furlongs, which at least allowed some satisfaction for Sheikh Mohammed at the end of a dreadful week. Muwakleh, the neck runner-up, suggested that Godolphin are emerging from the desert, while Ameerat is the property of the youngest of the Maktoum brothers, Sheikh Ahmed.But this was a day for Michael Jarvis. A hugely respected figure in Newmarket, he hit the outer bull when Meadowville was second to Nijinsky in the 1970 St Leger and Noushkey occupied a similar position behind Ramruma in the Oaks two years ago.

Now, at the age of 62, a big one is in the bag.Even the name of his yard creates a misleading impression. Kremlin Lodge should be the lair of a martinet, not the yard of a quietly spoken, bespectacled figure. "I've always said he is the professionals' professional," Robinson said "It's a real joy to work for him and watch him at work. He trains every horse as an individual, which is what makes him a terrific trainer. He lets the results speak for him."This was a third British Classic for the jockey following Pebbles in the 1984 1,000 Guineas and Bob's Return in the 1993 St Leger. The former champion apprentice remains the only British jockey to have won the Hong Kong championship.Robinson and Jarvis quietly celebrated the Classic moment, in the knowledge that this would probably be Ameerat's only day The distance of the Oaks looks beyond her. "I would have to have a big doubt about her getting a mile and a half," Robinson said.

"It would be wonderful to think that she would stay in view of the speed that she obviously has, but I have to say that I think she would not get the trip."I've been looking forward to this race for such a long time that it's a relief to get it over."Two weeks ago Ameerat would not have won a Guineas. Only in the last few days has she shown the effervesence and glowing exterior of a filly who has shaken off the winter dust The gallops performances arrived late "Everything has come right on the day She has peaked," Jarvis said. "She has always shown a huge amount of talent ­ she's the best filly I've had ­ but I would doubt whether she would stay a mile and a half She races like a miler."The Oaks, though, does not matter. It was yesterday that the mission was skilfully, modestly and popularly accomplished.OAKS (Epsom, 8 June): Coral Eurobet: 5-1 Ameerat & Muwakleh, 7-1 Flight Of Fancy, 10-1 Crystal Music & Rayyana, 12-1 Autumn Rhythm, Mot Juste & Summer Symphony; Ladbrokes: 6-1 Flight Of Fancy & Muwakleh, 12-1 Ameerat & Summer Symphony, 16-1 Rayyana; Tote: 8-1 Flight Of Fancy, 12-1 Ameerat & Autumn Rhythm, 16-1 Imagine, Inchiri, Mot Juste & Muwakleh; William Hill: 6-1 Flight Of Fancy, 7-1 Muwakleh, 14-1 Autumn Rhythm, Mot Juste & Tarfshi..

Appropriately for a man whose game is so dominated by mood swings, Ronnie O'Sullivan put his supporters through most shades of emotion in the final of the Embassy World Championships. However, having seen their man establish a healthy 10-6 lead, their last and overriding feeling at the Crucible this evening is likely to be one of joy. Appropriately for a man whose game is so dominated by mood swings, Ronnie O'Sullivan put his supporters through most shades of emotion in the final of the Embassy World Championships. However, having seen their man establish a healthy 10-6 lead, their last and overriding feeling at the Crucible this evening is likely to be one of joy. O'Sullivan, a depressive who began the championships by wondering aloud about retirement, began by hurtling into a 6-2 interval lead against John Higgins, whose game seemed to be suffering the after-effects of his epic semi-final with Matthew Stevens.However, after the break, a certain raggedness returned to O'Sullivan's game and Higgins, while never threatening to scale the heights he had achieved against Stevens had enough grit to claw his way back to 7-5 down by the session break; only for Essex Man to announce himself with an awesomely executed break of 99, which an attempted double just failed to turn into a century. He made amends with exactly 100 at the earliest possible opportunity to restore the four-frame advantage.After his semi-final victory, Higgins confessed to having had far fewer nerves when adrift. "If you are in front, you are always trying to protect the lead, whereas if you're behind, you know you've got to play well and you're just going for your shots." He will have to prove that this afternoon if he is to have any hope of reclaiming the title he took here in 1998.A smoothly-executed 135 in the sixth frame, the first century of the final and another chiselled-out hundred towards the end, seemed to prove his theory more fluently than words ever could but for the "Wizard of Wishaw" they were to be isolated pieces of magic.For someone whose appearance in a Sheffield final has been so long anticipated many wondered how O'Sullivan would cope when the time came. Jimmy White, the man to whom O'Sullivan is most frequently compared, famously won none of his Crucible finals, too often becoming worn down by nerves and "losing to mugs".Higgins, with 14 ranking titles under his belt by the age of 25, is nobody's mug but although he spent a similar time at the table to his opponent found his errors invariably costly.