Canford Cliffs arrived at Royal Ascot with a score to settle and left at the top of the podium in the three-year-old miler division after proving his worth in the St James's Palace Stakes.
It is hard to believe it was exactly a year ago when Richard Hannon's colt blew his rivals away in the Coventry Stakes and it had taken until last month's Irish 2000 Guineas for him to register another victory.
But not only did he need to reverse placings with Makfi, Canford Cliffs' conqueror in the English 2000, he had also finished behind his own stablemate Dick Turpin both at Newmarket - when they were second and third - and in the Greenham Stakes.
With Makfi, the 11-4 joint-favourite with the winner, looking a shadow of his best, it was again Dick Turpin who proved the biggest danger but the Hannon team's one-two were divided by a comfortable length.
Richard Hughes' combination of patience and confidence are the perfect foil for the exuberance of Canford Cliffs and he sat motionless as the race began to develop around him and the line grew ever closer.
The gaps opened right on cue and the son of Tagula surged past Dick Turpin to take the Group One in style.
With Paco Boy just beaten by Goldikova in the Queen Anne and Strong Suit winning the Coventry later on, this was an afternoon to match the opening day of the 2009 meeting for Hughes and Hannon.
‘Canford Cliffs is a horse that just keeps getting better and better. It's one thing to win the Coventry but to come on and win this year is something else,’ said Hannon.
‘I feel very sorry for Dick Turpin - that's the third Group One he has finished runner-up in after the English and French Guineas.
‘He may be the bridesmaid but I'm lucky to have two horses as good as this pair.
‘With Paco and these two, I have three great milers and I'll have to keep them apart if I can. Canford Cliffs has got to go for Group Ones so I suppose the Sussex Stakes and the Jacques le Marois would be possibilities.’
Hughes added: ‘The most important thing I had to do was to get my horse to settle very early in the race, slip the bridle out and ride him a race.
‘I said all week I knew I was on the best horse, but I just needed a bit of luck in running.
‘I could afford to give them five lengths riding a horse like Canford Cliffs, but I could feel a shoe go turning for home and that was a bit of a worry.
‘He just might have hit a flat spot, I soon got him going again and he's beaten a very good horse in Dick Turpin too.
‘Being on him is like getting into a Rolls Royce instead of a Morris Minor. The difference is unbelievable.’
In an unusually-run race, the expected Aidan O'Brien pacemaker Encompassing missed the kick and Steinbeck ended up making most of the running but was swamped at the furlong marker.
Hearts Of Fire had been restrained for much of the race but he stayed on purposefully in third, justifying trainer Pat Eddery's decision to run the 33-1 shot.
The trainer's brother Robert said: ‘It's a big improvement on his Guineas run (at Newmarket). He's been working better of late and we were hopeful of getting a place in what is probably the best Group One of the season so far.
‘The plan is now to go to the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly as long as he is fit and well.’
Siyouni made up a huge amount of ground in the final furlong to snatch fourth from the American raider Noble's Promise.
‘It's difficult to go down the outside but he has run very well,’ said Siyouni's trainer Alain De Royer-Dupre.
Meanwhile, US trainer Kenny McPeek reflected: ‘He was only beaten two or three lengths but he really did look like he was a little unlucky.
‘Kieren Fallon said he felt the horse was a little confused on the right-hand turn and he kind of lost his spot.’
Makfi was only seventh of the nine and his jockey Olivier Peslier reported: ‘He was running a good race until turning into the straight. I tried to go on the outside but there was no power - he found nothing.’
