Royal Ascot reports: Coroebus clings on in St James's Palace

The three-year-old got a gap up the rail at just the right time, just as William Buick might have been forgiven for starting to panic.

However, once he found a passage the 10-11 favourite failed to quicken away like he had done in the Guineas, as Lusail stuck to his guns gamely and My Prospero was only narrowly behind in third.

The unlucky one, though, was Maljoom, who got no run from the back of the pack and ended up in front two strides after the line, so fast did he finish.

Buick said: “You have to enjoy these good horses and I’m privileged to get on these good horses, but at the same time it’s a case of getting the job done.

“It was one of those races where it was tricky. He had a good draw, but a good draw can turn into a bad draw very quickly. He travelled so strong and I just wanted him to drop his head.

“In the straight I had no option to go when I did and I got a lovely run through. He’s a very good horse.

“You are supposed to enjoy it but you do want to get the job done.”

Appleby said: “We knew coming into today it would be a different style of a race. I just wish the pace had been stronger.

“On the turn it allowed him to get a breather but his class and determination got us over the line.

“We’ll have discussions about the future, but the Sussex (Stakes) is there as an option and the Prix Jacques le Marois is another.

“I’m sure a clash with Baaeed is something that we’d all need to discuss, but Sheikh Mohammed never shies away from a challenge.”

Smooth success for Baaeed in Queen Anne

Baaeed ensured Royal Ascot 2022 started with a bang as he produced another dominant display in the curtain-raising Queen Anne Stakes

Unbeaten in seven previous starts and so impressive on his seasonal reappearance in the Lockinge at Newbury last month, the William Haggas-trained four-year-old was sent off the 1-6 favourite under Jim Crowley.

Always travelling powerfully over the straight mile, the Sea The Stars colt quickened smartly two furlongs out and soon stamped his authority on the Group One contest as he kicked comfortably clear.

Baaeed only had to be pushed out hands and heels in the closing stages to score by a length and three-quarters, with the front-running Real World a clear second, just as he was in the Lockinge.

Haggas was a relieved man afterwards – and pointed towards York’s Juddmonte International in August for an eagerly-awaited step to a mile and quarter.

He said: “He won nicely, he didn’t really do a lot really.

“He looked like he tracked the right horse, the other horse ran well actually, but I don’t think he was extended fully.

“You can’t learn anything from that, he travels well and settles well and that’s pretty important if you’re going up in trip.

“I’ll speak to Sheikha Hissa and Angus (Gold, racing manager), but I think we are all keen to give it (stepping up in trip) a go and that will be at York and there’s potentially Goodwood (Sussex Stakes) in the meantime.

“He’s obviously a good miler and he’s bred to get further so I think we’d like to try and I think it would be remiss of us not to. It would be the easy option to stay at a mile.”

Bradsell lands Coventry for Doyle and Watson

Hollie Doyle steered Bradsell to a decisive victory in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A relatively cheap breeze-up purchase at £47,000, Archie Watson’s youngster made a big impression on his racecourse debut at York when winning by nine lengths with his head in his chest.

The son of Tasleet had significantly more on his plate stepping up to Group Two level, but proved more than up to the task under his record-breaking rider.

Always positioned wide from his low draw in stall two, Bradsell (8-1) moved smoothly towards the front end with two furlongs to go when Doyle made a bold bid for home.

It proved the right move as her mount soon found top gear to take a couple of lengths out of the field and from that point he never really looked in any danger of being reeled in.

The well-fancied Persian Force did best of the closing pack to fill the runner-up spot, but was a length and a half behind at the line.

Watson said: “I was probably a bit worried when it looked like the near side had won in front, he’s had to do it the hard way but he’s travelled into it supremely well.

“I said to Hollie to try to get a lead from those around you for as long as possible and that was as far as they took him into the race, he did hit the front two down and it’s a long way from home, but he kept going and he’s a supremely talented horse.

“It looked like a strong Coventry, I said to my fiance last night that what wins this in daylight will be a very good horse and it looks like he is.

“It’s massive, it’s our second Royal Ascot winner after Soldier’s Call. We had a bad old day here last year when Dragon Symbol was demoted and we subsequently lost the horse, it means a lot.”