Battaash has colours lowered by Blue Point in King’s Stand at Ascot

James Doyle (all dark blue) rides Blue Point to win The Kings Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. Picture: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty

Billed as a match between the big two, it developed into everything fans wanted inside the final furlong – but Charlie Appleby’s five-year-old was pulling away at the line.

In the early stages Jim Crowley on Battaash was tracking Houtzen, but they were on their own and just after halfway Crowley took the decision to track over towards the main group.

As Blue Point moved to the head of that pack, Battaash travelled up strongly alongside him, only for James Doyle’s mount to see it out the strongest.

The 5-2 chance won by a length and a quarter, with Soldier’s Call just pipping Mabs Cross for third to prevent an identical result to last year.

Appleby said: “To do back-to-back wins in this race is fantastic, as I knew he’s going to have a great career at stud when he retires at the end of the season.

“During the winter we saw how much more professional he was. He’s strengthened and when [jockey] William [Buick] got off him after his first start in Dubai he said he was a different animal. He’s the finished article now.”

Doyle said: “It worked out very well, very smooth, just how we saw it on paper.

“I knew we’d have to do it on our own and while I wasn’t always in front, I was leading my batch and I thought it was a real testament to himself. Battaash came to him late on and he held him off. He’s more electric on faster ground, but he’s a real tough horse and the good ones go on anything.”

On standing in for the currently banned Buick, Doyle said: “This is why I’m in place, if things go wrong. It must be very difficult for Will being here watching the good horses, but I guess it will soften the blow knowing his best mate is riding them. He was one of the first to come over and give me a hug.”

In the following St James’s Palace Stakes, 10-1 shot Circus Maximus showed his adaptability when winning despite dropping back in trip. Last seen finishing sixth in the Investec Derby at Epsom, the Galileo colt needed to be supplemented at a cost of £45,000 for the Group One over a mile.

Having won the Dee Stakes over an extended 10 furlongs before his tilt at Classic glory, it was seen as a bold move by Aidan O’Brien running him over half a mile less.

Ryan Moore made his bid for home with two furlongs to run and Circus Maximus became embroiled in a battle with favourite Too Darn Hot but it was his John Gosden-trained stablemate King Of Comedy who got closest as Circus Maximus held on by a neck with Too Darn Hot three-quarters of a length away in third.

Earlier, last year’s runner-up Lord Glitters just prevailed in a blanket finish to the Queen Anne Stakes.

David O’Meara’s grey, who disappointed last time out in the Lockinge Stakes, was winning at the highest level for the first time.

Laurens made a bold bid for home and hit the front two furlongs out before William Haggas’ One Master hit the front only to falter in the final 100 yards.

That left Beat The Bank, another who ran poorly in the Lockinge, and Lord Glitters (14-1) to fight it out, with Danny Tudhope managing to get his grey head in front by a neck.