So You Think repays belief

On so many occasions in sport the anticipation is greater than the event, with David Haye's lacklustre points defeat at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg a case in point.

Unfortunately, racing does not measure up when it comes to promoting such mouthwatering clashes, but there is no doubt we saw two true champions slugging it out in Esher.

So You Think was a multiple winner at Group One level Down Under but many doubted whether he was really up to competing against the best Europe had to offer following his shock defeat in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien was quick to blame himself after his narrow reverse at the hands of Rewilding, admitting he felt the five-year-old was slightly undercooked, but some considered it as more of an excuse than a viable reason. Those doubts did not stop him being sent off favourite to beat last year's Derby and Arc winner Workforce, however, with the Ballydoyle betting boys seemingly intent on recouping their Royal Ascot losses.

Workforce, a ready winner of the Brigadier Gerard Stakes over course and distance on his first start of the year, was the first of the big two to commit for home, and for a long way it appeared he had seen off his rival.

But 4-6 shot So You Think and Seamie Heffernan made giant strides in the final furlong to get up by half a length and confirm himself a colt out of the very top drawer.

O'Brien is in no rush to commit his charge to a next target, but he did raise the intriguing possibility of So You Think returning to Australia to bid for a third victory in the Cox Plate.

"He was where we hoped to have him in Ascot, but those things don't always work out. He's a smart horse and Ascot left him right for today," said O'Brien. "He's got a lot of options now, he could go back to Australia for something like the Cox Plate, but we are trying to get the quarantine sorted and it's not that simple.

"Otherwise, there is the Irish Champion Stakes and the Juddmonte International. He's a horse who gets a mile and a quarter but has a miler's pace. As long as he settles, with the speed that he has, the sky is always going to be the limit."

Workforce's trainer Sir Michael Stoute was far from despondent following his four-year-old's defeat. "The winner's a very good horse and ours is a very good horse. You have to be pleased with that, as his best form is over a mile and a half," said Stoute.

"You would have to go for the Arc again, and we'll have to see what races we take in the interim.It would be nice (to go to the King George], but he's a big fella and the ground they produced at Ascot last year was too fast."

Away from the feature event the day belonged to Andrew Balding, who secured a 500-1 treble on the card. Night Carnation (11-2) kicked off the hat-trick in the Coral Charge, while Highland Knight (10-1) took the valuable Coral Challenge and 6-1 shot Chiberta King landed the Coral Marathon.