THE afternoon started well for favourite backers when Sir Michael Stoute’s Kings Fete and Ryan Moore had the better of a prolonged battle with the front-running Ayran to take the Group 3 Betfred Glorious Stakes over a mile and half.

Ayrad ran on most gamely when headed and was beaten by only three-quarters of a length at the line, but several of the others were very disappointing, including Elite Army and Mount Logan, who lost his unbeaten Goodwood record.

Many thought Kings Fete was unlucky in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he failed to find a gap late on and was involved in scrimmaging before finishing third. He had no difficulty turning the tables on runner-up Elite Army.

“To be fair, Kings Fete is a horse who has had his difficulties,” Moore said. “It has been a big effort to get him back at all really. I expected him to go by Roger Charlton’s horse a bit easier but it was a good performance. He is a lightly raced gelding and you would think there is more to come.”

Thikriyaat then gave Stoute a quick double in the Group 3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes over a mile.

There was some scrimmaging in the closing stages but, in the end, Paul Hanagan found a way through on the 9/4 favourite and won a shade cosily from Forge, also trained by Stoute, and Light Up Our World. The outcome paid a huge compliment to Ribchester, third in the Sussex Stakes and convincing winner of the Jersey Stakes, from yesterday’s winner and second.

Buratino again failed to see out the mile, while Godolphin’s Emotionless, who looked quite magnificent in the parade ring, dropped away after leading early on. It seems he will never recover his fine two-year-old form after sustaining the injury which curtailed last season.

“I didn’t think there was much between the winner and Forge,” Stoute commented. “Thikriyaat is an admirable horse, very tough and consistent. I think ideally he’d prefer a little juice in the ground. I was a little concerned when I saw him boxed in but then I thought the other one (Forge) would win so it wouldn’t have been a disastrous day!”

It looked a fiendishly difficult Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Nursery but, on a day that went very much their way, favourite backers got it right once again as James McDonald came from off the pace to win on 9/2 market leader Final Reckoning.

El Torito was the overall leader on that side with Top Score running fast down the centre. However, it was Mark Johnston’s Rusumaat who led two furlongs out, only to give way to the winner a furlong later. Final Reckoning was pressed all the way to the line but held Rusumaat by a neck with Top Score three-quarters of a length behind. The winner is clearly versatile, having made all at Yarmouth before coming from off the pace here.

Godolphin might have expected to win the next as well, but warm favourite Always Smile was never quite going the pace in the Group 3 L’Ormarin Queen’s Plate over seven furlongs – the former Oak Tree Stakes.Victory went to 12/1 shot Al Jazi, trained by Francois Rohaut and ridden by Gregory Benoist, the partnership which prevailed with 33/1 chance Amy Eria last year.

Moore and Stoute each brought up their own trebles in the last, when the 7/4 favourite Poet’s Word won by one and a quarter lengths from Sixties Groove.