THE only race that went wrong for Roger Varian’s highly progressive Defoe last season was the St Leger at Doncaster. Normal service was resumed at Newbury as he made 5/4 look a very generous price in the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes, registered as the John Porter.

Swinging off the bridle as they turned for home, Defoe easily picked off Danehill Kodiac and the willing What About Carlo, and was merely pushed out by Andrea Atzeni to score by two and a half lengths.