Docklands narrowly got the better of Rosallion in a thrilling climax to the Queen Anne Stakes.

A strong field of 10 runners went to post for the traditional Royal Ascot curtain-raiser, with the market dominated by the first four home in last month’s Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

Rosallion, who finished third at Newbury, was the 5/2 favourite to get back on the winning trail and looked set to oblige after being produced with a well-timed run by Sean Levey, but having been last out of the starting stalls before fighting his way to the front, Harry Eustace’s 14/1 shot Docklands refused to bend under Australian jockey Mark Zahra and clung on by a nose.

Harry Eustace said : "That was pretty sweet. It was tough watching and the photo was tough. He's been an absolute legend for us and if ever there was a track where you'd want a horse that's a specialist it's here because it's the best racing and it sounds boring but the work and the effort that everyone at home puts into our horses, that is the reason we're here and I can't thank them enough.

"More importantly I can't thank Terry and OTI enough. They got offered a huge amount of money after he won the Britannia and they wanted to enjoy a good racehorse and roll the dice and thankfully it has paid off.

"That's mainly thanks to him [coming back to form after global travels], he's got the most unbelievable mind and constitution. He loves being a racehorse, he loves it every single day, he's very competitive and I knew when he ran well first time back after all that travelling that he was going to run up to his best and possibly be better because it really hardened him up."

“I don’t know if it will sink in for a bit! There were a lot of nerve-wracking moments during the race, I have to say. I wasn’t happy with the pace early on; he did his usual thing, was a step slow, and I kept cursing him, if I’m honest. But he’s an absolute star, he loves this racetrack and because they went slow, they probably got racing a bit further out. It’s very special. When he was second here, we knew we were coming back for another go.

“At the furlong marker I thought Rosallion was really coming to us, but he was so brave in that last furlong. He has been frustrating, but only because I’ve felt he maybe deserved to win the odd race that he should have done, but luckily he loves this track

“It’s just all come together, as racing does, it all happened well. I feel for Richard Kingscote who’s been on him the last couple of times - there’s no drama there, it’s just that Mark [Zahra] has had this lined up for a little while. In a curious way, he got trapped in a pocket at Epsom and didn’t have a hard race, and came here spot on. I’m glad he got beat at Epsom and won at Ascot.

“There were multiple Group 1 winners in there, the Guineas winners from last year, we were the most exposed horse, probably, but he loves the track. That’s a big, big plus and he tries bloody hard!”