Inner City Blues justified odds-on favouritism to win the Group 2 Kingdom of Bahrain July Stakes, coming away powerfully from his two rivals close home.

Charlie Appleby’s colt delivered a first winner for the trainer in the race, taking over at the head of affairs from the front-running Adaay Of Scarlett a furlong out and powering clear near the line.

William Buick’s mount, following up his York maiden victory on debut, looked a colt of some potential clearing away by a length and a quarter from the Hugo Palmer-trained runner-up.

Phillip Makin’s Epsom scorer Hickory Lad was third.