And the stunning victory of Iffraaj in what is always one of the biggest betting heats of the five days was a fitting conclusion.

The Michael Jarvis-trained colt cost the bookmaking industry something in the region of £1m (€1.5m) in ante-post bets, having been available at 9-1 when the book on the big handicap opened but who was down to 9-4 favourite at the off.

He did not let his supporters down and was ridden with great confidence by Philip Robinson, who tracked the front-running Royal Storm before sending the market leader to the front two furlongs from home.

Beckermet (16-1) emerged from the pack as a serious challenger but Iffraaj was always holding too many guns and drew clear to score impressively by two lengths, with Peter Paul Rubens the same distance back in third. Talbot Avenue (50-1) was fourth.

The victory went some way to erasing the memory of Rakti’s defeat in the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday for Jarvis.

He said: “I thought Rakti and this horse were my best chances.

“Rakti ran very well, he was beaten by a very good horse and things didn’t go our way. But everything has gone right today.

“Iffraaj could be better than a handicapper but it’s nice to get this one under your belt first. I like progression.

“He did travel well. They started dropping away and Philip had to go. I could see we had everything beaten on his side and I was wondering if one could come from this side and one did to chase him a bit. But he was always holding him.

“He’s a beautiful-looking horse and I was a little worried about the ground because it is extremely firm today and one never knows how they are going to react.

“He obviously deserves a lift in grade and that lift could be the July Cup because there doesn’t seem to be one outstanding sprinter.

“Each big sprint appears to be won by a different horse.”

Cape Of Good Hope capped a fine week for overseas raiders as he struck for Hong Kong in the Golden Jubilee Stakes.

Mick Kinane brought the 6-1 shot home to edge out Galeota in a time that took 0.24sec off the course record.

The seven-year-old extended his already-substantial lead in the Global Sprint Challenge by winning the second of two British legs in the six-race series.

And the result tied up another loose end, with victory also providing Kinane with his fifth win at the five-day meeting to seal the London Clubs Trophy for leading rider.

He went on to make it six later in the afternoon when Notable Guest won the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.

Kinane had been booked to ride Somnus, but switched to Cape Of Good Hope - ironically meaning Robinson missed out on a big-race double – when Tim Easterby’s horse was one of five late withdrawals with the ground riding very fast.

Fourth in the King’s Stand Stakes over the minimum trip on Tuesday, the David Oughton-trained Cape Of Good Hope was always travelling well as Galeota attempted to make all the running.

Richard Hannon’s charge looked for a long way as though he might hold on, but Cape Of Good Hope just proved too strong in the closing stages. Balmont, the 9-2 favourite, was third.

Trained 10,000 miles away in Hong Kong he may be, but Cape Of Good Hope could be considered a British winner in many respects as Oughton trained for five years in his home county of Sussex before relocating to Hong Kong, where he has been based for 19 years.

Similarly, Cape Of Good Hope started out life with David Elsworth before being sold privately to join Oughton in the Far East at the end of his three-year-old career.

“It’s a great day for me to come home and have a winner. It means an awful lot,” said Oughton.

“He’s so tough, and a marvellous horse to train.

“He’s been all over the world – to Australia, Japan and England twice – and he’s just a really tough horse.

“I wouldn’t make a habit of running him twice in a week. He’s now done it twice at Ascot, but normally in Hong Kong he would have six weeks between races.

“Coming all this way we take a chance and run him twice in a week, and it’s come off.”

The winner will now enjoy a welcome break from the action after his return home.

“He flies back on Monday and then he won’t run until the Sprinters Stakes in Japan in October,” said Oughton.

“After that it will be the big sprint in Hong Kong in December and then the two races in Australia that make up the start of the Sprint Challenge.”

There was a hugely popular local success when Titus Alone out speeded his rivals under Kevin Darley in the Windsor Castle Stakes to give Thirsk trainer Bryan Smart his first winner at the Royal meeting.

On his return to the winner’s enclosure Titus Alone and Darley were given a rapturous welcome.

“It’s Yorkshire and Kevin is a Yorkshire jockey,” said an emotional Smart as he greeted his winner. “It’s my first Royal Ascot winner, it feels fantastic and with it being at York it’s even better.

“All year we’ve been saying ‘please let’s have one good enough to go there’ and we’ve had two. We were fourth in the Coventry on Tuesday with Sir Xaar.”