The pair duelled down the straight and Sly’s charge was allowed to keep the mile race despite having drifted right into Montpellier through the final furlong, with a head separating the duo at the post.

Sly said of the gelding, who was completing a hat-trick on the all-weather: “He keeps going up in the handicap and will be difficult to place soon, but he likes the all-weather and has won on it five times now.”