But all the time, Pleasantly Perfect – who was ridden closer to the pace than normal by Alex Solis – had the leader in his sights.

With two furlongs left to run in the Emirates-sponsored contest, Solis asked his mount to go and catch his rival and the race was on.

When Pleasantly Perfect drew alongside, Medaglia D’Oro bravely dug deep and rallied as he threatened to regain the lead, and for some 250 yards they matched strides.

But his fighting effort proved in vain as the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner repeated the form of that race by edging ahead in the final stages to score by three-quarters of a length.

Victory Moon was clear best of the rest, five lengths back in third, while Grand Hombre ran a fine race on his debut for Godolphin in staying on to take fourth.

It was a thrilling conclusion to a race which had been billed all week as a showdown between the first two home.

Medaglia D’Oro’s rider Jerry Bailey was the first to pay tribute to the winner, who clocked the second-fastest race-time ever.

“My horse ran an amazing race,” he said. “He kicked on the bend, he kicked again when they came at him, but he still couldn’t hold him off. The winner must be some horse.”

He then walked over to successful trainer Richard Mandella and held out a hand of congratulation.

“We’ve come close in this race before, but I have always believed that in racing if you keep trying then you will get there and I had a lot of faith in this horse,” said Mandella, who dedicated the victory to his mentor, former trainer Lefty Nickerson, who died last night.

“Pleasantly Perfect had it tough as a baby but it demanded that we give him time, and that was probably a blessing,” went on Mandella.

He was referring to a viral infection and heart problem that kept the horse off the course as a two and three-year-old.

But since belatedly starting his racing career, Pleasantly Perfect has continually improved and even missing his intended prep race at Santa Anita earlier in the month proved to be no problem to the late-developing six-year-old.

“He got a temperature and the blood test showed that there had been a slight virus in his system, but he got over it quick and he showed no sign this week that anything was bothering him,” the trainer explained.

“We will go home now, rest him up and then we’ll figure out some kind of prep for the Breeders’ Cup again.”

Solis, who was completing a double after an earlier win in the Golden Shaheen on Our New Recruit, described it as “a race I will never forget”.

“He came out of the gate so well that I could have had the lead if I had wanted and I was in a great spot all the way.

“I think the manoeuvre that won him the race came at the 800-metre mark, where I asked him to go and catch the other horse.

“I knew that he would be really tough to get past, so I didn’t want to leave it too late.

“This horse really goes for it when you hit him left-handed, so I saved it up for as long as I could and then 150 metres out I gave him one smack on the left and he gave me everything.

“He is an incredible horse and he is getting better. I have been watching him train all week and he looked so good. Today in the paddock he was so shiny and hopping round – he just seemed so happy to be here.

“Early in his career he really took some riding. It was like learning to ride a bicycle because you kept falling off.

“But now he really wants to go and today he was like a dream all the way.”

South African trainer Mike De Kock, who sent out two winners on the supporting card, never really looked like making it three.

But he was far from despondent with taking third place and said: “We came into the straight four lengths behind and he was just never going to catch them.

“But I’m not complaining. They were two great horses and it was a hell of a race.

“We’ll talk about plans over a couple of beers in the bar tonight.”