It was billed as the race of the meeting and no one was left disappointed - except, perhaps, connections of the beaten horses - as Fantastic Light lived up to his tag of world champion to follow in the footsteps of Dubai Millennium and land the Prince Of Wales's Stakes under Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot yesterday.
He may not be a Dubai Millennium but the horse who has collected more air miles than Alan Whicker during the past two years looked a fair replacement for Godolphin's late, great colt as he demolished his world-class rivals to record a two-and-a-half-length victory over Breeders' Cup Turf winner Kalanisi.
French raider Hightori was three-quarters of a length away in third with Observatory back in fourth.
After travelling the world - from Dubai to Hong Kong via the United States, Canada and Japan - throughout last year in a programme which culminated in him clinching the Emirates World Series by landing the Hong Kong International Cup, Fantastic Light added his first Group One event in England to the Tattersalls Gold Cup he won at the Curragh last month, breaking Godolphin's duck at this year's meeting.
"That was wonderful to see," declared the organisation's supremo Sheikh Mohammed after greeting his winner. "When Frankie say go, he go, go and go. He is a very, very good horse and what we want to do is take on the best of the best with him."
The best of the best includes Vodafone Derby winner Galileo, who Sheikh Mohammed rates very highly. "We would love to have Galileo. What he did at Epsom was very special but it remains to be seen what will happen when he drops back to a mile and a quarter from a mile and half," he said.
"It is wonderful for us at Godolphin to have a horse like Fantastic Light and he showed a remarkable turn of speed to win the way he did."
Although Sheikh Mohammed had suggested he was considering running the son of Rahy in next month's Coral Eurobet-Eclipse Stakes over yesterday's mile and a quarter trip before returning to Ascot for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, for which he is as low as 7 to 4 (William Hill), Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford confirmed this year's main targets for Fantastic Light would be the top mile and a half races. "He will go for the King George and then the Arc," he said. "We'll see how he comes out of this race before making a decision on the Eclipse."
Favourite-backers had more luck in the Jersey Stakes as Mozart - backed from a morning offer of 9 to 2 into 7 to 4 and described as "the banker of the meeting" by owner Michael Tabor - made most and held off Aldebaran by a neck.
It continued the tremendous run of Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O'Brien who had enjoyed a first-day double.
And jockey Michael Kinane, who missed the winning rides on Black Minnaloushe and Landseer on Tuesday as he partnered beaten stable-companions, was able to join in the celebrations this time.
Mozart is now 3 to 1 favourite for the six-furlong July Cup with the Tote and O'Brien said: "He is a really fast horse. This horse works unbelievably - I have never seen a horse with the pace to work like he has been. We always knew the last half-furlong would be the question mark here but his courage made him hold on."
Bookmakers breathed a huge sigh of relief after a monster gamble on the Kieren Fallon-partnered Tough Speed came unstuck. But the four-year-old (backed down to 3 to 1) never threatened to reward his supporters and trailed in ninth.
Instead Ed Dunlop's Surprise Encounter, the 8 to 1 second favourite, quickened smartly from off the pace under Frankie Dettori to land the cavalry charge by an emphatic two and a half lengths from Big Result, with Muchea another half length away in third.
