Racing:Frankel retained his unbeaten record - seven wins from seven starts - after landing the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot this afternoon. Earlier Canford Cliffs confined Goldikova to second place in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes opener.
Frankel failed to reproduce the remarkable performance that saw him runaway with the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and only had three quarters of a length in hand at the line.
Tom Queally sent his colt in pursuit of pacemaker Rerouted fully four furlongs from home and it looked as though the son of Galileo was set for another wide margin success.
However, he began to tire in the final furlong and a half and had to dig deep to repel the challengers.
Zoffany was his nearest pursuer at the line with German Guineas winner Excelebration in third with Neebras in fourth.
In the Queen Anne Stakes,
Richard Hannon's stable star Canford Cliffs received a cool ride from Richard Hughes who stalked the superstar French mare before unleashing his colt to challenge inside the final furlong.
The son of Tagula had to work hard to get past the 13 time Group One winner but managed to pull a length clear of the Olivier Peslier ridden six year old.
Goldikova had got the better of another Hannon trained runner, Paco Boy, in this race 12 months ago but connections of the winner were bullish about their chances of gaining revenge and their faith was justified.
Goldikova's pacemaker Flash Dance and Cape Blanco ensured that this was run at a good pace but the principals were always travelling comfortably in behind.
Rio De La Plata moved to the front travelling well on the inside but he soon came off the bridle as the big two cruised past.
Cityscape tried hard to close on the outside but was never quite getting there although his third place finish was a career best performance from Roger Charlton's lightly raced five year old.
However, Canford Cliffs and Goldikova always looked to have the race between them as they settled down for a terrific duel with the younger horse prevailing.
Winning trainer Hannon said: "He's a very good horse. We had to take her on. She's obviously a very good horse too. We had two good pacemakers in there and we followed her through.
"He's got a very high cruising speed but also a great turn of foot. That's the great thing. He's a very special horse to us."
Hughes added: "Olivier rode a great race to be fair. He wouldn't kick and I couldn't kick until he kicked. We did quicken a lot in the last two furlongs, that was the quickest part of the race.
"I've said since the first day I rode him he was an amazing horse.
"I didn't want to miss the kick and I got lucky that I landed behind Goldikova and I was riding with gentlemen like Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori who could have made it difficult for me, they didn't and I got right in her slipstream.
"He's an amazing horse. The best I've ever ridden."
Prohibit provided Robert Cowell with the biggest success of his career by flashing home to win the King's Stand Stakes.
The Jim Crowley-ridden winner (7-1) came from way back to keep the prize in England as he was followed home by three overseas raiders.
Australian runner Star Witness was another fast finisher and claimed second, half a length away, while Sweet Sanette, trained in Hong Kong, looked to have the race in the bag but weakened inside the final 100 yards to be third. Hungarian superstar Overdose was fourth.
Cowell said: "I cannot believe this has just happened - I'm just overwhelmed. I'm so proud. I've taken a bit of flack from people saying I run him too much, but he thrives on his racing.
"He goes into the paddock and within four days he'll have put all the weight back on that he lost in the race before. It takes nothing out of him and he's a game, game horse. This is the best day of my racing life without a shadow of a doubt.
Crowley added: "They went a good gallop and this horse is clearly improving all the time. He's run four times in about four weeks, so he clearly loves his racing. I was travelling really well a furlong and a half out and I wanted to try and come between horses.
"It worked out well as I wasn't too crowded but I could get a run at the same time. To be fair to the horse, when he hit the front he picked up by himself. It's my first winner here and I was born in the hospital just across the road, so it's nice."
Aidan O'Brien's well backed Power won the Group Two Coventry Stakes.
Unbeaten in two starts, Power was stepping back up in trip after scoring narrowly in a Listed race over five furlongs at the Curragh.
The Oasis Dream colt needed every yard of the trip to repel the challenge of Roman Soldier by a neck with St Barths narrowly taking third from Lethal Force one and a quarter lengths further behind.
Power provided O'Brien with his first winner in the juvenile contest since Henrythenavigator was successful in 2007.
"Ryan gave him a great ride and he's a tough horse. It's tough out there," O'Brien said. "He won his maiden over six furlongs at the Curragh and then won the Marble Hill over five furlongs. He's a big, powerful, strong horse and he has the physique already. Most horses at two have to progress, but he has it already.
"I spoke to Ryan on the way in and asked him if he would stay further and he said no problem. All things are open to him. He could go back to the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh. Looking at him you'd think he'll get further. It's a relief for everybody (to have a winner). Everyone works very hard and puts a lot into it.
"It's great to have a winner here - it's a very special meeting."
Eddie Ahern and Veiled won the two and a half mile Ascot Stakes.
Ahern came in for a spare ride aboard the Nicky Henderson trained runner as Kieren Fallon was sidelined due to a neck injury. He had few concerns aboard the five-year-old mare who won well at Newmarket last time on her return to racing on the Flat and was looking round for dangers in the final quarter of a mile as he had long time leader Ermyn Lodge in his sights.
Ermyn Lodge kept on well to finish second ahead of outsider Phoenix Flight and 7-2 favourite Zigato in fourth. The favourite looked an unlucky loser as he made up a great deal of late ground under William Buick having come from a long way off the pace.
Better known as the trainer of big winners at Cheltenham, Henderson said: "Cheltenham and Ascot are as big as it gets. She was always travelling well. She was bound to like the trip, she was very impressive over two and a half at Cheltenham but we had to bring her back to a mile and six at Newmarket to move her up the handicap to make sure she got in today.
"I said to Kieren, who was going to ride her today, to win by as far as he liked because we needed a few extra pounds."
Ahern said: "I thought beforehand we had a really big chance but the only thing I was worried about was on the way out everyone was saying 'come on Fallon'! I knew nothing nothing was coming on my left so I was having a look at the big screen to see if anything was coming there."