Pyledriver made the perfect return to action with a successful comeback from injury in the Listed Betway Churchill Stakes at Lingfield

Absent since winning the Coronation Cup at Epsom in early June, the four-year-old warmed up for the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin next month with a pleasing display.

Pyledriver had to defy his Group One penalty, but strong late market support suggested he was ready to do himself justice. So it proved, as the 6-4 favourite put his rivals to the sword.

He was smartly out of the stalls for Martin Dwyer, although it was Fox Tal who soon took up the running. Pyledriver was always in the box seat after that and cruised into the lead on the home turn.

His lead diminished in the closing stages, but he was never in danger of being caught. Harrovian was beaten half a length in second place, with Felix a neck away third.

Pyledriver was well fancied for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July, but a late injury scuppered that option and the Harbour Watch colt had not recovered sufficiently to prepare for the Juddmonte International at York.

“This horse will never let you down. It doesn’t matter what ground, but he wasn’t fit. I left him purposely to improve,” William Muir, who trains Plyedriver together with Chris Grassick, told Sky Sports Racing

“He jumped out, Silvestre de Sousa (on Fox Tal) wanted to go on and we had the perfect sit, but the gears he showed turning in – he was gone – and then he was just getting tired. He’d every right to.

“You learn to be patient and this is a good horse. Every Sunday I’ve been up on the gallops with him for the last five weeks.

“He’s not fit, he’s 12 kilos over his racing weight. I wouldn’t have been worried if he’d have got beat today. My aim is Hong Kong. We’ve got to take on some proper horses, but we’ve given 7lb to top 100 per cent race-fit horses today and we’re not fit. That was one hell of a performance.”

Good Effort recorded back-to-back victories in the Betway Golden Rose Stakes with another dominant display.

Ismail Mohammed’s six-year-old skipped clear of the opposition on the home turn and ran out a ready winner of the six-furlong Listed contest.

The 11-8 favourite, ridden by Jim Crowley, won by two and a quarter lengths from the strong-finishing Judicial, who grabbed second place with Soldier’s Minute just a short head behind in third.

The Showcasing entire is now unbeaten in four starts on the Polytrack at the Surrey course.

“He’s a handy horse. He gets a bit lonely and kills his race off the bend. Even there, I had to keep him up to his work because I remember in Dubai when Frankie (Dettori) rode him he pulled up in front and just got caught,” said Crowley.

“He’s one of those horses who wins his races at halfway. He’s very fast, five furlongs or six, he’s got enough boot for both.

“He’s won in France and has run well in Dubai. He didn’t run too badly in Belmont last time. It didn’t work out for him. They went slow for an American race, which is unusual. He’s a grand servant.

“He’s a very quick horse. It will take a very quick one to beat him round here.”