Royal Ascot winner Sangarius defied a long absence to beat Bangkok and Dubai Warrior in the Betway Quebec Stakes at Lingfield

Sir Michael Stoute’s representative won the Hampton Court Stakes at the big meeting last season, but had been seen only once since then.

That was in the rearranged Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Haydock when he could finish only fourth – although later events proved he had a tough task against subsequent Prince of Wales’s winner Lord North.

He looked to face a big ask on his return too against the all-weather specialist Dubai Warrior, last year’s Winter Derby winner, but Ryan Moore always had him in the right place.

After he had just got the better of Dubai Warrior deep inside the final furlong, Bangkok came from off the pace to challenge – but the 5-1 chance held on by a nose, with a neck back to the favourite.

There were several minutes of drama after the tight finish, as a stewards’ inquiry was called, but the placings remained unaltered.