Gleneagles has confirmed his status as Europe’s best three-year-old miler with an emphatic success in the St James’s Palace Stakes. Sent off the 8-15 favourite after his wins in the English and Irish Guineas, the colt readily saw off his four rivals to win by daylight under Ryan Moore.

The greatest threat came from the lightly raced Consort, who tried to make all under Frankie Dettori and had a handy lead until quite an advanced stage in the home straight. Gleneagles quickened smartly from the turn and by the final furlong it was clear he would land his third Group One prize of the season.

Godolphin’s Latharnach ran on from the back to be second at 25-1, beaten two and a half lengths. Make Believe, who had been allowed his own way in front when landing the French Guineas, failed to get competitive and finished last.

“It was a muddling race,” Moore said, “a bit messy early and Frankie got his own way in front but he [Gleneagles] made up three lengths there. He’s just a pleasure to ride and I think he’s getting better.”

Gleneagles gave his trainer, Aidan O’Brien, a seventh success in the race, which is a record among trainers.

Favourite-backers got off to a fine start for the meeting when Solow turned in a powerful display to land the opening Queen Anne Stakes at odds of 11-8. Slightly less expected was the one-two for France, as Freddy Head’s grey came home a length ahead of Esoterique from André Fabre’s yard.

Head saw the outcome as revenge for the success of a Newmarket horse in Sunday’s French Oaks. “You beat us in the Prix de Diane and we come and beat you now, it’s what you call the entente cordiale,” he said.

“He’s a lovely horse, great balance, great action, great mover, very easy to train, great mind. I think we will still have some more good days with him.”

Specifically, Head mentioned the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood later in the summer as a possible target but he seemed doubtful about a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup, feeling the tight track would be unlikely to suit Solow.

Night Of Thunder, the winner of last month’s Lockinge, faded disappointingly after making a challenging move in the last quarter-mile and he finished one place behind his stablemate Toormore. Four lengths further back was Able Friend, who had brought such a big reputation from Hong Kong but appeared to sweat up beforehand.

“It is not usual for him to get warm before a race,” said John Moore, Able Friend’s trainer. “He is usually very quiet but he has come away and is in a different environment and that may have been one of the telling factors.

“This is quite an expedition here and there is some thought that things like this might happen. He seems OK and we will get back to Hong Kong and start winning again there.”

Goldream won the King’s Stand Stakes, just poking his nose past the 50-1 shot Medicean Man on the line, with the well-backed Muthmir a close third. Sole Power ran a gallant race in fifth place but never looked like landing this prize for the third year in a row, in which case he would have become the oldest winner for 85 years at the age of eight.

Having flopped at Haydock last time, Goldream was allowed to start at 20-1. Robert Cowell, the winning trainer, once more earned the “Sprint King” title so often applied to him and explained there had been too much moisture in the Haydock surface for Goldream.

Asked about targets, Cowell said: “I don’t know yet, but obviously the Nunthorpe and maybe the Abbaye, but the ground has to be fast.”

The Coventry was won by the most experienced runner in Buratino, turning out for the sixth time, having been a winner on the first day of the Flat season in March. “Stepping him up in trip has obviously been the key,” said the winning trainer, Mark Johnston, who will consider seven furlongs for the horse later in the year.

Jim Bolger’s Round Two was a most disappointing favourite, being pushed along at halfway and finishing seventh.

The first paragraph was corrected to say that Gleneagles was confirmed as Europe’s best three-year-old miler