Colour Vision and Frankie Dettori survived a stewards' inquiry as they held off fellow Godolphin runner Opinion Poll to take top honours in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
The Italian rider had to choose between the pair earlier this week and many saw it as a surprise when he sided with Saeed bin Suroor's Colour Vision over the more established Opinion Poll.
Dettori settled the 6-1 chance on the heels of the leaders for much of the two-and-a-half-mile journey and quickened up well in the straight to take the lead.
Opinion Poll came from further back with a big challenge under Mickael Barzalona, but former Mark Johnston inmate Colour Vision held on by half a length.
The front two did come close together, but although the stewards immediately called an inquiry, the placings remained unaltered.
But while Aidan O'Brien's odds-on shot travelled nicely into the straight, he could not pick up from further back and was ultimately well beaten.
Formerly with Mark Johnston, Colour Vision had made an impressive debut for Bin Suroor in the rearranged Sagaro Stakes on the all-weather at Kempton, and Dettori clearly felt he was open to more progress than Opinion Poll, who was second in the race 12 months ago.
A further neck away from the Godolphin duo in third was the John Oxx-trained Saddler's Rock.
Like the winner, he ran an excellent race for a four-year-old, especially considering how hard he pulled in the early stages.
Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the Godolphin operation, was delighted to claim a one-two.
He said: "Whatever happened, they are two very good horses that finished first and second and that's a good thing.
"You have to wait a year to prepare your horse to come here and even the second horse ran a great race."
Of Dettori and Barzalona, he said: "They are two good jockeys. Frankie is great and Mikael is coming up this year."
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