Kyprios beat Trawlerman in a thrilling Gold Cup duel at Royal Ascot to become only the third horse to regain the title.
The 2022 winner, who missed the race with a serious injury last year, prevailed by a length under Ryan Moore for trainer Aidan O’Brien.
Kyprios, sent off the 11-10 favourite, came out on top after a gripping battle up the home straight, with Sweet William in third.
It was a ninth win in the week’s biggest race for O’Brien, who was described as a “genius” by Michael Tabor, one of the winning owners.
Kyprios hit the front approaching the final furlong and fended off the challenge of Trawlerman, under William Buick for John and Thady Gosden.
“He’s more value than his winning distance,” said Moore.
Trawlerman had beaten Kyprios on softer ground at Ascot on British Champions Day in October.
“That’s what you like to see – a ding-dong right to the line at the end of a Gold Cup. Having nailed him on the mud, Kyprios beat us on the fast ground today,” said John Gosden, who also trains Sweet William.
Moore passes Dettori for Royal Ascot wins
Moore and O’Brien also teamed up to win the Ribblesdale Stakes with 12-1 shot Port Fairy.
Port Fairy tracked the pacesetting Oaks fourth You Got To Me before moving towards the front with two furlongs to go and fighting back after being briefly passed by eventual runner-up Lava Stream.
It meant Moore surpassed Frankie Dettori (81) as the active jockey with most wins at Royal Ascot, trailing only the late Lester Piggott in the all-time standings (116).
Going The Distance won the King George V Stakes for jockey Rossa Ryan and trainer Ralph Beckett.
The 9-1 shot, claiming a fourth successive victory, won by half a length from Neski Sherelski with the first two drawn widest of all in 18 and 19.
Gilded Water, watched by owners King Charles and Queen Camilla, was sent off the 5-1 favourite but finished 12th.
Shareholder (12-1) gave trainer Karl Burke a second victory with a juvenile at the 2024 meeting in the Norfolk Stakes as Aidan O’Brien’s 10-11 favourite Whistlejacket finished fourth.
James Doyle was on board the victor, who had made a winning debut at Beverley just 12 days earlier. It was a second success of the week for owners Wathnan Racing, headed by Sheikh Tamim, the emir of Qatar.