BELARDO bounced back to his best to provide Godolphin with successive wins in the £350,000 Group One Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes (3.55pm) on a superb afternoon of racing at Newbury on Saturday.

The four-year-old, jointly owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s racing operation and Prince A A Faisal, was crowned Europe’s champion juvenile in 2014 following victory in the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket prior to a frustrating campaign last year.

Sent off an 8/1 chance after finishing a never-nearer fourth in the Group Two 365 Mile at Sandown Park, the Roger Varian-trained colt broke slowly for Andrea Atzeni but travelled well towards the rear of the 12 runners before swooping to take the advantage with about half a furlong left.

He went clear in the closing stages for a length success over 12/1 shot Euro Charline (Marco Botti/Ryan Moore), with a neck back to Irish raider Endless Drama (8/1, Ger Lyons/Colin Keane). The winning time was 1m 38.18s on ground changed before racing to Good, Good to Soft in places.

The 3/1 favourite Limato (Henry Candy/Harry Bentley) kept on to take fourth with last year’s runner-up Toormore (9/2, Richard Hannon/James Doyle) fading to fifth after leading for a couple of furlongs when the Godolphin pacemaker Barchan dropped out with three furlongs remaining.

It was a record seventh success for Godolphin in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes, with their previous winners having included Cape Cross (1998), Farhh (2013) and last year’s victor Night Of Thunder.

Varian admitted: “Belardo salvaged his career last year when chasing home Solow at Ascot and that really told us that we ought to keep him in training. To win a race like this is why connections have kept him in training, so I am delighted for Sheikh Mohammed and his Godolphin operation and Prince Faisal. They have kept patience with the trainer and have been rewarded now.

“I have always kept faith in the horse because his work at home was outstanding and he has got masses of talent. We messed him around a bit last year, to be fair. We had him ready for races and then we didn’t run because of the firm ground. We dropped him back to six furlongs at Haydock but he is not a sprinter."

He continued: “He will certainly be trained for Royal Ascot now and, God willing, we get there in one piece.”

Astronereus was sent off the 14/1 outsider of five for the £100,000 Group Three Al Rayyan Stakes (2.45pm) over 12 furlongs but the Amanda Perrett-trained five-year-old recorded the biggest success of his career on his Pattern debut with a game victory.

With 4/6 favourite Eagle Top finding little under pressure, Astronereus stayed on between runners to take the advantage passing the furlong pole found plenty in front for Pat Dobbs to comfortably beat Ayrad by a length and a quarter.

There were shades of Frankel’s remarkable 2,000 Guineas win in 2011 as 7/1 chance Log Out Island routed his rivals with an emphatic all-the-way success in the £70,000 Listed Toronado Carnarvon Stakes (3.20pm).

Having blitzed out of the gates under James Doyle, the Godolphin colt soon opened up a 10-length advantage and never looked in any danger throughout the six-furlong contest, coming home three and a quarter lengths ahead of Remarkable.

We Are Ninety (Hugo Palmer/Jim Crowley) lined up in the £70,000 Haras de Bouquetot Fillies’ Trial (5.05pm) on the back of three All-Weather appearances but the 12/1 shot made an impressive turf debut with a battling neck success over 11/4 favourite Beautiful Morning.

Al Kazeem (2011) and Time Test (2015) have won the £70,000 Al Zubarah London Gold Cup (4.30pm) for Roger Charlton in recent years and the Beckhampton handler struck again in the day’s feature handicap over 10 furlongs with another improving three-year-old in Imperial Aviator.

The son of Classic-winning sire Paco Boy, sent off the 7/2 favourite after beating recent Newbury winner Ulysses in a Leicester maiden on April 23, made a mockery of his handicap mark of 85 when running on strongly win by four and a half lengths under Oisin Murphy.

Sponsor Al Shaqab Racing enjoyed a perfect start to the day as 3/1 chance Mehmas took the opening six-furlong £50,000 Olympic Glory Conditions Stakes (2.10pm) with an impressive performance that saw the juvenile leap to the head of the betting for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.

Always travelling well under a confident Frankie Dettori, the Richard Hannon-trained colt took the lead inside the final furlong before quickening clear of 4/6 favourite Global Applause to score by three and a quarter lengths.