Royal Ascot Day Four: Different League lives up to name with Albany Stakes victory

"I was confident of a very good run, to win I didn't know," said Matthieu Palussiere, trainer of the filly, a 20/1 chance. "I left the race plans up to the jockey, we hoped to be in the first four or five.

"I was a little worried as she jumped out, but she has a great temperament and is very professional.  After two or three furlongs I was confident - the jockey knows her well."

The Mark Johnston-trained Permian (6/1) showed the guts and determination traditionally associated with the Middleham handler's string to land the G3 King Edward VII Stakes.

Permian heads for the finishing line. Pictures: Sue Orpwood.

Ridden by William Buick following Wolf Country's defection, the three-year-old son of Teofilo kept on tenaciously in the closing stages after leading over two furlongs out to land the spoils by half-a-length from the fast finishing Khalidi (10/1), trained by John Gosden.

Both the winner and the second ran in the British Classic, the G1 Investec Derby, previously after being supplemented.

Johnston, registering his 40th winner at the Royal Meeting, was delighted with the colt's performance just 20 days on from his 10th in the G1 Investec Derby at Epsom, which followed victory in the G2 Dante Stakes at York.

Permian with jockey William Buick.

He said: "I'm enormously pleased with him. The Dante is a great race and going to the Derby with a Dante winner, you obviously go there with high hopes. We were fairly sure it wasn't his running in the Derby and we took a gamble coming here but it paid off."

The Aidan O'Brien-trained and well-backed 5/6 favourite Caravaggio produced a spellbinding performance comprising speed and stamina to land the third running of the G1 Commonwealth Cup.

Settled in mid-division early on by jockey Ryan Moore under a furious gallop set by Clive Cox's Harry Angel (11/4) in the six-furlong event, the three-year-old son of Scat Daddy, stayed on tenaciously in the closing stages to master Cox's charge by three-quarters of a length, with Charlie Appleby's Blue Point (9/2), who like Harry Angel is owned by Godolphin, a further half-length behind in third in a pulsating finish.

Caravaggio storms to victory in the Commonwealth Cup.

The master of Ballydoyle, registering his 58th victory at the Royal Meeting and third success of the week, has always rated Caravaggio highly and he was effusive in his praise of the US-bred colt.

O'Brien said: "I'm delighted - we were treating it as a second stage race as he had a lovely race at Naas when he won last time.

"He was racing against three-year-olds again today and after that, we thought he would be stepping up against older horses.

"He was just ready for his next step. The lads had it in their mind to come here and then maybe somewhere like the July Cup and then somewhere else after that."

Winter confirmed her superiority in the three-year-old fillies' mile division with a decisive victory in the G1 Coronation Stakes, providing trainer O'Brien and Moore with a quickfire G1 double following Caravaggio's success in the Commonwealth Cup.

Winter hits the front at Royal Ascot.

The three-year-old daughter of Galileo, the 4/9 favourite, was always travelling sweetly under Moore and when asked to deliver her challenge in the home straight, she found plenty for pressure to quicken away from the field in the closing stages to score by two and a quarter-lengths.

Stable companions Roly Poly (12/1), ridden by Seamie Heffernan and Hydrangea (16/1), partnered by Padraig Beggy, finished second and third, with a neck separating the pair.

O'Brien added: "Winter is getting relaxed. She was a little bit lazy early on in the race, but she galloped on strongly at the end.

"She is doing well and is a big powerful horse now and we are delighted with her."

The John Gosden-trained Stradivarius set up a tilt at the St Leger at Doncaster in September with a gutsy victory in the G2 Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot.

Stradivarius and Count Octave were involved in a thrilling finish.

Ridden by Andrea Atzeni, the three-year-old son of Sea The Stars came with a withering run in the home straight and after hitting the front inside the final furlong, responded well to Atzeni's urgings to score by a neck from Ralph Beckett's Count Octave (8/1) in second.

The well-backed 11/2 shot was a fine second at Chester last time and Newmarket handler Gosden, registering his 43rd victory at the Royal Meeting and second success of the week, felt the chestnut colt had learnt plenty from that run.

He said: "It did get quite tight at the bend on the first circuit and it got a bit rough. He has run great, he got a beautiful ride and managed to get from stall 9 to the rail before getting through a gap at the end.

"I've always said, if you run round Chester it is like having three races so you learn a lot and he is still learning and still green."

Charlie Appleby's 20/1 shot Rare Rhythm provided Godolphin with a sixth victory of the week following his impressive success in the concluding race of day four of Royal Ascot 2017, the Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap.

The five-year-old son of Dubawi was eighth in this race last year, but after suffering a small tissue injury, has been off the track for 371 days since then.

However, racing for just the sixth time, he returned to form in taking fashion under William Buick, registering a decisive two and a quarter-length victory in the mile event.

A delighted Appleby registering his second winner of the week and fourth success at the Royal Meeting, said: "He has been off a long time, but we knew we had got him right."