When Great Barrier Reef won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot it seemed like an omen for the two Australian contenders in the race to follow, the prestigious King Charles III Stakes.
And when the pair, Overpass and 2024 winner Asfoora, led as the winning post approached that seemed to be confirmed.
But then, with King Charles III himself watching on, Mission Central came up on the outside and it transpired the omen was for Aiden O'Brien, the veteran trainer who had saddled Great Barrier Reef.
That had brought his Ascot ally to 97 and with Ryan Moore piloting Mission Central to a 14-1 victory a century is two away.
Not that Bjorn Baker, trainer of Overpass, was too downhearted that his 3-1 favourite had failed to hold on, finishing third as Rayevka, from France, took second.
