Flavius Titus and Spanish City had both skipped off the good-to-firm ground twenty-four hours earlier but Sam Gold was forced to plough through a much more testing surface after a heavy thunderstorm pummelled the course shortly before racing got underway today.

The easy surface proved no hindrance to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s son of Iffraaj, though, as he travelled strongly under Andrea Atzeni with Viceroy Mac cutting out a steady early tempo before the depleted seven-runner field gravitated towards the far-side rail with three furlongs left to run.

The John Gosden-trained Glencadam Master kicked for home at the two-furlong marker and briefly looked to have stolen first run but Sam Gold emerged from the pack and picked up well, quickening to lead inside the last before asserting his authority in the closing stages to win going away by two and a half lengths.

A 120,000 guineas purchase from Book Two of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Sam Gold is a half-brother to the G3 Fred Darling Stakes winner Dabyah who hails from the family of G1 Breeder’s Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Queen’s Trust and this strapping bay looks capable of rating a good deal higher than his current rating of 86 as he continues to improve physically across the course of the summer.

Roger said: “Things didn’t drop right for Sam Gold on his reappearance at Newmarket where he was left in the lead and proved target for the others, but he was much more suited to being ridden with cover here and he handled the ground well. A stronger pace would suit him moving forward and the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot looks the obvious next race for him so long as everything goes smoothly between now and then.”