AIDAN O’Brien saddled his third winner of the Group 2 Vintage Stakes as Battleground justified 13/8 favouritism in cosy style. The first foal of O’Brien’s Breeders’ Cup Turf and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Found, Battleground has a lot to live up to, but he showed when winning Royal Ascot’s Chesham Stakes that he was no prodigal son.

Waited with, he took a keen hold behind the leaders, but found plenty when produced by Ryan Moore at the two-furlong pole, and quickly built up a lead that he never looked like relinquishing. He passed the post two lengths ahead of his market rival Devious Company (Tom Dascombe/Richard Kingscote), with Youth Spirit (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) a staying-on third having taken a bump coming out of the stalls.