Barney Roy looks all set for Royal Ascot and potentially the Queen Anne after he furthered his comeback with success in the Listed Prix Montretout at Longchamp on Thursday.
The five-year-old looks one of Godolphin's leading stars going into the meeting that commences on Tuesday 18th June, and has previous history at the venue, when scoring in the St James's Palace Stakes as a three-year-old in his Richard Hannon days back in 2017.
Now with Charlie Appleby, he returned to training this season after a failed career at stud, and reappeared at the place of his highest achievement, when just losing out by a neck to Sir Michael Stoute's Zaaki on the first of this month.
Sent to Paris to increase his fitness and sharpness, he looked in a far from ideal position half way up the straight under regular partner James Doyle.
One glimmer of a gap emerged, and the 4/5 favourite dually obliged to snatch it and storm away to win the race a shade cosily in the end.
(Credit: Racing Post) Winning trainer Charlie Appleby said: "It was a race that became a little bit tactical in the end but, as he did when he was a three-year-old, when he hit the front he got a bit wayward, so James did the right thing taking him back.
"He is lucky because he has class and can get away with it, but he can just hit that flat spot. When he picks up though and hits top gear he is away.
"I was pleased because the main objective of coming here was to get his head in front and gain some confidence before going on to the Queen Anne."
The former Guineas and Eclipse placee now looks set to contest the first Group One of the royal meeting next month.
Seemingly back up to scratch, standing in his way is the Lockinge winner Mustashry, who keeps Sir Michael Stoute in a rich vein of form, along with last year's winner Accidental Agent - third at Newbury on Saturday.
Barney Roy also competed in Berkshire on his final start before original retirement in October 2017, when finishing last but one in the Champion Stakes, but a mile certainly suits his interests nowadays despite also placing in a Juddmonte.
He has a vast turn of foot with those four white legs producing long strides, and should be considered a major contender by all that line-up alongside him.