Golan beat Nayef in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes but the Marcus Tregoning-trained horse exacted perfect revenge on the first day of the Ebor Festival.

Nayef's jockey Richard Hills made his move on the home turn taking over from Starbourne, who set the early pace, while Kieren Fallon bided his time in behind on Golan.

But as Nayef hit the front two furlongs from home, Golan went with him and they battled head to head in the final furlong before Nayef held on.

Godolphin's Noverre, tackling the mile and a quarter trip for the first time, ran on for third.

Hills was delighted with the performance and said: "He's such a good horse even though people knock him all the time.

"He worked fantastic last week with Mubtaker and I felt this mile and a quarter on a left-handed track was a big plus for him."

Tregoning admitted a tilt at the Breeders' Cup may now be on the cards for the Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned horse but the trainer is also keen for a crack at the Dubai World Cup.

"Obviously America is a consideration but the Champion Stakes would have to be a consideration too," he said.

"I hope Sheikh Hamdan would let him have a tilt at the Dubai World Cup. I felt (this year) he was training so well before he was rerouted to the turf race that he would have won it possibly."

Exciting finish

Hills followed up his win on Nayef with a thrilling victory in the 1530 Great Voltigeur Stakes on favourite Bandari.

Bandari took to the front with four furlongs to go but he was pressured all the way to the finish by a group of five other horses before eventually winning by a head and a neck.

Highest, ridden by Johnny Murtagh, came in second with Fallon on Bollin Eric third.

"We didn't want this horse to get into much of a battle. He's not prepared for a rough and tumble kind of race," said Bandari's trainer Mark Johnston, who trained his 100th winner of season.

"I was cursing myself for not having prepared Richard for that kind of finish and wished he had gone faster earlier.

"But all the indications are that if they had gone further he would have won easier. We have to be thinking about the St Leger now."