Docklands narrowly got the better of Rosallion in a thrilling climax to the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, while Field of Gold charged to victory later on day one.
A strong field of 10 runners went to post for the traditional curtain-raiser at Ascot, with the market dominated by the first four home in last month's Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.
Royal Ascot: Every runner, rider and result from 2025 Festival
Rosallion, who finished third at Newbury, was the 5-2 favourite to get back on the winning trail and looked set to oblige after being produced with a well-timed run by Sean Levey, but having been last out of the starting stalls before fighting his way to the front, Harry Eustace's 14-1 shot Docklands refused to bend under Australian jockey Mark Zahra and clung on by a nose.
Gstaad went off favourite, backed in from 11/2 in the morning, to win the Coventry Stakes in style, storming through the centre of the field to claim victory by three lengths.
Scottish challenger American Affair then finished best to land the King Charles III Stakes for Jim Goldie and Paul Mulrennan.
Successful in valuable handicaps at Musselburgh and York, the five-year-old was perhaps unfortunate not to finish closer than he did when fifth in the Temple Stakes at Haydock and was an 11-1 chance for this Group One debut.
Settled in midfield as the likes of Regional and Night Raider blazed a trail, American Affair was produced with his challenge inside the final two furlongs and found plenty for pressure to get the better of a protracted duel with Frost At Dawn by a neck.
Field Of Gold lit up the first day with a dominant display in the St James's Palace Stakes.
John and Thady Gosden's colt had been a fast-finishing second behind Ruling Court in the 2000 Guineas before easily winning the Irish equivalent, while the French Guineas winner Henri Matisse was also running.
There was no doubt who emerged as the best of the three though, as Colin Keane breezed through on the 8-11 favourite before bursting clear to beat Henri Matisse by three-and-a-half lengths, with Ruling Court back in third.
There was victory for 20/1 shot Ascending for Henry de Bromhead in the Ascot Stakes as the Willie Mullins-trained royal runner Reaching High came in ninth, while Richard Hannon’s Haatem won the Wolferton Stakes for back-to-back Ascot triumphs, having won the Jersey Stakes last year.
5/2 favourite French Master won the last race of the day in the Copper Horse Stakes in another victory for Wathnan Racing.
