ASCOT, United Kingdom (AFP) — Ryan Moore rode favourite Highland Reel to a narrow victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday last, beating Queen Elizabeth II’s Dartmouth into third.

Highland Reel, who was second to Dartmouth in the Hardwicke Stakes last month, started at 13/8 and led from the front before holding on to win a first King George by just over a length from Wings of Desire (4/1).

With no obvious pace-setter, three-time champion jockey Moore, 32, took his mount to the head of the mile-and-a-half race early on, with the tactics giving him a second King George after his 2009 success on Conduit.

It was a third win from seven outings for four-year-old colt Highland Reel, and the fourth time that Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has won the race, but the first time since with Duke of Marmalade eight years ago.

“He’s a very good horse and won in America and Hong Kong,” Moore told the BBC.

“It’s a marvellous achievement from Aidan to get him back in this shape to win this sort of race.

“He’s a very strong horse. He’s very professional, he knows how to race.”

Last year’s winner Postponed was ruled out of defending because of a breathing problem, leaving Dartmouth and Highland Reel to battle it out for favouritism in the build-up to the race.

But the Queen’s horse drifted out to 9/2 on Saturday, before failing to give her a first win in the prestigious event since

Aureole in 1954, by finishing two-and-a-half lengths adrift of the front two.

Experienced Italian jockey Frankie Dettori had been talking up his chances of taking a first King George title since 2004, but he had to settle for second on Wings of Desire, after failing to reel in the winner in the final couple of furlongs.