The Mark Johnston-trained Permian showed the guts and determination traditionally associated with the Middleham handler's string to land the G3 King Edward VII Stakes.

 

Ridden by William Buick following Wolf Country's defection, the three-year-old son of Teofilo kept on tenaciously in the closing stages after making most of the running to land the spoils by half-a-length from the fast finishing Khalidi, trained by John Gosden. Both the winner and the second ran in the British Classic, the G1 Investec Derby, previously after being supplemented.

 

Sir Michael Stoute's Crystal Ocean, the well supported 9/4 favourite, travelled well into the race but faded late on to finish a further length and a quarter behind in third.

 

Johnston, registering 40th winner at the Royal Meeting, was delighted with the colt's performance just 20 days on from his 10th in the G1 Investec Derby at Epsom, which followed victory in the G2 Dante Stakes at York.

 

He said: "I'm enormously pleased with him. The Dante is a great race and going to the Derby with a Dante winner, you obviously go there with high hopes. We were fairly sure it wasn't his running in the Derby and we took a gamble coming here but it paid off.

 

"There was disappointment in his Derby run as a lot of people said don't come and try again here at Royal Ascot, so I had a lot of days thinking over that - it was only a late decision.

 

"We had a blank year at Royal Ascot last year, one of three since 1994, so it was a bit of a relief to get on the scoresheet - that was the main thing as I was dreading the idea of another blank year.

 

"Some people said he didn't stay in the Derby, so there were doubts coming into this race about the trip, but he showed a good turn of foot two furlongs from home and kept on well despite a diminishing margin at the line.

 

"William [Buick, jockey] said he would stay all day. We've taken a slight step back in grade by coming to this race after the Derby, but his next run now has to be in G1 company - he needs that G1 tag on his neck. We will just have a think about where we go next."

GOSDEN AND STOUTE DELIGHTED WITH PLACES 

Khalidi bounced back from a down-the-field run (14th) in the Epsom Derby, into which he was supplemented, to finish second, beaten just a half length.

 

Owned by Nizar Anwar, the son of High Chaparral is trained by John Gosden and has had five runs already this season.

 

"He ran a great race, I am thrilled with him," said Gosden. "He's had a lot of racing, as has the winner - both have run exceptional races for horses who have been so busy.

 

"From here we'll see where we are and where we go, but he's a real tough cookie.

 

"It was difficult in the race for Olivier to get where he wanted to get and the winner had first run on us, but Khalidi has run his heart out and done nothing wrong at all, it was a great performance."

 

Olivier Peslier said: "He's run well, we just could not get there and the line came too soon!"

 

Sir Michael Stoute, trainer of the 9/4 favourite Crystal Ocean, was happy with the repeat of the G2 Dante Stakes (10f) result of Permian first and his charge in third.

 

"It was a good run and it shows he is consistent. He is a horse with a lot of scope and he will progress," he commented.

 

Andrea Atzeni, who rode the Sea The Stars colt, added: "It was good run and he is improving. The pace was a bit to slow. He is a horse for the future."