Owned and bred by the Cheveley Park Stud, this was a remarkable sixth victory in the race for the stud's patrons, David and Patricia Thompson, and a seventh for Stoute.

Kieren Fallon, who had taken the race two years ago with Russian Rhythm for connections, brought the 4-1 chance through to lead over a furlong out and she battled on all well to win by a length and a three-quarters from Majors Cast.

Court Masterpiece finished third, and 7-2 favourite Soviet Song fourth, both of whom probably failed to quite get the mile trip in the rain-softened conditions.

With the field running into a blustery headwind it was New Seeker who took the nine horses along from Peeress's stablemate Rob Roy and Kandidate.

Having tracked the smooth-travelling Soviet Song in the early stages, Fallon and Peeress suddenly made their move through horses inside the final quarter-mile and stole a couple of lengths advantage.

Majors Cast, ridden patiently by Frankie Dettori in the early stages of the £200,000 race, made his way through in behind the winner to throw down a challenge, but the winner had something in reserve and was clearly pulling away again close home.

"A couple of times last season I had to go from the front with her and that wasn't ideal because when she hits the front she idles a bit. But she's a tough filly and she's got a lot of ability, " Fallon said.

"I was always going to follow Soviet Song and it worked, but she was travelling so well that I thought I ought to kick on and make them work. Michael Stoute is a master with fillies like this and she is just going from strength to strength."

"It's a race that has been very good for us. Last year she improved throughout the season as she had done as a three-year-old, " Stoute added. "When Kieren asked her to go she won it quickly.

She's a top-class filly. I would think the Queen Anne would be the next step."

Of his other charge Rob Roy, who finished unplaced, the trainer added: "I was a little disappointed with him.

He'll be better on better ground. He'll come back."

Jeremy Noseda, trainer of Majors Cast, said: "His ideal distance is probably seven or seven and a half furlongs so the mile stretched him, especially on this type of ground.

"But I don't want to take anything away from the winner. They have both run fantastic races. We will probably go for the Queen Anne and then look at races like the Lennox Stakes and the Hungerford later in the season."

Dettori felt that "the petrol had just run out" aboard Majors Cast, but was still delighted with the performance of the five-year-old.

Similar sentiments were expressed by connections of third-placed Court Masterpiece, for whom a drop back to seven furlongs could also be on the cards.

But Soviet Song ran undoubtedly like a mare who was in need of the outing on her seasonal reappearance and travelled well for a long way before faltering close home.

Her trainer James Fanshawe said of the four-time group one winner: "It was well documented this sort of ground would not be ideal for her, especially on her first run back. She is having a good blow and hopefully this will put her spot on.

"We will look to take her to Ascot next . . . there is the Queen Anne or the Windsor Forest Stakes.

"I think she's run very well.

She's run better than she did on her first run of last season and it should help to get her right for the summer."

Earlier in the day, Stoute completed the first part of an amazing double when Distinction put in a brave performance under top weight in the Paddy Power Stakes, rallying after looking held to pip Balkan Knight by a head, and he has now been laid as an even shorter favourite for the Gold Cup at Ascot.

Off a good pace set by High Action, Distinction settled beautifully for Mick Kinane, but after the leader weakened, and Crosspeace also fell away, he looked certain to play second fiddle to the heavily-backed 11-4 chance Balkan Knight.

It was only in the final halffurlong that Distinction began to claw back at the halflength his rival had taken out of him and in a tremendous staying performance he got up in the last couple of strides.