Unstoppable Aidan O’Brien makes it 400 up ahead of Royal Ascot Gold Cup duel with Willie Mullins

Auguste Rodin hadn’t been at his best yet this season, but O’Brien had him primed for the day that really mattered as Ryan Moore’s mount fended off a stern French challenge from Zarakem (33/1) and Horizon Dore (7/1).

“Auguste Rodin is a very special horse,” a typically modest O’Brien said. “He gets a mile and a half very well. I was probably giving instructions wrong all along. We were riding him too far back.

“He was too far out of the race. So we changed everything. Ryan said he was going to ride him positively [and] engage him straight away – he’ll get there and cruise off any pace. He’s very straightforward. I feel the blips were my fault. The instructions were wrong, and it took us to this time to start getting it right. We saw that when he gets to the front, he waits, and then he goes again, and that’s what makes him very good.”

Moore added: “Auguste Rodin is a proper horse. OK, a few times it hasn’t happened, but there have been reasons every time. He is a Group One winner at two, he won four Group Ones last year, and people are always very quick to knock horses. As soon as they get beat, they want to have a go at you.

“Every time you send them away, they have a pop at that as well. He took me there going very well, and when I asked him, he really showed great courage. He wanted to win. He has been a real good horse and did everything beautifully – he deserved that.”

The Breeders’ Cup Classic in the US could be his ultimate goal at the end of the season, but the Deep Impact colt is now a Group One winner at two, three and four, so the racing world is his oyster.

It was a day two double for O’Brien and Moore as they earlier combined with Illinois (7/4 favourite) in the Queen’s Vase, while there was also a 44.5/1 brace for Kerry native Oisín Murphy via John and Thady Gosden’s Running Lion (6/1) and the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Wild Tiger (11/2 joint-favourite).

Many eyes will turn to Willie Mullins today, though, as the Closutton supremo bids to add another string to his bow with success in the Ascot Gold Cup (4.25) potentially topping his stunning list of achievements this year.

Given his status as the greatest jumps trainer in the game’s history, his ability to switch focus to the Flat with great success during the summer months is nothing short of extraordinary.

Mullins came agonisingly close to landing the €770,000 showpiece in 2013 when Simenon was narrowly thwarted and Vauban has outstanding claims in this year’s staying showpiece.

Vauban, winner of the 2022 Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, sauntered to handicap success at the Royal meeting 12 months before disappointing when strongly fancied for the Melbourne Cup, but Mullins reports the six-year-old to be in “great shape” after blowing some cobwebs off when second in York last month.

Colin Keane’s mount will have to lower the colours of 2022 winner Kyprios, which will prove a stern task with O’Brien’s champion stayer looking right back to his best.

Last season was a write-off for the six-year-old due to injury, but he has looked his usual self with two smooth successes already this term and Moore’s mount can thwart Mullins’ historic bid.

That’s today’s sole Group One, but there is still quality all around, with O’Brien and Moore hotly tipped to take the opening Group Two Norfolk Stakes via recent Listed winner Whistlejacket.