Rakti, runner-up in the Prince of Wales's Stakes 12 months ago, went one better in the Group One contest with a brilliant performance at Royal Ascot today.
The five-year-old, trained by Michael Jarvis and ridden by Philip Robinson, led two furlongs out and quickly went clear to beat Powerscourt and Ikhtyar.
Robinson had difficulty settling Rakti in the early stages as Godolphin's second string Lunar Sovereign made the pace for Sulamani.
However, the 3-1 shot was going much better five furlongs out and Robinson had him well-placed just behind the lead.
Rakti, now 7-4 favourite from 5-1 with the sponsors for the Coral-Eclipse, powered to the front shortly after the turn for home and he went on to win by two lengths from Powerscourt (9-2). Ikhtyar (8-1) was another half-length back in third.
Jarvis was delighted to see the horse make a winning start to the season. "As he's got older, he's got stronger and he's got the most wonderful turn of foot on this fast ground," he told BBC Sport.
"Yarmy Dibble and Bob McDonald, who looks after him at home, have done a fantastic job as he's not the most straightforward of horses and he's a bit of a bully, he's likely to shove you out of his box if he doesn't like the look of you in a morning.
"His stalls work this spring has been wonderful, but he just hesitated a bit today. He has not been working as well at home, but I put that down to him being a year older and knowing what's going on.
"I'm lucky to have had some good horses in my career, but he would be the best 10-furlong horse I've had and I think he could win a good mile race. I think that Hong Kong is definitely on the agenda, but there's some big ones before then."
Robinson added: "He's a very, very strong horse and I said to Michael that once you got one grip you wouldn't want to go for another or you would be gone.
"They went fast enough there for his first run and he will definitely improve for it. All credit to Mr Jarvis. I was very, very worried about him, but He said he thought the horse was just changing as he got older and was not showing as much at home."
"He travelled really well today and he usually takes his races very well, but you never know how they are really until the following day after they have run on firm ground."