A thrilling renewal of the Juddmonte International at York saw Italian raider Electrocutionist come out best as the Group One feature well and truly lived up to its name.
Mick Kinane brought the Valfredo Valiani-trained winner home with a late run to deny Japanese star Zenno Rob Roy in a finish which also saw horses from Britain and Ireland in with a serious chance a furlong from home.
Kinane was completing a quick double on the 9 to 2 shot having won the Great Voltigeur on Hard Top.
It was well-backed favourite Ace who soon went to the front under Kieren Fallon with Doyen and Maraahel just behind. And as they turned for home, Fallon took the runners to the centre of the track when the race began to hot up.
Maraahel joined Ace over two furlongs out with Norse Dancer making his bid on the far side. But the contest was far from over as the two international challengers arrived on the scene on the stands side of the group.
Kinane's forceful style contrasted with Yutaka Take, the Japanese champion aboard the runner-up, who never quite seemed to find a rhythm aboard his horse.
And it was Electrocutionist who prevailed by a neck in a decent time for the conditions, with Maraahel a head away in third. Ace finished a close-up fourth and Norse Dancer fifth.
There was another blow for Take after the race when the local stewards handed the rider a four-day suspension (August 27th-30th) for using his whip "with excessive frequency, without giving his time to respond and in the forehand position".
The first two home may conceivably meet again at Longchamp in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, with Valiani - a former pupil of Luca Cumani - saying his charge had "always looked like a horse who would be perfect for Longchamp".
"I'll have to talk to the owner's racing manager, but the Arc might be his next race," he said. "There is a nice gap between that race and this one and he is not a hard horse to train. I think the return to a mile and a half will help him.
"If the ground was to come up soft then we could miss the race and just go straight to the Breeders' Cup Turf.
Kinane added: "I probably gave him a shade too much to do, he was just struggling to pick up on the ground. I always thought I was going to get to them, but just at the two pole I hit a bit of a flat spot. Once I got to the Japanese horse's quarters I always knew I'd get there.
Valiani praised the ride given to his charge. "Michael Kinane is a hell of a good jockey, so I thought if he stays down there (in rear) he has to have a reason," he explained.
"I told him I wasn't going to give him orders but just before the race I told him if they went fast enough I would like to keep behind, but then I said I wasn't going to complain if he changed orders, so he was perfect."
