George Washington delighted trainer Aidan O'Brien despite managing only third in the totesport Celebration Mile at Goodwood on his eagerly-awaited return to action.

The Stan James 2000 Guineas hero was running in preparation for a crack at the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes next month, having been off since injuring hip muscles when finishing second to Araafa in the Irish equivalent in May.

And big things were expected of the leading male Ballydoyle three-year-old as he was sent off the 5-6 favourite to capture the six-runner Group Two contest.

Although exceptionally well-behaved beforehand, the mount of Mick Kinane dwelt as the stalls opened, which left him with a deficit of several lengths to make up in the early stages.

Kinane - who was riding George Washington for the first time - bided his time and was keen to get the hard-pulling son of Danehill to settle at the back of the field.

His stablemate and 100-1 outsider River Tiber fulfilled his pacemaking duties up front but was ignored by the other runners and had skipped some 10 lengths clear at the halfway stage.

But Frankie Dettori had him in his sights aboard 6-1 chance Caradak and, as River Tiber gave way close home, the Godolphin runner swept through to score, getting the verdict in a photo-finish from Killybegs.

George Washington meanwhile hung down the straight and was switched left in the final furlong, and while he did pick up under pressure he was still a length and a quarter adrift of the runner-up at the line.

O'Brien said: "Mick said he was very rusty when he let him down but his last furlong was his best furlong, he was only starting to get it together then.

"We couldn't be happier with him. It was wasn't about winning today - it was about doing things right and it was Mick's first time riding him.

"He tore all of the muscles off from the top of his pelvis down to his hip. You wouldn't dream about asking most horses to come back from that but he has come back and hopefully he will be OK tomorrow.

"If he is OK then we can look forward to the Queen Elizabeth. We are so lucky to have him back this far, and if he hadn't come back today there was no point getting him back at all this season.

"He behaved great before the race too, so all of the signs are very positive."

O'Brien went on to explain why a pacemaker was employed, saying: "We won't run a pacemaker next time as he will have had a run under his belt.

"He was fresh today and we were afraid he would be, which is why we ran the pacemaker.

"If the others had followed the pacemaker it would have suited George better, but that was the choice of the lads.

"Next time if they walk, he'll walk, and if they fly, he'll canter along at the back."

Although the majority of the post-race talk was of the Irish raider, Caradak performed with credit in capturing the mile contest by a short head, just eight days after disappointing in the Hungerford Stakes.

Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said: "He didn't handle the soft ground last time at Newbury so we decided to bring him back out again.

"He has had two races quite quickly now so we will give him some time off. He has an entry in the QEII but Librettist is our number one hope there so we will probably take him to run in the Hong Kong Mile."

Dettori added: "They went slow for the first bit but then the pacemaker went a bit too quick and I used him as a target.

"I really expected George Washington and Soviet Song to come through at the furlong marker, but I realised when I had a quick look that they were a good bit behind, so me and Michael Hills on Killybegs made the best of it to the winning post.

"I must say he is a tremendous battler, he really gets his head down and tries."

River Tiber took fourth, just head of the disappointing Soviet Song, who was a further length and a half away in fifth, with Rob Roy last.