Impressive Dante Stakes winner Item got back on track in the Sky Bet York Stakes for Andrew Balding and Rob Hornby.
Item was sent off at 11/2 for the Derby but struggled in the testing conditions at Epsom and trailed home in ninth, beaten 26 lengths.
Given plenty of time to recover from those exertions by Balding and dropped back to 10 furlongs for this Group 2 contest, Item was sent off at 3/1 behind the well supported Damysus.
Pride Of Arras, previously unbeaten at York, was allowed an easy lead and opened up by three or four lengths from Item who raced ahead of Royal Champion, Dancing Gemini and Damysus.
Royal Champion, last year's winner racing under a penalty, moved up into a close second on the turn into the straight but Rossa Ryan asked Pride Of Arras to turn up the tempo passing the four furlong marker and his mount responded willingly.
Item was caught flat-footed on their inside as the pace quickened with Hornby rowing along while Royal Champion appeared to travel more kindly. However, Item gradually went through the gears himself and hit the front over a furlong from home.
Try as he might, Royal Champion couldn't get past Pride Of Arras and it looked as though the last challenge would come from Damysus who was produced to try and challenge between horses but, again, couldn't reel in Item who passed the line with two and three-quarter lengths up his sleeve.
Pride Of Arras battled on gamely to hold on to second, half-a-length clear of Damysus.
Item was cut to 14/1 from 16s for the Juddmonte International back at York and to 12/1 from 20s for the St Leger at Doncaster by Sky Bet.
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A delighted Hornby told Racing TV: "He's gone and shown quite a bit of resilience having come back off what would have been a hard race for a lightly raced three-year-old in the Derby on very soft conditions.
"Coming back here on a course he's won at on ground that's more to his liking has worked out well and on paper it was looking like it could be a trappy event. I have made the running on Item but I was able to get a lead from Rossa [Ryan] and when I got the slot in behind the lead he shut down and relaxed beautifully.
"Barry, who rides him at home, has done a great job of calming his enthusiasm; he's not keen but he's a powerful horse and has got a big stride and it's all about getting him to do it the right way round.
"I thought they just went level [pace] and, for him, to just sit in that comfort zone. I don't think it's a case of they went quick, I think he's just growing up and he's racing more professionally and Epsom might have made a man of him. He was strong at the line, too, because he hit a bit of a flat spot and I thought I was going to be in not a nice position on the rail but it opened up well and he was finding for me all the way.
"This is only his fifth race and he's a hugely exciting horse for Juddmonte. I'm just very lucky to have the ride today with a busy Saturday card and I'm just delighted and can't thank everyone enough."
Speaking from Ascot, Balding said: “He is a good horse, but he looked it in the Dante. It is not easy to win a Group 2 with a penalty, and he has done a lovely job there. That is what we were hoping to see as he is a talented horse.
“Our confidence levels were pretty high as he is a talented horse. To me he was strong at the end of that race so I certainly wouldn’t rule out trying a mile and a half again at some stage. The combination of the mile and a half on soft ground was not to his liking in the Derby at Epsom obviously.
“It was about getting back on track today, but anything is possible going forward. He has won two Group 2s now so he deserves another go at a Group 1.
“When it comes to the autumn it is going to be a concern with the going, but we will have a lot of options and go where we can.”
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