Arizona came home strongly to give Aidan O'Brien a ninth success in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Sent off the 15-8 favourite on the back of an impressive eight-length win at the Curragh, his supporters will have been a little worried early on. Outpaced, Ryan Moore was riding him pretty vigorously from halfway, but the fine stamp of a two-year-old began to eat up the ground inside the final furlong.
Mark Johnston's Makyon had led the field along under Silvestre de Sousa and entering the final furlong was still in front.
As his stride shortened the Archie Watson-trained Guildsman threw down a challenge before Richard Hannon's Threat, the second-favourite, clicked into gear.
He had no answer to the son of No Nay Never, however, who beat Threat by half a length, with Guildsman a neck back in third.
Sky Bet cut the winner to 14/1 from 25s for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners saying: "It was hard work in the end but he's in the right hands and is the sort to keep progressing. It will be interesting to see how high he can fly."
Moore said: "He's impressed me on all his starts and has a super attitude, he's just not fully switched on yet. He'll probably benefit from stepping up in trip a little bit and I think he's a high-class colt.
"He's come out of a maiden, so it was a different tempo today. You could only be delighted with what he's done."
Hannon said of the runner-up: "He is a good horse. We came here to learn that, and we have. There are no excuses. He is a Group One horse and we can't wait for the rest of the year.
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"The six furlongs suited him. Maybe (we could go to Newmarket), he is the sort of horse that will come out of the race great. He is strong and mature and hopefully we will have a good year with him."
Watson was thrilled with Guildsman, saying: "I'm delighted. They have probably gone quick in front and they've set the race up for Arizona and us. I thought the second horse's run on the other side of the track was full of merit.
"I couldn't be happier with my lad. There is a very defined path for horses like him as he is a ready-made two-year-old. Six furlongs is his trip and if we are happy with him we will be looking at races like the July Stakes and the Richmond."
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