Mount Kilimanjaro was delivered to perfection by Ryan Moore to provide Aidan O'Brien with a record 12th win in the Dee Stakes at Chester.
Mount Kilimanjaro, the evens favourite, was second last turning into the straight but found plenty down the centre of the course to lead inside the final half-furlong and win by a neck from the strong-travelling 11/4 second-favourite, High Stock.
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Victory continued a fantastic Chester May Festival for O'Brien and Moore, who had teamed up to win the Cheshire Oaks with Minnie Hauk and the Chester Vase with Lambourn on the opening day of the meeting.
Moore and O'Brien have now combined to win seven of the last eight editions of the Dee Stakes. O'Brien's overall total of 12 wins in the race takes him past Barry Hills as the most successful trainer in the Dee Stakes.
Mount Kilimanjaro had progressed well during his juvenile campaign and been runner-up to stablemate Twain in the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud on his final start at two. He had been beaten at odds of 1/4 on his comeback at Dundalk in March but left that effort well behind him to return to winning ways.
Moore said: "The pace was on early, everyone wanted to be handy, and I ended up caught back behind a couple of horses I didn't really want to follow. The second horse has had a charmed run around the inside and I've had to bide my time a little bit, but when I put him in the clear he picked up well.
"He had good form last year, he's come on for his first run and the step up in trip suited him."
Paul Smith of winning owners the Coolmore partners said: "Ryan gave him a great ride, he was very patient. I think the pace was very honest, he didn't panic and the horse quickened up well and showed a nice attitude.
"They learn so much here [around Chester], it's almost like they have two races in one. He'll come on again from this and we're delighted with him."
Options remain open for Mount Kilimanjaro who was cut to a general price of 20/1 for the Betfred Derby and is a top price of 33/1.
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