Ryan Moore had the juvenile, who only opened his account at the Curragh just under a fortnight ago, settled in behind the pace but was at work, asking him to quicken when the gaps closed.
Moore immediately opted to switch to the far side of the track, eventually emerging against the rail where the drifting Nebo joined him for company with the field spread across the whole track.
Great Prospector finished strongly away from that pair but was never quite getting there as Moore drove the well-backed 5/6 favourite home to record a narrow success.
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Moore said: "He's a very good horse. I really liked him on both of his (previous) starts.
"The gap was there and just when we went to go in there we sort of rolled and he was pinched out of it.
"He ran really green because he'd never been in tight, but it was a very good performance to get back up from there.
"He's a really nice horse with a lot of potential. He settles very well and he's got a very good turn of foot."
Sky Bet cut Gustav Klimt to 7/1 from 16/1 for the Qipco 2000 Guineas and to 14/1 (from 20s) for the Investec Derby and winning trainer Aidan O'Brien confirmed that his colt had always been held in high regard.
"When he ran first time we thought he was going to be our Chesham horse. He always had that six-furlong pace and he's relaxed," he said.
"He could go back to the Curragh for the Futurity Stakes. We always thought he was going to be a Futurity, National Stakes, Dewhurst-type horse."
Charlie Hills could explore options abroad for the runner-up.
The Lambourn handler said: "He has run a great race. I think he is quick enough for six. He is just a proper two-year-old. He probably just got a little bit lost in the dip. When he hit the rising ground he came on again. He has got a few entries abroad."
