The much-heralded challenge from beyond Europe came to nothing on opening day at Royal Ascot, where a sea of familiar faces again came to the fore.

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Trainer Aidan O’Brien teamed up with jockey Ryan Moore to win the St James’s Palace Stakes with Gleneagles, who made his opponents look pedestrian in triumphing by two-and-a-half lengths.

It was O’Brien’s seventh victory in the race, which saw him eclipse the record set by trainer Matt Dawson in the 19th Century. Gleneagles’s triumph confirmed his status as the best three-year-old miler (1600 metres) in Europe after earlier victories in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish equivalent.

Moore barely moved a muscle as Gleneagles made effortless inroads into Consort’s advantage halfway down the home straight. When he asked his mount for effort, the response was instant and decisive. Gleneagles accelerated in a heartbeat to overhaul Consort, who then yielded when pressed late on by Latharnack for second place.

“He’s got a very good turn of foot,” Moore said. “He is a pleasure to ride and I think he is getting better.”

Gleneagles is closely related to Giant’s Causeway, the iconic, O’Brien-trained horse whose triumph in this race 15 years ago kickstarted his sequence of five consecutive Group 1 triumphs.

O’Brien and Moore later teamed up to win the Windsor Castle Stakes with Washington DC 45 minutes after Moore had won the Ascot Stakes aboard the Willie Muillinstrained Clondaw Warrior on a day when he emphasised why he is often described as the best jockey in the world.

Gleneagles is owned by the Coolmore syndicate, the dominant entity among owners in Europe. And another prominent set of patrons, the Wertheimer brothers, came to the fore when Dubai Turf winner Solow carried their bluecolours to victory in the opening Queen Anne Stakes over 1600m.

Solow was expected to encounter stiff competition from Night Of Thunder and the Hong Kong champion, Able Friend. However, Night Of Thunder finished fifth, one place ahead of Able Friend, who was unable to reproduce his domestic form at a venue 8,000km from home.

Solow, for his part, seized the advantage 300m from the finish and fended off a spate of challenges, the last one from his French compatriot, Esoteric, to win by one length.

“He is a great warrior who can do anything,” trainer Freddy Head said of his horse, who might lock horns with Gleneagles at Goodwood.

Shamal Wind, Australia’s representative in the King’s Stand Stakes over 1000m, was expected to figure prominently in a race won four times by Australian horses. But the mare broke slowly and never recovered the lost ground in finishing 13th of 18 runners.

The race was won by Goldream, who sprang a surprise in a four-way photo-finish involving Medicean Man, Muthmir and Pearl Secret.