Opera Singer secured a commanding victory at 10 furlongs in the Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, thanks to a superb front-running ride by Ryan Moore on her debut in the race.
The previous season's champion juvenile filly faced a setback in the spring that postponed her return and kept her out of the 1000 Guineas.
As a daughter of Justify, she made her comeback in the Irish equivalent, where she exceeded expectations by finishing third. She improved further in the Coronation Stakes, though she was narrowly beaten by Porta Fortuna.
Moore aimed to control the pace aboard Aidan O’Brien’s filly, and she established a two-length lead with two furlongs remaining.
In the final furlong, the closers started to make their move, with Andrew Balding’s See The Fire delivering a career-best performance to finish just a neck behind, while French Oaks winner Sparkling Plenty surged to third, trailing the 9-4 winner.
In contrast, the supplemented Emily Upjohn was underwhelming, failing to mount a serious challenge.