Frankie Dettori kicked off British Champions Day with a bang by steering Trawlerman to a thrilling victory in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup.

On the day billed as his final day riding in Europe before heading overseas, the Italian rolled back the years to not only dazzle at Ascot once more, but also register yet another big-race victory in the royal blue silks of Godolphin.

The 52-year-old was eager throughout to not let the outsider Maxident have too much rope on the front end and was the only one to chase Dominic Ffrench Davis’ charge aboard the 9-1 chance, as Owen Lewis pushed the tempo heading downhill.

Having pursued Maxident and hit the front four furlongs from home, Trawlerman was passed by Aidan O’Brien’s staying star Kyprios rounding the home bend with Ryan Moore soon searching for the winning post.

However, Dettori switched his mount and asked for extra and he bravely battled back to haul in Kyprios and prevail by a neck.

It was a third straight victory for John and Thady Gosden’s stayer, who was third in this race 12 months ago, and for Dettori it was the perfect start to his goodbye to British racing.

Dettori said: “I heard the roar of the crowd – oh my god it was special – especially when I was cutting him back, I couldn’t believe it.

“I’ve beaten one of my greatest rivals who I have tremendous respect for in Ryan Moore, on my final day. Sensational.

“He passed me comfortably and I thought he was going to go and win by 20 lengths, but once he didn’t get away from me I thought I maybe had a little bit left. In fairness to the horse he kept going.”

Frankie Dettori’s farewell to Britain got off to a perfect start, as Trawlerman battled back gamely for victory in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot.

The Italian is enjoying his final afternoon in European action before moving to America – and the first of his five rides ensured racegoers could enjoy a famous flying dismount.

Trawlerman (9-1) was left in front around half a mile from home in the two-mile affair, as pacesetting Maxident dropped away sharply.

Dettori looked a sitting duck as 11-10 favourite Kyprios reeled him in down the straight, passing him with two furlongs to run, but Dettori had saved something and showed all his skill in mounting another challenge.

Reining his mount back in, he switched to Kyprios’ outside and Trawlerman stuck his head out on the line to grab victory.

Alan King is under no illusions about the task facing Trueshan as he prepares to lock horns with the formidable Kyprios in his bid for a fourth victory in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup.

Trueshan was a brilliant winner of the Champions Day curtain-raiser in 2020 and has knuckled down in each of the past two seasons to complete the hat-trick.

There were some suggestions the seven-year-old was past his best after he was beaten in his first two starts this year, but subsequent victories in the Doncaster Cup and particularly when winning the Prix du Cadran three weeks ago suggest he is back to his best.

King said: “I’m very happy with him, he came out of the Cadran in great form and everything has gone according to plan really.

“The ground looks like it should be nice and soft and we can’t do any more.

“Not many horses get to come back for the same race three years running, let alone four, and getting him back to form to win at Doncaster and Longchamp has been very satisfying.”

While confident he has his stable star in rude health, King is wary of the the threat posed by Aidan O’Brien’s Kyprios, who last season won the Gold Cup, the Goodwood Cup and the Irish St Leger before a scarcely believable 20-length demolition job in the Cadran.

The five-year-old missed the first half of the current campaign through injury, but King feels there was plenty of promise on his comeback second to Eldar Eldarov in last month’s Irish Leger.

He added: “I thought he ran very well against a mile-and-six specialist the other day. That is Eldar Eldarov’s trip and I would have thought that was a very good comeback for him (Kyprios).”

Hollie Doyle has steered Trueshan to each of his three previous wins in the race is optimistic he can make it a four-timer on Saturday.

“He’s been such a great horse for everyone – for me, for Alan, for the owners and for the whole team at home. He never lets anyone down,” she said.

“He’s staged quite a comeback this year and proved a lot of people wrong by winning the Doncaster Cup and the Prix du Cadran again.

“A fourth win here would be incredible, but it could definitely happen as he feels as good as ever.”

O’Brien is confident Kyprios will take a big step forward from his Irish St Leger effort, telling Sky Sports Racing: “He was barely ready to go away for a racecourse gallop really, so we were delighted with the run and everything has gone smoothly since.

“He has an incredible capacity as a stayer. He’s able to go an unbelievable gallop and just keeps going. That was what happened in the Cadran last year – it just shows the kind of ability he has.”

Andrew Balding’s Coltrane was beaten a head by Trueshan 12 months ago, but failed to fire when a hot favourite to beat him in the Doncaster Cup last month.

Balding said: “Coltrane ran a hell of a race last year. It was a rare poor race (he ran) last time, and nothing came to light afterwards, but he’s entitled to run a poor one once in a while.”

John Gosden was forced to rule out his Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami earlier in the week but is nevertheless well represented, with Robert Havlin partnering Doncaster Cup runner-up Sweet William and Frankie Dettori aboard Trawlerman, winner of his last two starts.

“It looks like a good edition of the Long Distance Cup, in which Trawlerman and Sweet William are our runners, as Courage Mon Ami had a little niggle,” said Gosden.

“Trawlerman ran in the Long Distance Cup last year, finishing third, and he’s been an easy winner of both his races since he came back, at Salisbury and Newmarket. He’s in good form.”

O’Brien’s second-string Broome, the Willie Mullins-trained Stratum and Maxident from the Dominic Ffrench Davis yard complete the line-up.