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Aidan O’Brien’s enigmatic star bounced back to his brilliant best to land the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore.

Last year's brilliant dual Derby hero and Breeders' Cup Turf winner has been something of a Jekyll and Hyde character throughout his career thus far, winning a remarkable six Group 1's alongside failing to beat a rival home on two occasions at the top level.

The son of Deep Impact bounced back from his 2000 Guineas flop at Newmarket with a superb performance in the Epsom Derby last season and although he followed up in the Irish equivalent a month later, Aidan O'Brien's colt once again showed his inconsistency when beaten a staggering one hundred and six-and three-quarter lengths in the King George Stakes.

Victory in the Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders' Cup Turf followed as O'Brien's colt rounded off his three-year-old campaign with a Group 1 treble, and he was subsequently sent off the 11/8 market leader for his reappearance in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Yet again though, Auguste Rodin would disappoint, finishing last of twelve before finding Joseph Murphy's Prince Of Wales's Stakes absentee White Birch too strong in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last-time-out.

Despite the doubts, Auguste Rodin was a firm 13/8 favourite to show his true colours at Ascot and in the hands of Ryan Moore, he would fight on determinedly to fend off the French challenge from across the Channel.

The pace set by Snobbish and Hans Andersen was solid throughout, but Moore always had tabs on the leading duo before quickening up in good style approaching the two-furlong marker. The French-trained pair Zarakem and Horizon Dore kept the market leader honest all the way up the Ascot straight, but Auguste Rodin continued to find plenty for pressure, eventually pulling away to score by a handy three-quarters of a length.

Jerome Reynier's 33/1 chance Zarakem got the better of his compatriot Horizon Dore to fill the second spot, while Owen Burrows' Alfaila shaped full of promise on his belated reappearance back in fourth.

"He's a great little horse. A few times it hasn't happened and there have been reasons every time – it's been first runs, and the King George [last season] maybe coming after a hard run in both Derbies," said Moore.

"People are always very quick to knock horses. We kept the Derby winner in training and everyone, as soon as they get beat, they want to have a go at you, and as soon as you send them away [to stud] they have a pop at that – you can never keep people happy.

"He took me there going very well and was waiting for me to ask him [for his effort]. When I did, he showed great courage and put his head down and wanted to win. He's a fantastic horse, a proper horse. He's been a real good horse and he deserved that."

O'Brien, who was landing a staggering 400th Group/Grade 1 winner, said: "We're so delighted for everybody. He's a very special horse and he gets a mile and half very well.

"When he gets to the front, he waits so I was probably getting my instructions wrong all the time. I was riding him too far back and if there was no pace he was too far out of the race. We

changed everything and Ryan said he was going to be positive on him. I feel the blips were my fault, the instructions were wrong."

Auguste Rodin was cut to 7/4 favourite (from 9/2) to put matters right in the midsummer showpiece back at the Berkshire venue next month, while the same firm made him a 16/1 (from 33s) chance to claim Arc glory at Longchamp in October.

Main market rival Inspiral was something of a disappointment, finishing sixth after not seeing out the mile and a quarter in what was a frantically run race according to joint-trainer John Gosden. "They've gone very, very hard on a stiff mile and a quarter and it's caught her out on stamina," explained Gosden. "The Santa Anita mile and a quarter is very easy, and they went slow that day.

"Auguste Rodin's a Derby winner and they've gone flat out. She's come with a run and flattened out the last furlong – she wasn't beaten that far. There's no reason she can't go back to racing against fillies again, but it was a stamina test today and she didn't come through it but that's not her fault."