YORK'S Ebor Festival just seems to get bigger and better. While the rain played its part on Tuesday night, meaning Gleneagles was declared a non-runner in the Juddmonte International on Wednesday, in the end Golden Horn was run down close home by the 50-1 shot Arabian Queen.

The race had been billed as a clash for the ages, the Investec Derby winner against a dual Guineas hero in Gleneagles, not forgetting the promising Time Test, hugely impressive at Royal Ascot and owned by Juddmonte Farm's Khalid Abdullah.

Throw in The Grey Gatsby and top-class Australian raider Criterion and it was no surprise that Arabian Queen, the only filly in the race, was sent off as the rank outsider, bar Golden Horn's pacemaker Dick Doughtywylie.

Silvestre de Sousa, champion jockey-elect in the absence of the retired Richard Hughes and the injured Ryan Moore, was content to lead the rest, with Frankie Dettori never too far behind.

And that was how it stayed until two furlongs out, when Arabian Queen hit the front, with Dettori looking like he just had to press the button to seal the deal.

However, after 14mm of rain on Tuesday, the ground was good to soft and Golden Horn took an age to pick up. He did eventually hit the front briefly, but Dettori was getting increasingly animated in the saddle and the filly was fighting back.

She is trained by David Elsworth, who also won this race back in 1990 with the brilliant In The Groove.

His last top-level winner was Absalom's Lady in the 1994 Christmas Hurdle, while on the Flat it was Seattle Rhyme's 1991 Racing Post Trophy win.

Straight after the race, Elsworth bolted to the car park, briefly declining to speak to anyone, having seemingly felt affronted at the lack of attention given to his filly in the build-up.

He also declined to receive his trainer's prize in the formal presentation, saying that he was upset at not having been invited with other connections to a lunch hosted by the sponsors, but speaking later he said: "She's a filly of the highest class. She's tenacious and loves to battle.

"If we hadn't turned up today, they would be hailing the favourite as the best horse since Frankel.

"She's certain to stay further, her dam (Barshiba) won over a mile and five furlongs. It took me three years to work out her best trip, but I worked this one out a bit quicker."

For De Sousa, a big win to go with his numerical accumulation so far this season was just what he needed.

He said: "She's not an easy filly to deal with, she can be a bit of a madam at home. She has her own ideas about the game, but is obviously very talented.

"I had a clear run, picked the pacemaker up two furlongs out and I always felt I had a bit left.

"I couldn't say I was confident coming here – she was 50-1 – but she had been third in a Group One on her last run, she's bred to get further and ran right to the line."

Owner Jeff Smith has been involved with some top-class horses down the years and, given he also bred the winner, he was understandably emotional too.

Today's highlight is the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup and Big Orange, Quest For More and Trip To Paris are set to do battle once more.

The trio, trained by Michael Bell, Ed Dunlop and Roger Charlton respectively, fought out a thrilling finish to last month's Goodwood Cup, with Big Orange holding sway over Quest For More by a neck, with a further short head back to Trip To Paris.

Ascot Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris was conceding 4lb that day due to his Group One penalty and he will have to give weight away all round again in this Group Two heat.

Clever Cookie steps back up to two miles for Peter Niven after finishing fifth in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, while Tac De Boistron will bid to bounce back to his best for Marco Botti after finishing last at Royal Ascot.