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The Owen Burrows trainee defeated five individual Group 1 winners with a phenomenal performance

Anmaat, a beloved Shadwell colour bearer by Derrinstown Stud sire Awtaad, displayed a thrilling turn of foot to beat a top-class field in the Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The Owen Burrows-trained six-year-old became Shadwell’s third winner of the prestigious contest, with His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s brilliant colts Nayef and Haafhd scoring when it was formerly held at Newmarket.

Anmaat travelled strongly in mid-division under Shadwell jockey Jim Crowley in this year’s race but fell back through the field when he found trouble in running soon after turning for home. However, he showed tremendous speed and bravery to surge through a gap when it appeared at the furlong pole.

He stayed on well to defeat the favourite Calandagan by half a length, with Royal Rhyme a length and three-quarters back in third. It was his ninth victory overall and his second at the highest level, after taking the Prix d’Ispahan last year.

"He's unbelievable," Crowley said. "He's always gone under the radar. It was touch and go whether he'd run in this race.... To go and do what he did, it's great."

"I thought he'd win the Eclipse against Paddington last year, I was convinced he'd win, and he went wrong the day before. It looked like he'd never race again, it was in that much doubt. The vets and everyone at Shadwell have done a wonderful job to get him back.”

Anmaat, bred by Ringfort Stud, is one of two Group/Grade 1 winners by Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Awtaad, along with the brilliant US turf filly Anisette.

The sire has also delivered Group 2 victor Al Qareem, Group 3 winners Create Belief and Diamil, and Listed scorers Bellosa, Calithea, Ebeko, Maktoob, Prichi and Primo Bacio, not to mention Group 2-placed Austrian Theory and Waterford, Group 3-placed Naomi Lapaglia and Listed-placed A Taad Moody and Shahaada.

Awtaad has stood at Derrinstown Stud at a fee of just €5,000 in each of the past three seasons and all his success caught the imagination of breeders this year, when he covered 128 mares.