Dubai: Hong Kong star Able Friend will take on the likes of Dubai Turf (G1) sensation Solow in next month’s Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot after delivering a dominating performance to win the HK$14 million (Dh6.6 million) Champions Mile (G1) at Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday.

The winner led home a brilliant 1-2-3 by leading handler John Moore in the HK$14 million contest which is the third leg of the four race Asian Mile Challenge, preceded by the Dubai Turf (formerly Dubai Duty Free Stakes) and followed by Japan’s Yasuda Kinen (G1).

Ridden confidently by Joao Moreira, the five-year-old son of Shamardal hardly raised a sweat as he quickened readily to defeat stable companion Rewarding Hero, the mount of Neil Callahan, who in turn held of Moore’s third runner, Dan Excel, by a neck in a fast run race.

Moore revealed that Able Friend will now head to Royal Ascot for the £375,000 (Dh2 million) contest, which is the highlight of the opening day’s action at the Royal Ascot meeting.

British bookmakes responded by cutting the Hong Kong raider’s odds to 2-1 (from 7-2).

Able Friend was expected to win, but the manner in which he eased to yet another victory was what impressed most.

Winning jockey Moreira, who was motionless aboard the winner for the majority of the trip said: “He’s just outstanding. He just does everything properly. He’s a dream horse. I feel like my dream came true; I found one of the best horses in the world and I’m very pleased at the opportunity I was given by the trainer and the owner. I really appreciate it.”

Moore added: “I’m getting on a plane tonight so I’m going to get four or five days to cool down and then when I get back from that trip I’ll sit down with the owner for lunch and we’ll have a chat.

“But first let’s see how he pulls up and if everything is in order, we will see if he goes to Ascot.

“Everything went his way today but at Ascot he would have to run against horses like Solow, and they’re going to stretch him. They’re going to make sure he really is the champion.

“There’s been talk about the Sussex Stakes but if he did go to England it would be just one race - the Queen Anne would be enough and then he’d come back here. There would probably be a 30-day turnaround so we would put him in a paddock for a week in Newmarket where he could eat a bit of grass in that British sunshine.”

Other potential Queen Anne candidates are Dubai World Cup runner-up California Chrome, Karakontie and Night Of Thunder.