Dark Moondancer and The Fly made it an ex-British one-two in the Grade Two San Luis Obispo Handicap at Santa Anita in California last night.
Dark Moondancer, formerly trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, gained his first win in the USA as he led turning for home and held off 1998 Derby fifth The Fly - once with Barry Hills - by two and a half lengths.
Current trainer Ron McNally has high hopes of the winner, who won the Prix Ganay and Gran Premio di Milano last year when based in France with Alain de Royer-Dupre.
"In my opinion he's one of the best we've seen in the country right now," he said.
Jockey Chris McCarron added: "Obviously, he was the class of the race."