The staying king, Kyprios, is no longer around, long live the king.
Trawlerman gave everything during his losing Gold Cup (G1) battle with Kyprios last year at Ascot Racecourse and, with the dual winner now retired, Godolphin's ironclad warhorse broke his rivals on the wheel of a sustained gallop June 20 which swept away the track record, as well as any semblance of mercy.
For a few moments after the stalls opened, it looked as if the pace could be a false one, although that could have been the heat haze playing tricks, as by the time the field swept by the winning post for the first time, Trawlerman and William Buick had his rivals well strung out behind him.
Through the changes in topography down the hill and then up the long drag from Swinley Bottom, there was no time when the light of hope was going to be allowed a flicker among the chasing pack. Trawlerman completed the 2 1/2-mile trip in 4:15.02.
On so many of the big days already this summer Aidan O'Brien has understood that the selective breeding made available to him by the Coolmore partners meant he could play races like the Coronation Cup (G1) and the Epsom Derby (G1) as a game of stamina.
Here the boot was on the other foot, with Illinois the improving youngster with a superior turn of foot, while the Gosden team and their former protege William Buick understood the mission was to draw the sting out of their pursuer.
John Gosden said: "I think he should be aimed at coming back here next year, and he shouldn't be over-raced in between times. Don't be surprised if you don't see him until the Henry II next year.
"That could be a reality. I'll discuss it with Sheikh Mohammed but does he want to be going to all these other races? No. He might come back in the autumn (for the newly minted group 1 Long Distance Cup). He's won that before so he might do that and then we'll put him away."
Such news will be a relief to connections of runner-up Illinois and the others, while Godolphin has a fine deputy in third-placed Dubai Future who, remarkably for a horse aged 9, is still largely unexposed at marathon distances.
Having lowered Rite of Passage's 2010 track record by the thick end of two seconds, both victor and vanquished can be forgiven a few lazy mornings before they go back on the work tab. Illinois, beaten seven lengths, would still have won every other running of this venerable prize dating back to 1807.
And even a British racing public which venerates their stayers in a way few other racing nations do can be understanding of such a selective policy.
When a horse of any age puts as much effort into running as hard as Trawlerman does over these extended trips, it should be a case of quality over quantity in terms of appearances.
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