Andrea Atzeni said he never doubted Postponed after partnering the five-year-old to Juddmonte International Stakes glory at York.
Postponed made it six wins in a row with victory on the Knavesmire but it was far from a routine triumph.
The son of Dubawi hit the front two furlongs out but then began to drift to the right, squeezing Mutakayyef against the rails under Paul Hanagan.
However, he managed to pull off a one-and-a-quarter-length victory over Highland Reel, with Mutakayyef a further length adrift in third.
Postponed was forced to miss the King George with a respiratory problem and there were a few in the media who questioned whether he would return to the peak of his powers.
But, Wednesday's success showed that he is as good as ever and Atzeni was always confident of taking the race.
“He's great, isn't he? “A lot of people had doubts about him – I never had,” he said. “He's got too much class. I think people underrate him. I think he's one of the best in the business we've seen for a while.”
