Sole Power confirmed his status as the king of the five-furlong division with a performance of stunning domination under Richard Hughes in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

The silence was deafening in the Knavesmire grandstands in 2010 when 100-1 shot Sole Power claimed a shock victory in the Group One contest for then-relatively unheralded trainer Eddie Lynam.

How things have changed in the subsequent four years, with the County Meath-based handler now affectionately known as 'Fast Eddie' and widely regarded as one of the finest trainers of sprinters in the sport.

Sole Power has flown the flag admirably, proving his three-figure strike was no fluke with a number of stellar performances in victory and defeat, with his back-to-back triumphs in the King's Stand at Royal Ascot a joy to behold.

Back at York having accumulated an army of supporters, he was an 11-4 favourite, despite suffering a bout of ringworm after returning home from an aborted July Cup mission at Newmarket last month.

With Hughes on his back again, the very definition of a marriage made in heaven, Sole Power was ridden to play his cards late as usual.

While a number of his rivals began to falter in the heat of a furious pace, Sole Power was remarkably still full of running as the race reached its climax.

Hughes was coolness personified as he sat motionless with just half a furlong to run and when the gap finally came, Sole Power merely had to be shaken up to go through the gears in effortless style.

There was just half a length in it at the line, but in reality, he was in a different league to his opponents, with just a short head separating the second and third, Stepper Point and Extortionist.

The victory means Lynam has won every Group One sprint in Britain so far this season, with Sole's younger stable companion Slade Power dominating over six furlongs in the Diamond Jubilee and July Cup.

The quietly spoken Lynam said: "Two weeks ago, he had American ringworm. No word of a lie, we had the rugs off him, his diet changed, we had to hand walk him and couldn't train him.

"You can't sweat them with it (ringworm). You can only walk them. He hadn't galloped since Saturday.

"He's a super horse, a horse of a lifetime, it's just the way he does it. He was about 97 points lighter (starting price) than he was four years ago! We're lucky to have him.

"We haven't run him in Ireland for a good few years. There's a race on Champions Weekend (Flying Five Stakes, September 14) and we'd like to support it.

"We'll give him a blow-out in Longchamp in the Abbaye, keep him ticking over, and then Hong Kong. I'd love another go at that."

Of the winning ride, Lynam said: "I think those are the rides Richard likes, he enjoys it more than we do, but he was excellent on him - full credit to him, he's a top-class jockey and it was a first-class ride. I always felt he was going to get there."

Hughes said: "He's brilliant, he's made for me. When I was 14 or 15 I dreamed about riding horses like this, and doing it like that."

Trainer William Muir said of the gallant Stepper Point: "I know how good he is, but he's always overlooked. We know what he likes and doesn't like, but we keep running him and he always runs his race.

"Sole Power is the best sprinter in Europe, we just can't beat him - we're not far behind him but I thought we'd beaten him today. I don't know where we'll go next." 

South African charge Shea Shea failed to fire weakening at the 200m pole. He finished second last. He has since been retired from racing.