Big Orange made nearly all the running under James Doyle then held off the late rush from Order Of St George in a desperate finish to Thursday's Group I The Gold Cup (2m4f) at Royal Ascot.
Doyle got the ride after Frankie Dettori had to miss the week with an arm injury and let Big Orange roll forward before the first turn and then proceeded to set a steady speed. Ryan Moore settled Order Of St George towards the rear and was still some 10 lengths off the lead approaching the home turn.
Big Orange was not stopping and went clear two furlongs out where Order Of St George came with his run, accelerating quickly then ducking in towards the inside under pressure, the pair appearing to brush inside the final strides.
At the line Big Orange (5/1) had a short head to spare over Order Of St George (5/6 fav) with last year's St Leger winner Harbour Law (33/1) a further six lengths away in third. Torcedor, racing in the Te Akau silks, stayed on well for fifth.
Doyle thanked Dettori for the advice, Big Orange racing beyond two miles for the first time.
"Blimey, he's as tough as they get! Full credit to everyone. It was great to get the call-up. Unfortunately Frankie couldn't have got the injury at a worse time," Doyle told ITV Racing.
"Frankie called me a couple of nights ago and I was probably on the phone for about 20 minutes getting instructions and him telling me all about the horse. He was spot on.
"Frankie said to me 'whatever you do, don't interfere with him'. He knows what speed he wants to go at and you just sit as a passenger.
"I had Frankie's voice in my head as I just eased him out and let him go to the front and the rest was history.
"He got a little bit lonely. I wish the second horse had joined me a bit earlier and I think he'd have won by further then."
Trainer Michael Bell was full of praise for the six-year-old son of Duke Of Marmalade, unplaced in the last two runnings of the Melbourne Cup, 10th last year behind Almandin.
"I can't give the horse enough credit. He just puts it on the line and it's just fantastic," Bell said.
"It was an epic race. Order Of St George is a fantastic horse ridden by a brilliant jockey. I can't describe the feeling of pride I have in my horse.
"I was just praying for the line and begging for the line to come. The horse is a superstar - he's a warrior. That's his eighth Pattern win and we're extremely lucky to train him.
"He's god's gift for a trainer."
TAB.com.au wound Big Orange in from $41 to $26 for the 2017 Melbourne Cup however, owner and breeder Bill Gredley said post-race, "I don't think we'll go to Melbourne again."
