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Nezwaah ably justified odds-on favouritism in the Listed Rothesay Stakes at Ayr.

The four-year-old filly, trained by Roger Varian, had some fine form in the book from last season and made no mistake on her first start for 220 days.

Maleficent Queen won the race 12 months ago and set an honest gallop, with Andrea Atzeni happy to wait aboard 1-2 favourite Nezwaah.

Atzeni's companion had to be switched wide for a clean run inside the penultimate furlong but the outcome was decisive once daylight appeared.

Nezwaah ended up winning by three and three-quarters of a length from Sophie P, with Maleficent Queen another nose away in third.

The successful daughter of Dubawi holds a clutch of big-race entries, including in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes and the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Atzeni told Racing UK: "She was the class filly in the race.

"She settled nicely, which was great, and she picked up well.

"She's good-minded and hopefully we'll have a lot of fun with her this year.

"She could be a filly that campaigns abroad in somewhere like America and hopefully she can win a Grade One somewhere."