Noble Mission had to settle for second place behind German Derby runner-up Lucky Lion in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich.

Frankel's full-brother had been expected to return to winning ways back over a mile and a quarter following his agonising defeat in the mile-and-a-half Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Though James Doyle had to use energy to get Noble Mission across from his wide draw to take a prominent position in the early stages, all seemed well when he hit the front in the straight, but he could not maintain his lead to the line.

The Lady Cecil-trained five-year-old had no answer to the challenge of Ioritz Mendizabal on Lucky Lion, who got on top close home to take the Group One prize.

Victory for Andreas Lowe's three-year-old paid a mighty compliment to leading Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hope Sea The Moon, who had thrashed him by 11 lengths in the Hamburg Classic.