Doncaster Cup: George Scott's Caballo De Mar bounces back to form in Town Moor Group 2

Questions had been raised over whether the five-year-old still had the stomach for the fight after coming home last in the Gold Cup and stopping quickly before finishing fourth in the Lonsdale Cup at York.

But after taking up the running a furlong from home on Town Moor under Oisín Murphy, the George Scott-trained stayer proved his doubters wrong, pulling away from Beylerbeyi to land odds of 5-6 favourite by a length and a quarter.

The race had been robbed of its likely favourite after Queenstown was pulled out and there was also drama beforehand when the Emmet Mullins-trained Winday gave trouble at the start. Having worked himself up into a sweat, he failed to the fire in the race itself, finishing a tailed off last of seven.

Scott is now looking forward to seeing his charge defend his title in the Prix du Cadran on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp.

He said: "We needed to see that from him today if we wanted to go back to Paris with him, as he's two from two there - we just have to hope Scandinavia doesn't turn up there. If he doesn't then he's going to be a player.

"He loves Longchamp, he loves the tempo of the races and two-mile-four is right up his street.

"I thought he was value for a bit more today, he had to commit earlier than he wanted."

The Doncaster Cup was been robbed of its likely favourite after Queenstown was pulled out and there was also drama beforehand when the Emmet Mullins-trained Winday gave trouble at the start. Having worked himself up into a sweat, he failed to the fire in the race itself, finishing a tailed off last of seven.

But on this occasion Caballo De Mar was as good as gold, much to the delight of his trainer.

"His last two races have been in a Gold Cup against two of the best stayers we've seen, and he was third until the furlong pole, and last time at York they went a hell of a gallop and he was in the thick of it the whole way. York is a funny track too, they can misfire and he did," Scott continued.

"Today was a much more of an even set up for him, so I think it's more down to circumstance than anything.

"This horse has been amazing for us for two years - he's had two bad runs, so what - some horses go off the boil for a year before coming back but we got him back within three weeks.

"I said to Sheikh Nasser (owner) this morning, he's a world class athlete and you can train in the gym all you like but if you come out in the afternoon in the heat of battle, that is when you see true colours.

"In the paddock I knew he was on it and Oisin said straight away 'he's here'.

"Victorious Racing put an awful lot of trust in me so it is a relief he's won today. I know that if it goes wrong they have got my back."

Final Objective gets up to land thrilling Flying Childers

Gimcrack runner-up Final Objective came out on top in a thrilling climax to the Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes.

Hamad Al Jehani's juvenile has steadily improved with racing this season, most recently going down by three-quarters of a length to Arapaho Gold at York last month.

Dropping back to five furlongs for the first time, the gelded son of Sioux Nation was a 9-4 favourite in the hands of James Doyle, who produced his mount with a perfectly-timed challenge to get up in the shadows of the post.

Crownbreaker finished a neck second, with Flann Sunna and long-time leader Fast Track close up in third and fourth. In The Black was unfortunate not to do better than fifth after encountering trouble in running before clipping heels and almost coming down passing the line.

Doyle said: "He's a testament to Hamad and his team because he has not been an easy conveyance whatsoever.

"Faleh [Bughenaim], our Qatari jockey, has done a brilliant job with him because he rides him every day so he has to suffer on a daily basis while I only ride him now and again so I have to thank him.

"He was a bit wayward again late on but that is just his nature, he's a bit tricky.

"I was just trying to hang on to their coattails because I was a little bit outpaced early. He's got decent form at six and this was his first time back at five. It wasn't a problem as he's got more than enough speed.

"I thought he was going to win the Gimcrack but when he got out he hung his chance away and I thought he was going to do a similar thing today. He's not easy but he's more straightforward than he used to be."

Forbidden Fire holds off Rock Montreal to win Flying Scotsman

Forbidden Fire resisted the late surge of Rock Montreal to claim top honours in the Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes.

Nine runners went to post for the Listed opener on day two of Doncaster's St Leger Festival and the market was dominated by two Godolphin-owned colts, with Charlie Appleby's dual winner Nabati the even-money favourite ahead of Roger Varian's impressive Yarmouth scorer Rock Montreal at 5-2.

Forbidden Fire, one of only two fillies in the field, was third best in the market at 9-2 off the back of a dominant debut victory at Salisbury, but showed the boys the way home under Murphy.

A daughter of No Nay Never out of owner-breeder Jeff Smith's top-class racemare Arabian Queen, Andrew Balding's filly travelled strongly and had most of her rivals in trouble a furlong out, with Rock Montreal one of the first under pressure at the rear of the field.

However, the latter began to find his stride against the near side rail late on and only missed out on victory by a head, with Nabati beaten into third.