Samuel and Zebedee prove star turns at Doncaster

The six-year-old was sidelined for two seasons until returning in July and he was back in the winner's enclosure on just his third comeback run. The 5-1 shot took it up two furlongs out under William Buick after Tastahil had made his bid for glory and Samuel stayed on strongly to hold Barry Hills's runner by a length and a quarter. Motrice was a head away in third with the favourite Opinion Poll fourth.

"He's been through a lot and he's really enjoying his racing now," said Buick. "I love riding these staying horses because they try so hard and he's a real character. I thought before the only way I would beat Opinion Poll was to stretch him as my fella stays and he did that today."

Zebedee landed his sixth win from seven starts with a cheeky success in the Polypipe Flying Childers Stakes. Richard Hughes brought the 100-30 favourite, trained by Richard Hannon, with a perfectly-timed run to take the Group 2 dash over five furlongs in cosy fashion.

Hughes produced Zebedee with an electric turn of foot to score by a neck from Dinkum Diamond with New Planet three-quarters of a length away third. "I love him, look the size of him he's tiny, I feel like a giraffe on him," said Hughes. "He's got an amazing burst. You wouldn't hear his heartbeat at the start. He hacks down, he stands there like a lamb. You just put him where you want in a race. You just have to pick the right ones to follow."

Paul Cole's Precision Break, ridden by Jamie Spencer, wore down Jedi to spring a 20-1 surprise in the Ladbrokes Mallard Stakes and register his third course success.