Wall Of Fire wins Mallard Handicap under Josephine Gordon

The rest of the action from Doncaster on Friday, where Josephine Gordon's fine season continued with victory in the Mallard Handicap.

The Hugo Palmer-trained three-year-old had plenty to do in the straight but found an extra gear where it mattered to get up close home and snatch the spoils.

Having gone clear at the furlong-pole under George Baker, Seamour looked like gaining a deserved victory after an agonising defeat in the Northumberland Plate, but just like at Newcastle, he was mugged in the last 50 yards.

This time it was Wall of Fire (5/2 favourite) who took the prize by a length and a quarter, with First Mohican half a length away in third.

Wall Of Fire had won the Melrose Handicap at York on his previous start and was emulating Sausalito Bay who won both races in 1997.

Gordon, who is second to defending champion Tom Marquand in the apprentices' title race and has ridden 55 winners so far in 2016, said: "He took a while to come together, then he stayed on well. He seemed to enjoy the quicker ground."

Palmer said: "I said before the race that anyone who backed this horse would have their hearts in their mouths for quite a long way.

"He won the Melrose quite easily in the end but had made heavy weather of it for a mile and five, like he did today, but then he came good and looked like he won a shade cosily. I don't know where he'll end up.

"We did think of running him in the Leger, but it's a long way from winning a handicap off 102 to winning the Leger. We're talking on ratings about another 15%.

"Who know where he'll get to and why shouldn't he stay two miles next year and why shouldn't he be a nice, fun Cup horse to go to war with?"

He added: "I can't see why one day why he shouldn't be a Melbourne Cup horse. In the medium term we'll go to Ascot for the Noel Murless Stakes at the end of the year."

Brian Ellison must have been feeling desperate after another agonising defeat for Seamour, but the trainer was putting on a brave face.

"He just doesn't want to be in front too soon," he said. "He pulls up and drifts left. We put the cheekpieces on him to help him.

"George thought he had got to the front too soon as well. He wished he had held the horse up a bit longer. You can't knock his form. He is a big, strong-travelling horses and one day he will win a big race - you'd probably the winner is all right as well."

Rodaini kept his unbeaten record intact with a fourth successive victory in the Weatherbys Stallion Book Flying Scotsman Stakes.

Despite previous successes at Leicester, Lingfield and Newmarket, Simon Crisford's juvenile was 6/1 stepped up to Listed class in the hands of Silvestre de Sousa.

There were plenty in with a chance entering the final furlong, but it was Rodaini who found most for pressure to narrowly outpoint Salsabeel and Larchmont Lad in a driving finish.

Taamol, the 7/4 favourite, was unable to land a telling blow.

"He's a nice horse that's still learning. It's nice he's progressing and he will improve," said the champion jockey.

The winner, who holds an engagement in the Racing Post Trophy, provided owner Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah with a double on the day following the earlier success of Ardad in the Flying Childers Stakes.

Crisford said: "I think it was a really good effort. I think he only does what he wants to do, but he's progressed with each effort and he's a really smart horse.

"He will definitely stay a mile and stay a mile well. We'll obviously talk to his owner, who's had a very good day, and see what he wants to do.

"Today was a step up from his nursery wins and he's beaten some very smart colts, so he deserves to go to the next level.

"The most important thing with him is he's got a very good mind and we're delighted."

Khairaat (6/4 favourite) continues to make up for lost time and took his tally to two wins from three starts in the Still In The Running-FM Outsource Classified Stakes.

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained three-year-old only made his debut in July but looks like he is developing into a useful sort and took the step up from a mile to an extended 10 furlongs with ease.

Held up by Paul Hanagan in the early stages, Khairaat showed a neat turn of foot to hit the front and keep up the gallop to score by a length from Laurence. Rotherwick was a length and three-quarters away in third.

Hanagan said: "He'll improve so much for that. He'll have learnt a lot. He may stay further in time but I think for the moment we'll stick to this trip.

"He pricked his ears in front. He's still a big baby and when I grabbed hold he went again and took a bit of pulling up which is always good."

Richard Hills, assistant racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: "We had a lot of problems with him earlier, but Sir Michael has taken his time.

"I thought he ran a good race at Pontefract and he's come on for that. We had a clear run with him which was good.

"We'll see how he comes out of this and take it one step at a time."

Nigel Tinkler registered his first success of this year's St Leger Festival when 11/4 joint-favourite Normandy Barriere was a game winner of the concluding Coopers Marquees Handicap.

Held up early on by Andrea Atzeni, who was riding his fourth winner at the meeting this week, twice as many as any other rider, the four-year-old cut down Miracle Of Medinah to score by half a length.

Tinkler said: "I'm chuffed to bits even though he seems to save a bit for himself. He's in the Ayr Gold Cup but I wouldn't think he'd go there.

"He might go for the Coral Sprint Trophy at York next month, but wherever he runs it will have to be fast ground. If the ground isn't right he won't run again this year."