Captain Colby lifts the Portland Handicap for Ed Walker

The well-backed Captain Colby burst through the pack in the final furlong to land the spoils in the Ladbrokes Portland Handicap at Doncaster.

William Buick delivered Ed Walker's four-year-old to steal the show in the valuable sprint over the unique trip of five and a half furlongs.

The well-backed Red Pike set the pace for the main group in the early stages, while Judicial led his sole companion Out Do on the near side.

Pipers Note, Soie d'Leau and Humidor made their bid for victory in the final quarter-mile, but the 6/1 joint-favourite got the breaks to power through in the last half-furlong.

The George Baker-trained Humidor was a length and a half away in second, with his stablemate Harry Hurricane third and top-weight Double Up fourth.

Mukaynis was withdrawn after sustaining injuries which sadly ultimately proved fatal when getting restless in the starting stalls.

Buick said: "He had good form coming into the race, but the ground was very loose, he didn't like it.

"He finished off really strongly, though, and is a talented horse, I've won on him before."

Walker added: "He didn't seem to be going a yard, he looked like he was off the bridle and then back on it again, but he finished like a train. He's done it well in the end.

"I think he looks like he needs a step up to six (furlongs), which is great and opens up options.

"It's fine margins with sprinters, from handicaps to Group races - he could be a horse for Dubai. We'll see.

"I'm relieved as much as thrilled, as we'd just had one chinned at Lingfield that we fancied. I'm very happy and he's an exciting horse for next year."

Fergus Sweeney said of Humidor: "He ran very well. He seems to have come back to form in his last three runs.

"He picked up nicely and I thought we had a chance of winning but we just got beat by a better horse on the day."

Robert Winston, who partnered the third-home, commented: "Everything went well.

"We had a lovely position tracking the leaders and got the gaps. He has run a big race but he just doesn't see out that last half furlong. He is more of a five-furlong specialist.

"The ground today was perfect for him."

Khalidi (5/2 joint-favourite) gave Andrea Atzeni a treble on the card when staying on well to take the Champagne Pommery Nursery Handicap.

The John Gosden-trained two-year-old was hard pressed by the Queen's Maths Prize but pulled away in the last 100 yards to score cosily.

Khalidi's market rival Harbour Master finished well to get within a length and a quarter at the line. Maths Prize was third.

Gosden said: "He's a nice horse and the jockey rode him beautifully. Three horses came out of the race so I was delighted to win."

Jamie Spencer brought Can't Change It (7/1) through the eye of a needle to snatch victory in the Napoleons Casinos & Restaurants Handicap.

Marcret made the running but the rest of the field lined up ready to pounce in the final quarter-mile of the one-mile heat.

Just as Banksea looked like justifying 2/1 favouritism, Can't Change It burst through the pack to land the spoils.

Simcock, successful earlier with Breton Rock in the Park Stakes, said: "That was a proper ride. He has to be ridden like that.

"He enjoyed that little of juice. It was too fast for him at Goodwood.

"He's a very talented horse at home. He's a little bit frustrating at times but that was a good ride.

"He knew exactly what he was doing. He was following the right horse, so it was good."

"He's a smart horse," added the jockey.

"He just needs everything to fall right for him. He needs a reasonable pace and just a bit of juice in the ground suits him fine.

"At Goodwood, he didn't have the best draw so we had to rush him up a bit and it didn't suit. He likes to be held up until the last minute and that's what happened here."

Atzeni made it a four-timer when the Luca Cumani-trained Bess Of Hardwick claimed the EBF Breeders' Series Fillies' Handicap as the 100/30 favourite.

Atzeni, who won last year's St Leger on Simple Verse having landed the same race in 2014 with Kingston Hill, said: "It's been a great day and I've been very lucky at this meeting for the last few years.

"I've been riding good horses and that's made all the difference."

The concluding Harriet De-Vere Powell Handicap went the way of James Doyle-ridden Gold Trail (5/1).

Charlie Appleby's five-year-old son of Teofilo travelled well throughout the one mile and four furlong contest and quickened up well in the home straight to master long-time leader Stars Over The Sea to register a facile five-length success.

Doyle said: "The leader went off at a good old clip. I was quite happy where I was in a nice rhythm and my horse was very relaxed. I'm surprised how far he won by to be fair.

"The ground was not great for him and he did swap his lead leg a couple of times but I think I had a good jump on them. It worked out well in the end."

George Baker, rider of the second-placed Stars Over The Sea, the 3/1 joint-favourite with Argus, remarked: "He's a very straightforward horse and he just keeps grinding away there.

"I probably just bumped into a good horse there."