Doncaster Cup: Sweet William defends crown as star stayer sees off Pendragon and Hipop De Loire

Redoubtable stayer Sweet William enjoyed a deserved return to winning ways with a successful defence of the Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup.

Although winless since landing this Group Two prize 12 months ago, John and Thady Gosden's charge has run several excellent races in defeat this season, enjoying podium finishes in the Yorkshire Cup, the Goodwood Cup and the Lonsdale Cup, as well as coming home fourth in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

With esteemed stablemate Trawlerman not in attendance, Sweet William appeared to have an excellent chance of getting his head back in front on his return to Town Moor and he was priced up accordingly as the 10/11 favourite under his regular pilot Robert Havlin.

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It was not entirely plain sailing for odds-on backers, with the market leader slightly hampered coming out of the starting stalls. He was shuffled back to the rear of the field early on and Havlin had to coax his partner along to get him back on an even keel.

However, after creeping closer in the back straight the six-year-old had moved into the slipstream of Pendragon by the time he passed the three-furlong marker. From that point the result was never really in doubt, with Sweet William asserting his dominance with a near four-length verdict.

"It's great to win with him and I've already been instructed that is it for the season, see you all again same place next year," said Gosden.

"I've been on the phone to Phillipa (Cooper, owner) and we've had a chat and quite correctly she wants to go out on a high and we'll build up to the Doncaster Cup next year via a few interesting races - the usual ones.

"If the ground has gone then those back-end races are a real slog in the mud and this was lovely ground for him here today. It's lovely to go out on a high.

"They are great these Cup horses and people enjoy them. We've had Stradivarius, now this horse and Trawlerman and they are exciting for the crowds as a lot of our Flat horses disappear too quickly."

Revival Power leads from the front in Flying Childers

Revival Power made every yard of the running to secure a brilliant local success for Yorkshire handler Tim Easterby in the Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes.

A sister to the Habton Grange handler's Nunthorpe winner Winter Power, the youngster showed real bravery to secure Listed honours at York last time, but demonstrated raw speed and pure class to double up on Town Moor.

Sent off at odds of 17/2, she was pushed immediately to the front by Oisín Murphy and that was where she stayed throughout, as her rivals struggled to make any impact on her early advantage.

Aidan O'Brien's second-string Kansas and Kevin Ryan's Dickensian - third behind Revival Power at York - finished off strongly for the podium places, but they were unable to catch the front-running filly who continued a fine week for her handler after a six-timer on Tuesday.

Avicenna got up in the very last stride to deny hot favourite Hankelow victory in a thrilling renewal of the Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes.

Hankelow was the 5/4 market leader to provide Karl Burke with yet another big-race juvenile success, having impressed on his only previous start at York at the end of June.

The Night Of Thunder colt was under pressure with over a furlong to run, however, and while he did eventually get the better of a protracted duel with three-time winner Sir Albert to grab the lead, it was Roger Varian's course-and-distance winner Avicenna who was finishing best of all.

The pair flashed by the post almost as one, but the judge soon confirmed Avicenna had emerged victorious by a nose in the hands of William Buick, with Hankelow second and Sir Albert only half a length further behind in third.

Subsequent made up for last year's near-miss to land the Betfred Mallard Handicap in the hands of Murphy.

The Andrew Balding-trained four-year-old came second in the corresponding race 12 months ago when he narrowly went down by a short head to Jim Goldie's Faylaq.

He had to bide his time as Roaring Legend surged ahead, but Subsequent (12-1) was always making inroads on that lead before hitting the front in the final stages to claim a half-length victory ahead of the fast-finishing Beylerbeyi. Hugo Palmer's Roaring Legend came home in third.