Caballo De Mar rebounded from a series of lackluster performances at Royal Ascot and York to capture the Betfred Howards Wright Doncaster Cup, silencing the doubts that had begun to surface about his staying ability. The five‑year‑old had finished last in the Gold Cup and then dropped back quickly to finish fourth in the Lonsdale Cup at York, prompting questions about whether he still possessed the stamina required for the marathon distances that define his career. On the day of the Doncaster meeting, the George Scott‑trained stayer was positioned a furlong from the finish line on Town Moor, with Oisín Murphy guiding him into the lead. From that point, Caballo De Mar accelerated away from his nearest rival, Beylerbeyi, and secured victory by a length and a quarter, doing so as the 5‑6 favourite.
The win was a clear statement that the horse had not lost his appetite for long‑distance contests. The race itself was not without its own drama. The anticipated favourite, Queenstown, had been withdrawn before the start, leaving a void in the betting market.
In addition, Emmet Mullins’s runner Winday caused a stir at the gates, expending a great deal of energy early on and ultimately fading to finish tailed‑off in seventh place. This early trouble may have contributed to the altered dynamics of the contest, but Caballo De Mar was unfazed.
Following the win, Scott expressed his enthusiasm for the next target on the horse’s calendar – a defense of his title in the Prix du Cadran during Arc weekend at Longchamp in Paris. "We needed to see that kind of performance today if we were to head back to Paris with him," Scott explained. "He’s two‑for‑two there, so we just hope Scandinavia doesn’t show up. If he does, he’ll still be a serious contender.
He loves Longchamp, loves the tempo, and the two‑mile‑four‑furlong distance is right up his street." Scott also reflected on the horse’s recent form, noting that Caballo De Mar had been placed in two of the toughest staying races of the season. "His last two outings were in Gold Cups against the best stayers we’ve seen," he said.
"He was third until the furlong pole in the first, and at York he ran a hell of a gallop and was in the thick of it the whole way. York is a tricky track, they can misfire, and he did. Today the set‑up was much more even for him, so I think it’s more down to circumstance than anything else." The trainer praised the horse’s resilience, emphasizing how quickly the team managed to bring him back to top form after the two disappointing runs.
"He’s been amazing for us for two years – he’s had two bad runs, but some horses take a year to rediscover their best, whereas we got him back within three weeks," Scott said. "I told Sheikh Nasser this morning that he’s a world‑class athlete. You can train in the gym all you like, but when you step out into the heat of battle in the afternoon, that’s when you see true colours. In the paddock I knew he was ready, and Oisín said straight away ‘he’s here.’" Scott also acknowledged the trust placed in him by Victorious Racing, the ownership group behind Caballo De Mar.
"Victorious Racing put an awful lot of trust in me, so it is a relief he’s won today. I know that if anything goes wrong they have my back," the trainer added. In other news from the Doncaster meeting, the Gimcrack runner‑up Final Objective claimed the Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes after a thrilling finish. The juvenile, owned by Hamad Al Jehani, has shown steady improvement throughout the season, most recently finishing three‑quarters of a length behind Arapaho Gold at York.
Dropping back to five furlongs for the first time, the gelding, a son of Sioux Nation, started as a 9‑4 favourite in the hands of James Doyle. Doyle timed his challenge perfectly, guiding Final Objective to the finish line in the shadows of the post. Crownbreaker was a neck second, with Flann Sunna and long‑time leader Fast Track completing the third and fourth places.
In The Black, after encountering trouble and clipping heels, managed only fifth. Doyle praised the horse’s connections, saying, "He’s a testament to Hamad and his team because he has not been an easy conveyance whatsoever.
Faleh Bughenaim, our Qatian 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." The meeting also featured the Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes, where Forbidden Fire held off a late surge from Rock Montreal to claim victory. Nine runners contested the Listed opener on the second day of Doncaster’s St Leger Festival. The market was dominated by two Godolphin colts, with Charlie Appleby’s dual winner Nabati as the even‑money favourite, followed by Roger Varian’s impressive Yarmouth performer Rock Montreal at 5‑2.
Forbidden Fire, one of only two fillies in the field, was third‑best in the market at 9‑2 after a dominant debut at Salisbury. Under Murphy, the filly, a daughter of No Nay Never out of the top‑class Arabian Queen, travelled strongly and forced most of her rivals to struggle a furlong out.
Rock Montreal rallied late, closing to within a head of the winner, while Nabati faded to third. Overall, the Doncaster Cup weekend delivered a mix of redemption, surprise, and high‑quality performances, setting the stage for further excitement as the season moves toward the prestigious Prix du Cadran and the Arc weekend in Paris.