Sergeant Cecil, one of the grittiest and most dependable horses in training, landed a significant blow for the punters on the first day of the St Leger meeting at York yesterday with victory in the Doncaster Cup. Starting at even money, last year's Ebor winner was held up until the three-furlong pole by Frankie Dettori, but swept through to win comfortably by a length from another veteran, Alcazar.

Sergeant Cecil crossed Alcazar as he made his challenge, slightly impeding the eventual runner-up in the process, but while the stewards inquired into the incident, there was little danger of the winner being disqualified. A riot, after all, would not have left York looking its best for the St Leger card today.

"We may have gone a bit too soon," Dettori said, "but he had plenty in hand. What a star he is. He went right when he hit the front, but the race was won by then."

Hugh Morrison, the trainer of Alcazar, did not share Dettori's view, and suggested afterwards that the result of the enquiry might have been different elsewhere. "My horse was coming back at the winner at the line, and he took our ground," Morrison said. "In France, we would have got a Group Two in the stewards' room, but not here."

Kevin Ryan saddled his first Group One winner when Amadeus Wolf took the Middle Park Stakes last year, and he will stand a fair chance of following up in the same race if Wi Dud lines up at Newmarket later this month. The doubt about his two-year-old, who took the Group Two Flying Childers Stakes with unusual ease yesterday, is whether his stamina currently extends to six furlongs.

Over five furlongs, though, he is clearly as good as any juvenile in training, and Neil Callan, his jockey, was able to take a pull on the reins as he arrived to challenge Abby Road at the furlong pole. "I told Neil that it would be better to come too late than to get there too soon," Ryan said afterwards, "and even then, he was almost in front too early."

Wi Dud has so much speed that sprinting will surely be his business next year (as it has been, ultimately, for Amadeus Wolf). "When you can take a pull in a race like this, you must have a good horse," Ryan said. "He has been a joy to train from day one, he's one of those horses who always gives you 110 per cent."

The Godolphin operation has had a thin time at the highest level in Britain so far this season, but their strike-rate is still an impressive 30 per cent, and their string's current form makes it one of the hottest yards in the country.

Sunday Symphony continued their run of form with a facile victory under Frankie Dettori in the Mallard Stakes, a race that was, on paper, a competitive handicap. He cantered up to Barolo three furlongs out on a tight rein, and then went five lengths clear in a matter of strides to suggest that handicaps are unlikely to figure prominently in his future.

One possible exception is the Cesarewitch, in which Sunday Symphony would carry just a 5lb penalty, and the four-year-old is 11-1 (from 16-1) for the big staying handicap on October 14. In the longer term, though, he could be a serious competitor in the Cup events next season.

"It was his first time over this distance and he really seemed to enjoy it," Dettori said. "He took me slightly by surprise today, I didn't expect him to win by that far, but he deserved to get his head in front again as he's very consistent and always gives his best. Godolphin had a very slow start to this year, and it's a great relief that they are running so well now. We are really making up for lost time."

Guadalajara was sent off favourite to give Godolphin a double in the Group Two Park Hill Stakes, but after a long battle up the straight in which several of the runners briefly threatened, it was Rising Cross, the Oaks runner-up, who emerged in front. Despite being placed in a Classic, Rising Cross was the outsider of the field, but she showed considerable courage to quicken through a narrow gap.

"That was brilliant, the best moment of my racing career," said her trainer, John Best. "It looked like she was in trouble, but she just doesn't know how to give up."