Mr Professor was too clever for the rest with a power-packed display in the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster.

Sent off at 33-1, the Dominic Ffrench Davis-trained five-year-old was drawn in stall two but ended up more towards the middle after David Egan – celebrating a big winner so soon after becoming number one rider for owners Amo Racing – asked his mount to quicken a furlong and a half from home.

Lattam was a length and a half back in second, with Navagio two lengths further away in third, but there was never any danger to the winner once he had flown.

Fozzy Stack’s Chazzesmee was the well-backed 5-2 favourite, chasing an unprecedented double after winning the Irish equivalent last weekend, but while he moved with some menace, he could never quite get into it, eventually just being edged out for fourth by Alpha Crucis.

But there was huge disappointment for David Menuisier, with last year’s winner Migration planting himself in the stalls as the gates opened.

Ffrench Davis said: “I think a lot of it has to do with the ground, it’s very tacky and holding and he travelled through it well.

“Two out, he was going supremely well and David didn’t really want to go on as soon as he did, but it’s very hard to make ground up in that sort of ground and he quickened up nicely and kept going.

“We knew he was very fit and would like the ground, so we were hopeful. His draw in stall two didn’t look great, but it worked out well.

“I think he seems a very happy horse now, he had been out to Bahrain before we got him but he prefers to get his toe in. He bolted up at Goodwood one day for us, his form has been solid.

“It’s great to win this, it’s the first big handicap of the year and these are the races you have to aim to win.

“For horses like him, I hope this rain continues, but we’ve plenty of horses who want better ground.

“I suppose we’d have to look at the Spring Cup next but he does have to get his toe in, so the word soft would need to be in the description. He’s obviously well handicapped, so you’d have to have a look at a race like that.

“It’s a fantastic start for David, he won the first two-year-old race at the Curragh last week and we were hoping to win the Brocklesby but that didn’t work out – thankfully, this makes up for it.”

Pulborough trainer Menuisier later announced the retirement of Migration, posting on X: “Migration is now retired, we have to think about the great times we’ve had with him especially Glorious Goodwood, Doncaster and York.

“Thank you Migration for the amazing years we’ve had in your company. Enjoy a well-deserved quiet time.”