Newbury Report: Century Dream wins the Diomed Stakes as John Gosden unleashes another Investec Oaks contender

CENTURY Dream ran out a cosy pillar-to-post winner of Newbury’s feature Diomed Stakes.

The Group 3 victory was part of a hat-trick on the card for James Doyle, as hot favourite King Of Comedy disappointed in second.

Doyle took up the running and hardly broke sweat as Simon and Ed Crisford’s runner kept all at bay.

It was a first Group win for the Crisford father and son team since taking out a joint licence.

Ed Crisford said: “I’m so pleased for the horse as he lost his way a little bit last year.

“He won this race two years ago at Epsom and he did it really well today. It is a great Group-race success for the partnership.

“We thought about the Queen Anne, but as he hasn’t won since he won this race two years ago, we wanted him to get a bit of confidence.

“This race looked a suitable option, but it still looked very hot with King Of Comedy and Zaaki in it, but the rain came yesterday and we thought this would be perfect so we went for it.

“He is a half-brother to King Of Change, so it is a great family for the owners.”

Earlier on the card John Gosden unleashed another Oaks contender as Francolina was cut to as short as 7-1 for Epsom after her win.

On her second start she routed her rivals in the Listed Abingdon Stakes under an impressed Frankie Dettori.

But her trainer warned that she may not be Epsom-bound and the Musidora Stakes at York could be next.

Gosden said: “She has come here from finishing second at Chelmsford last year so it is all a bit of a jump, but we will see how she takes it all as she is very young in her mind.

“Her sister was pretty lively and she is the same. There is plenty of ability there, we will just see how we play it.

“You don’t normally go from a second at Chelmsford to a Listed. We have just missed those two races prior to anything big.

“She has plenty of ability, but she is highly strung.”

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