PART OF CRISFORD’S DERBY DREAM COMES TRUE IN THE DIOMED STAKES

Century Dream ridden by William Buick coming home to win the Investec Diomed Stakes during derby day of the 2018 Investec Derby Festival at Epsom Downs Racecourse.

[twocol_one][dropcap]S[/dropcap]imon Crisford stood in the winner’s enclosure at Epsom Downs many times in his years as Godolphin’s racing manager, but today he was there as the trainer of Investec Diomed Stakes hero Century Dream. The four-year-old Cape Cross colt was the 11/4 favourite for the £90,000 Group Three race, and came home two and a quarter lengths ahead of second-placed Gabrial. He was ridden by William Buick.

Crisford said: “I think races are always incredibly difficult to watch if you are closely connected, and I really take my hat off to people who have got runners in the Derby and the Oaks and races like that, and when I used to do that for Godolphin I could never watch the races. Afterwards I would watch them 100 times – where did we go wrong, where did we go right – but in this instance it was easy to watch because he never looked like getting beaten at any stage. It was great.

“I think William felt the ground suited this horse – obviously he is ground-dependent and he doesn’t want it too quick, so when it rained we were absolutely delighted. It played to his strengths and he won really well. We will monitor world-wide weather forecasts for the next few months. He[/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last] has got an entry in the Royal Hunt Cup [at Royal Ascot] but I don’t think it is his type of race.

“As a small boy I dreamed about standing in this winner’s enclosure on Derby Day, but I did not have the Diomed Stakes in mind at the time!”

Richard Fahey was full of praise for Gabrial (11/2) who finished a fine second. Ridden by Frankie Dettori, the popular nine-year-old son of Dark Angel kept on well in the closing stages to finish two and a quarter lengths behind Century Dream. Gabrial also finished second in the 2017 renewal of the Investec Diomed Stakes and was also third in the 2013 edition.

Jockey Oisin Murphy was pleased with the performance of 6/1 shot True Valour, who finished third behind 11/4 winner Century Dream. Murphy, who switched to ride True Valour after his original mount, Arod, was declared a non-runner this morning because of the going, had every chance on the four-year-old but he couldn’t quite match the finishing kick of the front two, staying on past last year’s winner Sovereign Debt to claim third, just a neck behind Gabrial.[/twocol_one_last]