Well-backed Gracious Diana delivers under Dettori

John Gosden continued his fine run of form as he unleashed two Investec Oaks candidates in the shape of Shutter Speed and Gracious Diana on an informative card at Newbury.

Shutter Speed impressed as she lived up to her tall reputation to win the Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup EBF Stallions Conditions Stakes. (Click here for a full report.)

Then, just half an hour later, Gracious Diana looked another filly with a bright future when streaking clear to win the Bathwick Tyres Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

Pre-race the talk was of Mori, the offsping of Frankel and Midday making her debut for Sir Michael Stoute, but after shaping nicely she could only stay on one-paced into fifth.

However, the 4/1 winner, only 10th of 17 on her sole start last season, looked in a different league and she shot clear under Dettori to beat Star Rock by three and a half lengths.

Gosden said: "She's a lovely filly and will probably come back here for the (Oaks) trial at the Lockinge meeting - that is the plan at the moment.

"She had been training well through the spring. Her only run was when she finished 10th at Nottingham last year but she did well enough over the spring to put her in the Oaks. We don't normally do that for one that had finished 10th in a maiden on their first start.

"She's a big girl and is filling into her frame and she looks rather like her grandfather, Generous."

Dettori said: "She surprised me, she won really well. She wouldn't have shown the sort of speed Shutter Speed did, but she won really well."

Gold Town ensured trainer Charlie Appleby maintained his 100 per cent record with his juvenile runners after making a winning debut in the Dreweatts Newcomers' EBF Stallions Maiden Stakes.

Having saddled Sound And Silence to victory at Newmarket on Tuesday the son of Street Cry provided him with another two-year-old winner when getting up close home to clinch the five-furlong contest by a neck from Headway.

Tracking the early pace, the 100/30 favourite picked up well late on for William Buick, who said: "He has just been going through the motions at home and has only been away from home once over to racecourse side.

"There is plenty of improvement there. I like the way he travelled. He just got lost for a stride or two. I just gave him one little tap and he was going away at the line.

"They (Sound And Silence and Gold Town) are slightly different and I wouldn't really want to compare them. The other horse might be naturally a fraction quicker whereas this horse will appreciate a trip."

Rainbow Dreamer showed he could be a stayer to keep on the right side of this season after taking victory in the Compton Beauchamp Estates Ltd Silver Bar Handicap.

Having finished third at Leicester on his first start back on the Flat having previously run in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival, the four-year-old put his race-fitness to good use in seeing out the two-and-a-quarter-mile trip best of them all.

Patiently ridden by Ryan Moore the Alan King-trained 11/4 joint-favourite was steadily worked into the race before forging on deep inside the final furlong, claiming victory by a length and a quarter.

Assistant trainer Ollie Wardle said: "His best run on the Flat was on good to firm when he finished second behind a Listed winner at Salisbury.

"Ryan Moore kept it simple and he was fit from running over the jumps. Ryan said that would be his maximum trip and he said you could drop him back if you wanted to.

"He came out of Cheltenham well and hopefully we can have a lot more fun during the summer. He takes his races well and is not a difficult horse to freshen up."