CENSUS ADVERTISES LEGER CLAIMS

Fast-improving Census reversed Royal Ascot running with Brown Panther to land the CGA Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury.

Richard Hughes was always travelling strongly on the Richard Hannon-trained three-year-old (4-1), who was six lengths adrift of Brown Panther in the King George V Stakes but was meeting his conqueror on 3lb better terms.

Having settled just off the leaders through the early stages, Hughes eased to the front three furlongs out and though it looked at one stage that Brown Panther might get to him, Census had a bit in hand in the end and was a cosy length-and-a-quarter scorer.

Hughes said: "He is a genuine Leger horse now. He's a big, raw horse and getting better and better. Before the race I thought we had a Leger runner, now we might have a horse who could win it."

Hannon added: "The Leger is the plan. I thought about going to York (for the Great Voltigeur), but I didn't want the travelling for him. He'd have needed a gallop, probably here, so I thought why not run him and earn a few quid."

The colt is owned by Highclere Thoroughbreds, whose racing manager Harry Herbert said: "He was too far back at Ascot and we were giving Brown Panther 3lb. He was babyish there and now he's grown up. We're really excited. The Leger here we come."

Connections of the runner-up, owned and bred by Manchester United star Michael Owen, were far from downhearted

Trainer Tom Dascombe said: "I think the Leger is in four weeks' time and we'll take him on again. We've gone back to basics to try to get him to settle and relax. We'd rather have won, but there will be a certain amount of improvement in the next few weeks. He may well have needed that and we're very happy."

Stan James make Census a 6-1 chance from 10s for the final Classic of the season at Doncaster on September 10. The same firm also cut Brown Panther to 8s from 10s.

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