Ascot -third day

The Ascot meeting continues with another good card, although not quite up to yesterday´s standards and also minus Frankie Dettori, who - as we predicted- was the star turn yesterday with 4 wins including both Group Ones.Today´s main event is the Group Two Diadem Stakes over 6 furlongs at 17.45 CET, which looks a very open affair with 13 runners. Sirt Michael Stoute is not known for training sprinters, and has in any case been rather quiet of late, but saddles two fancied runners here, Kingsgate Native (Ryan Moore) and Sayif (Richard Hills), both of whom should run well. The 3yo filly Lady of Desert (Brian Meehan/ Richard Hughes) is arguably the form choice after her excellent second at Haydock last time, while consistent Himalya (Jeremy Noseda/ Tom Queally) is another for the short list, but our preference is for Dalghar (Alain de Royer-Dupré/ Christophe Lemaire) who is coming back in distance and represents a team that always does well on their raids on big English prizes.
There are only 6 runners in the Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes over 1 1/2 miles at 17.10, which looks at the mercy of Laaheb (Michael Jarvis/ Richard Hills) who defeated the smart Holberg last time. Mikhail Glinka (Gary Moore/ Richard Hughes) won the Queen´s Vase here for Aidan O´Brien but now runs for the first time in the colours of Chechyen dictator Kadyrov. The most popular winner of the day would probably be the Queen´s Free State (Richard Hannon/ Hughes) who contests the listed race over 2 miles at 16.35, but we do not think he can give the weight to Tastahil (Barry and Richard Hills).

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Custom House - Buckland - Ibsaar
2. Race: The Fonz - Life And Soul - Prompter
3. Race: Tastahil - Free Agent - Pompeyano
4. Race: Laaheb - Mikhail Glinka - Whispering Gallery
5. Race: Dalghar - Lady Of The Desert - Kingsgate Native
6. Race: Oratory - Shavansky - King Of Windsor