3 group races and two listed at Ascot

Ascot also offers a very stroing card today, featuring 3 group races, two listed and a very hot handicap over 7 furlongs at 16.50 CET, the big betting race of the day. With 18 runners this is really wide open, although Smarty Socks (David O´Meara/ Danny Tudhope) will probably start favourite after his CD win 4 weeks ago. However Pastoral Player (Hughie Morrison/ Daarryll Holland) and Atlantc Sport (Mick Channon/ Tony Culhane) were not far behind him then and are now better off at the weights, so they also have their chance. However our main fancies are Decent Fella (Andrew Balding/ Jimmy Fortune) and Casual Glimpse (Richard Hannon/ William Buick); the latter finished 6th in the German 2000 Guineas in May and the form of that race has worked out very well.

There could well be a German winner here as War Artist (Markus Klug/ Martin Harley) has an obvious chance in the Bengough Stakes at 16.15. The 8yo has been out of luck wth the weather this year, but finally everything has come right for him and we hope that he can see off Genki (Roger Charlton/ George Baker) and Elzaam (Roger Varian/ Tadhg O´Shea). In the other group races we like Caledonia Lady (Jo Hughes/ Neil Callan) in the Cornwallis Stakes for 2yo´s over 5 furlongs at 15.05 and Lost in the Moment (Saeed bin Suroor/ Ted Durcan) in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes over 1 1/2 miles at 15.40.

British punters always underestimate German form, and there is a chance that Mosqueras Romance (Marco Botti/ Darryll Holland) could start at a generous price in the listed race for fillies at 18.00. Her run at Hanover behind Glady Romana was not at all bad, and the pair finished well clear of the third horse.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: My Propeller - Caledonia Lady - Stonefield Flyer
2. Race: Arctic Cosmos - Lost In The Moment - Quest For Peace
3. Race: Genki - Elzaam - Dinkum Diamond
4. Race: Smarty Socks - Eton Forever - Decent Fella
5. Race: Astrophysical Jet - Zero Money - Desert Law
6. Race: Rainfall - Flambeau - Mosqueras Romance
7. Race: Marygold - Hot Sugar - Sans Loi