Ascot today

Ascot has a decent card today, but it could be spoilt by a large number of non-runners, possibly because of the firming ground. There are two non-runners in the main event, the Princess Margaret Stakes, a Group Three for 2yo fillies at 16.25 CET, so only 6 go to post. Maureen (Richard Hannon/ Richard Hughes) is the clear favourite here; she looked very unlucky when runner-up in the Cherry Hinton Stakes last time and gain recompense now.
The rest of the card consists of 6 handicaps, some of them well below normal Ascot standards. Richard Hannon´s 2yo´s are firing on all fronts, and he can take the opening nursery with top-weight Rebel Magic (Hughes); he is moving up in trip, as is Mrs Warren (Charlie Hills/ William Carson), who could be the main danger, although the unbeaten Redressthebalance (Ralph Beckett/ Jack Doyle) is another interesting contender.
The 5 furlongs handicap at 15.55 looks wide open, and Medicean Man (Jeremy Gask/ Raul da Silva) who won it last year goes on our short list. However we are less keen on David Barron´s pair Waffle (Fran Berry), who has twice been runner-up in the Wokingham but is possibly better at 6 furlongs, and Bosun Breeze (Graham Gibbons), who has won 4 races this year, all over this trip, but looks handicapped to the hilt. More dangerous in our opinion are the very speedy 3yo Es Que Love (Mark Johnston/ Joe Fanning) and Desert Law (Andrew Balding/ Richard Hughes), who like several of these was well beaten in the Wokingham, but had previously been runner-up in the big 5 furlongs Dash at Epsom on Derby Day.
From the German point of view, the 10 furlongs handicap at 16.55 is very interesting, as no fewer than 3 ex-Germans were entered. Unfortunately the one we most fancied, Lyssio, does not run, but we still like Toughness Danon (Brendan Powell/ Fran Berry) and Amoya (Charlie McBride/ Raul da Silva). Toughness Danon was 3rd in the German Derby in 2009, and although his British form is not that great - including over hurdles - he is thrown in here on his old form; Amoya, out of a German Oaks winner, also appears well handicapped and wethink that they are both worth a small each-way bet at the likely long odds.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Rebel Magic - Redressthebalance - Mrs Warren
2. Race: John Louis - Fiery Lad - Scatter Dice
3. Race: Waffle - Bosun Breese - Taajub
4. Race: Maureen - Hoyam - Mironica
5. Race: John Biscuit - Robin Hoods Bay - Indian Jack
6. Race: Diala - Estrela - Laverre
7. Race: Gaul Wood - Corporal Maddox - Mingun Bell