Ascot today

Ascot also has a high class card today, although the ground here is also very soft and there are some small fields. Nicky Henderson and Barry Geraghty, who combined to win 3 races here yesterday, have good prospects to taking both the main events, the Grade Two chase over 2 miles 3 furlongs at 15.10 CET with Finian´s Rainbow and the Grade Two hurdle over the same trip at 15.45 with Oscar Whisky.

Both are very smart and top-rated, but they are also unproven on ground as soft as this. However this applies equally to most of their opponents. For example, we do not think that For Non Stop (Nick Williams/ Noel Fehily), so impressive on fast ground last time at Aintree, will act so well now and consider German-bred Ghizao (Paul Nicholls/ Daryl Jaconb) to be the most serious opponent for Finian´s Rainbow. Henderson and Geraghty also have a chance of winning the opening novice hurdle at 13.35 with Shernando, a useful handicapper on the flat for Mark Johnston. However he was not as good as Chiberta King (Andrew Balding/ Robert Thornton); these ex-flat horses do not always run up to the same form over hurdles and both this pair were well beaten over sticks last time, but we expect much better things today. Venetia Williams had some interesting runners today and we would not be surprised to see her land an Ascot handicap double with Kahsabelle at 14.40 and Pepite Rose at 16.20, both with stable jockey Aidan Coleman aboard.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Easter Day - Dursey Sound - Shernando
2. Race: Tigre D`Aron - Balbriggan - Full Of Joy
3. Race: Florafern - Grassfinch - Bunglasha Lady
4. Race: Finian`S Rainbow - For Non Stop - Captain Chris
5. Race: Oscar Whisky - Get Me Out Of Here - Raya Star
6. Race: Champion Court - Pepite Rose - Tanks For That
7. Race: The Nephew - Fiddlers Bid - Call A Truce