17:38 That's it from day one of this two day meeting - join us here again tomorrow.

Until than a very good evening.

17:32 A mile and a half apprentice handicap to end proceedings this afternoon.

Overturn was most unruly in the stalls and reared as the gates opened Andrea Atzeni did very well to stay on board, although the antics cost him any chance.

Gifted Leader was sent off the 5/2 favourite and was prominent in the early stages before weakening after being asked for an effort three out.

 Robby Bobby set of at an horrendous pace and it was a question of when, not if, he would be headed. Surprisingly he stayed in front until a furlong out.

It was Run For Ede’s  and Relative Strength who then hit the front.

Run For Ede’s ran on best of the pair and managed to get the better of his rival by half a length.
Capable Guest , also running on well, came home third.

17:03 Onto the round course for a handicap over the old mile for our penultimate contest.

One of those races where we did not have a clear leader with several of the contenders battling for the lead.

Two exceptions were the favourite One Way Or Another and Dubai’s Touch. The former really pulling hard and trying to hang and the latter being a Johnson runner would have expected to be more prominent.

Just as the favourite was beginning to settle he finished up on the wrong end of some argy bargy along with Stevie Thunder.

It wasn’t until they approached the furlong pole that the race began to get any shape with Dubai’s Touch hitting the front. One Way Or Another did make slow progress but made rider Clare Lindop’s job almost impossible by hanging badly.

16:33 Oh dear it is Carry On At The Races time again as the 6f Aldermore Handicap descended into farce.

Twelve went to post, they set off but stalls one and two failed to open.

A false start was declared but three runners Northern Dare, Great Charm and River Kirov completed the course and were then withdrawn. This is despite the recall flag being waved and a false start being announced over the PA on more than one occasion. It will be interesting to see if jockeys Joe
Fanning, Alan Munro and, dare I say Hayley Turner pick up bans.

The trouble is when the race restarted the runners were not starting from a level playing field, with two of the runners having not taken part at all to some who had run almost four furlongs.
The race itself was scrappy and not one for the form book.

15:48 Race three, a seven furlong novices’ stakes and, of course, Hayley’s comeback.

Did nobody tell David Probert that this was Hayley’s race and he wasn’t to steal her thunder?

It was an odd race with four of the six making their racecourse debut.

It was the pair with experience, Queen’s Hawk and Suited And Booted who knew exactly what to do and they set the pace.

Hayley’s mount, Prompter, ran green in the early stages and she had to give him a couple of slaps to get his attention.

Three out Prompter had got the message and was upsides the leaders. Two out she hit the front, to great cheers and it looked as though the fairytale was on.

However David Probert launched Black Spirit with a late run and was slowly grinding down Promoter’s lead.

It looked close as they crossed the line but judge Dave Smith had no hesitation in calling Black Spirit the winner by a head.   

Well done to Mr Probert and a good ride for Hayley.

15:31 It isn't every day a jockey walks into the parade ring to a huge round of applause - but it isn't every day Hayley Turner returns from injury.

15:17 If your name is Mark Johnston or Joe Fanning then I suspect Ascot will be pretty high in your list of favourite places as the trainer / jockey combo have now taken our first two races.

Alanbrooke was sent off the odds-on favourite and the grey cold, who was very warm in the race, took the two mile contest the hard way – from the front.

The withdrawal of Nemo Star probably did the favourite a favourite as he would have harried Alanbrook in front.

Behind the front runner the field were running two-by-two. Eighteenfifty and Sweetheart, then Mr Crystal and Kasban, with the other three line abreast in the rear.

First to crack was Mr Crystal who dropped out quickly and finished almost pulled up.

Eighteenfifty, Nicky Hendersons last runner before his three month suspension kicks in tomorrow, began dropping out three out.

Approaching one out there was only one horse progressing and that was Alanbrooke, the gap opening the further they went, eventually eased the winning gap of five lengths does not tell the full story.

14:55 A late withdrawal in our second, Nemo Spirit does not go.

A two mile handicap, most of the runners are relaxed – none more so than Mr Crystal.

14:40 Well the runners may have been relatively docile in the parade ring but it all kicked off at the stalls, with several of the field playing up.

None more so than Old Devil Moon who reared up in the stall and was withdrawn.

Fantastic Prince grabbed the stands rail from the off and soon had a lead, although it wasn’t long before Sheer Force was sharing front running duties towards the centre of the course.

Mark Johnston’s Trailblazing was also living up to his name being with the leaders.

It was Trailblazing who was first to set off for home approaching the furlong marker and was soon clear with the debutant Taajub the only challenger. Indeed it looked as though Taajub was going to make it a winning victory but he was a bit green.

In the end Trailblazer came home the 1½ length winner. Taajub, one for the notebook, came home second and in a tight battle for third spot Sheer Force just held off the late challenge of Frozen Power.

14:17 I have just managed to grab a quick word with Haley – no surprise she is a very happy young lady and glad to be back riding.

There may be another happy young lady in our opener as Heather Cork, on House Red, has her first ever ride. What a place to have you first ride?

The opener is a two year old maiden, over six furlongs.

The runners are quite well behaved for babies and six of them are making their racecourse debut.

The one most on their toes, however, is one of the more experienced runners – Pintura. Satwa Son is getting a little warm and Taajub wasn’t too keen when first coming into the ring but then calmed down.

13:49 I have just been outside for a stroll and what a complete contrast to last time they were racing here – which was, of course, the Royal meeting.

The stand seems somewhat forlorn on these quiet days.

13:00 Good afternoon from Ascot where we have broken cloud and the weather is on the muggy side.

The going has changed and is now Good, good to firm in places.

Our highlight is the return of Hayley Turner. She rides Prompter in the 3:35 and Great Charm in the 4:10.

10:47 And another brace on non-runners, including Prince Of Thebes, who ran at Epsom last night.

09:12 And another brace of non-runners.

08:40 After a dry night the going is Good, Good to Soft in places on the round course.

We currently have one non-runner.

Our selections for this afternoon are:-

Return to race archive:

Non-Runners

The time in brackets is the time the horse was officially declared a non-runner.

SC - Self Certificate
VC - Vet's Certificate

2:25
1 Count Of Anjou (lame - SC 08:32)
7 Old Devil Moon (withdrawn at start)

3:00
1 Nemo Spirit (withdrawn 02:37)

3:35
1 Navajo Chief (Not Eaten Up - SC 08:57)

4:45
6 Foolin Myself (Going - 08:59)
8 Prince Of Thebes (not eaten up - SC 10:27)

5:10
9 By Command (going - 09:59)

Results

2:25 Maiden Stakes 6f

1st 13 Trailblazing 5/1 cf
2nd 11 Taajub 5/1 cf
3rd 10 Sheer Force 13/2
11 Ran Nr 1 w/d 7
Distances 1 1/2 & 3 1/2
Fav winner , second & No 4 (4th)
Tote
Win £4.10
Places £1.60 £2.00 £2.50
Exacta £24.80
CSF £22.83
Time 1' 16.42"

3:00 Handicap 2m

1st 8 Alanbrooke 4/5 fav
2nd 6 Sweetheart 9/1
3rd 9 Bernie The Bolt 8/1
8 Ran w/d 1
Distances 5 & 2 3/4
Fav winner
Tote
Win £1.80
Places £1.10 £1.90 £2.40
Exacta £8.40
CSF £8.73
Tricast £35.18
Time 3' 27.42"

3:35 Novice Stakes 7f

1st 4 Black Spirit 15/2
2nd 6 Prompter 5/2 fav
6 Ran Nr 1
Distances head
Fav second
Tote
Win £10.00
Places £4.10 £1.90
Exacta £40.00
CSF £26.90
Time 1' 28.98"

4:10 Handicap 6f

1st 12 Street Power 7/2
2nd 11 Cape Rock 10/1
3rd 1 Spitfire 28/1
9 Ran w/d 5, 8 & 10
Distances head & 1
Fav 7 Lemon And Sugar 5/2 (4th)
Tote
Win £5.00
Places £1.90 £3.20 £5.80
Exacta £31.50
CSF £25.90
Tricast £505.19
Time 1' 15.84"
Rule 4 15p in the £

4:45 Handicap 1m

1st 1 Dubai's Touch 12/1
2nd 2 One Way Or Another 10/3 fav
3rd 10 Sarah Park 9/1
9 Ran Nr 6 & 8
Distances 3 & 2 1/4
Fav second
Tote
Win £9.80
Places £2.10 £1.50 £2.20
Exacta £46.50
CSF £49.11
Tricast £369.96
Time 1' 41.56"

5:20 Handicap 1m 4f

1st 10 Run For Ede's
2nd 8 Relative Strength 4/1
3rd 5 Dakiyha 10/1
9 Ran Nr 9
Distances 1/2 & 1
Fav 2 Gifted Leader 5/2 (8th)
Tote
Win £14.30
Places £3.40 £1.80 £3.50
Exacta £64.50
CSF £50.28
Tricast £410.88
Time 2' 34.30"