Nick Luck’s blog: Rascal can further expand her Horizons in Queen Mary

William Hill ambassador Nick Luck runs his expert eye over Day Two’s card from Royal Ascot.

Wednesday, Royal Ascot

MISS RASCAL is my idea of the Queen Mary winner (2.30pm), which is a race William Hill have a Top Price Guarantee on. She looked very unfortunate against a massive bias to front runners on her debut, and then bolted up here, posting some smart sectionals. She is drawn next to Ruby’s Profit, who is almost certain to lead, so could easily get the perfect tow into the race for good measure. Marquand is booked and she has a big chance at 10/1.

LAVENDER HILL MOB is a sporting each way poke at 40/1 in the Queen’s Vase (3.05pm). There’s a chance he’s just spent his career to date running over the wrong trip, but this looks right up his street judged on his staying on effort at Goodwood. He’d have got pretty close to Meydaan on that occasion but for being short of room, yet is over four times the price.

BREEGE is taken to follow up her Epsom success in the Duke of Cambridge (3.45pm) at odds of 12/1. Much was made of the misfortune of others that day, but I thought she stuck it out really well despite not really enjoying the track. She ran a blinder when unlucky in the Sandringham last year, and can continue on an upward curve in the first time cheekpieces.

HORIZON DORE, at 13/2, is taken to continue a fine week for his trainer Patrice Cottier in the Prince Of Wales’s (4.25pm). He looked out of the top drawer on occasion last season, and ran a pretty good race despite extraordinary keenness in the Champion Stakes here. This season, as that day, the ground has simply been too slow for him to show his best, but this will be much more like it, and he appears to be running into form at the right time.

REAL GAIN looks a perfect type for the Hunt Cup (5.05pm) at 11/1. There are a lot of exposed horses in here, but this is one of the few on the up, and he can easily be excused an ordinary comeback run on puddingy ground at Newbury, when he found all sorts of trouble. The last time he raced on a sound surface, he looked very smart – certainly in advance of this mark – and it’s possible James Doyle is on the wrong Wathnan horse.

ROWAYEH isn’t the most straightforward, but has claims in the Kensington Palace (5.40pm) at big odds of 14/1. A stiff mile looks just about spot on – and she shouldn’t have too much time to think in a furiously run cavalry charge. Her ordinary runs tend to have been on softish ground or over too far. There’s no doubt she’s well handicapped.

HAWAIIAN could easily bounce back in the Windsor Castle (6.15pm). He got bogged down in the ground at Sandown, but looked very smart on debut in race that has worked out a treat. Connections immediately nominated the Norfolk after that, but he’s come here for something potentially a little less taxing. He’s interesting at 14/1.